City run about

 I recently bought a second car .. a 8 month old moth balled ( unused...40Kms God knows why ? ) pristine Nano Special edition , primarily as a city run about.The Car has currently  done a few hundred Kms but  its too early to judge. These are some of my inferences of the car  

Exterior

Exterior styling is fine, fit finish of body panels is reasonably good ,excellent paint job.the alloy wheels really spruce up the car .Tata Motors needs to rework the exhaust note ,they also need to paint the muffler black(not silver) to make it inconspicuous.Night driving is a pleasure thanks to the Head lights and Fog lamps, which have a good spread. 

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort)

Fantastic front and rear  leg room / head room, the interior beige colour combination adds to the airy feeling, Air Con will chill you to the bone, the seats are decent but require some bolstering ,the glove box provision on the dashboard is a welcome feature and the music system provided is adequate. ,

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox

The engine is surprisingly peppy and power is adequate for  city driving ,surprisingly one hardly notices the load on the Engine when the A/C kicks in.The clutch needs getting used to which is slightly on the harder side, but one can live with it.

The gear box is smooth and has  a good feel when one shifts gears, the 1st,2nd &3rd gears are fine but  one is unable to use the 4th gear in  city traffic because of the tall  gear ratio ..but you still end up getting a milage of 18-19Kms/ ltr in the city with A/C 😊 .

Ride Quality & Handling

 Suspension is stiff and the ride is a bit bumpy ,it needs to be softened .The steering effort at parking speeds is acceptable but  may be an issue with Women and the Elderly .  

Final Words

 Its a reasonably  good car for the price... but needs to go the extra mile in terms of refinement. The 4 year / 60000 Kms warranty is reassureing but Tata Motors needs to get its act together to improve after sales service at the dealer end.

 

Areas of improvement  

The quality of plastic parts , the wiper blade , rubber beadings need to be improved.The Electrical system of the car though adequate needs to be made more robust ,a more powerful horn is required . The battery located under the drivers seat is an eye sore and  needs to be covered . An easier access to the engine bay should be provided to owners  for routine checks, current provision is cumbersome.

Rear openable hatch is a must ..it will make it a complete car,Power steering is a required creature comfort !!!! . 

 

Good fuel average, ample leg room both front and rear,decent interior & exterior stylingsuspension,exhaust note,hardseats,quality of plastic & rubber parts