Threw every possible challenge at it and it came victorious all the time.

Exterior

I personally like it better than other budget cars such as Alto 800, Alto k10 and Eon.  It is what it is - a small compact car with a pretty face.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort)

I have been driving around Nano since August, 2014 and I have clocked almost 6000 km.  All this while whoever stepped inside the car was surprised with the interior space.  Recently I went on a drive to Lonavla from Pune and had 4 HUGE adults onboard and nobody complained about the space and comfort.

This car has all the necessary features that you'd want.  I have the Twist XT version which comes loaded with a 4 speaker stereo that can play music from a CD, flash drive and from mobile devices thru aux-in or bluetooth.  You can even answer and make calls through this system.  Sound output of the stereo is decent and you won't complain about it unless you like window-smashing loud music.

This car also has central and remote locking which makes getting in and out tad easy.  Also, it comes with fog lamps that are quite helpful in bad weather conditions.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox

I look at it like this - Nano is the first rear wheel driven compact car in India.  And it's SO much fun to drive!  The engine is small but has adequate power and torque to take you around city and highways and ghats.

I get 23 kmpl on an average in city driving conditions.  With the AC on (more than 75% of the time) I get bit more than 22 kmpl.  On highway I tend to do speeds in excess of 80 kmph and the fuel consumption is the same i.e. 22 - 23 kmpl.

The gear ratios are perfect for this car.  3rd gear is quite tall and you can do 20 kmph to 60 kmph in this slot and this eliminates the need to downshift while overtaking.  4th gear works fine at speeds starting from 40 kmph to 105 kmph.

There's only one improvement to be done in this area and that is gear shifting.  Sometimes the shifter gets stuck while trying to slot in the 1st gear and the reverse gear.

Ride Quality & Handling

Ride can be a bit hard at times.  This is due to the stiff suspension of the car but, you can't ask for a soft ride.  Nano is a tall car with generous ground clearance which moves its centre of gravity higher and these are the factors that contribute to body roll.  I guess to eliminate body roll as much as possible the suspensions have been kept stiff and that's okay for me since I can do tight turns at 60 kmph.

The Nano Twist is quitter inside than other models.  The NVH levels are pretty low and you will hear the engine noise only at slow speeds.  However, you might hear some rattling noise when you hit hard on potholes or speed breakers.  This noise comes from the window fittings under the door trim.  But, there's nothing to worry about since the car is overall well built.

The power steering is a boon I can say since I have experienced driving older versions of Nano which don’t have it.  You can steer with just one finger and it is quite precise.

Final Words

I am in love with this car since it is one of the most practical vehicles out there.  I don’t spend much on fuel and I get to travel in luxury to some extent in all weather conditions.  It is safer than a 2 wheeler and it is pocket friendly.

Don’t ask for opinion on Nano from people who have never owned one.  Ask the real users of this vehicle about their experience and you will be surprised to know how satisfied they are.

The AMC covers maintenance up to 20000 km and it cost me only 3000 bucks!  I just need to refuel the car and drive it around without bothering about its maintenance cost.  Also, Nano has a better warranty coverage of 60000 km which is far greater than what Maruti offers on Alto.  So, think well before settling for a small car because Nano might just be a better deal for you like it has been for many other people.

Areas of improvement  

 

Gear shifting can be made smoother and NVH can be brought down even more.

SturdyRattling noise from the door and hard gear shifts.