A pocket-sized car for pocket change?
by Lisa Rollins
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posted Oct 16 2012 5:22AM
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It could soon be a reality for American drivers! The chairman of Indian automaker Tata has announced plans to bring the $3,000 Nano micro car to the U.S. within 3 years, according to Automotive News.
It’s 10 feet long, has 4 doors and is currently powered by a 37 hp 2-cylinder engine and lacks common safety features such as power steering, traction control and airbags.
It was originally designed to compete in the Indian market against scooters and motorcycles. Along with added safety equipment, it’s likely the car will get a larger, less polluting engine for export markets.
Unfortunately, that means the price will increase, as well, possibly tripling by the time it goes on sale here.
So would you want one?
The Nano launched in 2009, but quality issues and it’s still relatively high price compared to two-wheel vehicles have kept it from becoming the runaway hit originally envisioned. As of April of this year, just 175,000 Nanos had been sold in India, which has a population of 1.2 billion people.
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