It would be an understatement if we were to say that the Tata Nano was the most awaited car in India - because as things went, the entire globe had their eyes fixated on the gates of the Tata Motors factory prior to the car's launch earlier this year and for good reason.
The car promised to be everything that any other basic car, but also promised to do a lot more, and it most certainly did. The Nano not only looks cuter than most things on wheels on Indian roads, but delivers on all the promises that Ratan Tata had made to the world as well. It is a marvel of engineering - the way the car has been packaged right from its interiors to the 600cc twin pot petrol engine is a lesson that has been closely watched and applauded by some of the best car makers in the world. And no wonder then, that the Tata Nano grabbed the unanimous vote for the ET ZigWheels Car of the Year 2009.
The first thing about the Nano that really hits you the moment you lay your eyes on it is the way it is styled ? a one-box wonder that is extremely stylish and compact on the outside, yet so amazingly spacious on the inside. There's more space in the Nano than most other cars in its segment and it even has a rear bench that can squeeze in three adults in relative comfort. Visibility all-round is great and coupled with neat driving dynamics, it makes for a car that is a breeze to maneuver in peak rush hour traffic. The engine has good torque and makes for decent driveability apart from being frugal as well. With its rear-wheel drive layout, it is also somewhat fun to drive in a very funky sort of way. The Nano comes about as the perfect city runabout that has the potential to elevate hoards of Indian families from being cramped on motorcycles to affording a complete set of four wheels, as it has already been doing since its launch. But what really won the Tata Nano the ET ZigWheels Car of the Year accolade for 2009 over and above all of this of course, is the price. At under Rs 2 lakh for the fully loaded LX variant, the Tata Nano is so much car for the kind of money Tata Motors is asking for it. Way to go Nano!
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