Tata GenX Nano AMT: 1,000km Long Term Review

Every member of the ZigWheels team is a travel bug which is one of the reasons why a petrol long term is rarely part of our fleet. But when Tata offered the GenX Nano AMT, the case was a bit different. Being a little weary of driving the Volkswagen Polo diesel in bumper-to-bumper traffic every day, I was more than happy to have the GenX Nano. The GenX Nano offered me two things that the Polo never did – convenience and space.

Firstly, the small proportions of the Nano are a blessing in a city like Mumbai. Just over 3 meters in length, the Nano can easily be parked in the tightest of spots. Making the task much easier is the electronic power steering. Moreover being an AMT, I never had to worry about gear shifts which made the overall driving experience absolutely peaceful. That being said, the AMT ‘box isn’t the smoothest of the lot and it could have worked better with closer ratios considering the limited torque on offer. The GenX Nano continues to be powered by the same old 624cc unit twin-cylinder unit that churns out 38PS of power. The engine feels rough and has quite some vibrations while idling, however once in motion, its feels relatively smoother and less jerky.  

In terms of space, the exterior is totally deceptive of what is on the inside. The front seats are well bolstered for an average sized person like me. At the back too, there is ample of leg, knee and shoulder to seat three abreast comfortably. 

After a month and over 1,000km I have now started to look past the few niggles that the GenX Nano has and appreciate it for what the car is. While it works well as a city car, I would have loved to give it a go on the highway. But before I could do that, I am forced to hand over the keys to Cyrus. Over to you. 

Date Acquired: January, 2016 

Total km till Date: 5,651km (974km on test)

Fuel Efficiency: 13.4kmpl

Cheers: Space, Convenience 

Sneers: Gearbox, Rough engine