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What will be revealed on January 10 will be a properly designed and built car which could have been done by any other car maker in the world but they shied away from this. Credit the team led by Ratan Tata for sticking doggedly to their task and beavering away for almost a decade to come up with what promises to be the most cost effective people's car in the history of the automobile. On this count itself India has shown the way forward and while many lived in outright skepticism of this, only know is there grudging recognition form the majority behind the viability of such a car. Of course strong praise has come forth from none other Renault's Carlos Ghosn, the man who knows all about value engineering and cost shredding. Ghosn has been the first within the international automotive world to have seconded Tata's concept and given it the ultimate accolade by announcing a rival to it!

Yes, Auto Expo 2008 will be notable for the spate of small cars and small car announcements from domestic and global players. The Tata people's car will dominate mindspace but there will be strong stuff from many other OEMs as well. Fiat Auto will be showing off its small car skills with the Grande Punto and Linea saloon which will get an Indian-premiere at the expo on January 9.

Both these models will be made in India later in 2008 but the interesting bit is that Fiat would also be bringing in its Cinquecento city car and the Bravo as CBUs in the second quarter of the year. Alfa Romeo is already mentioned but the bigger story on the Italian front would be an announcement of the Prancing Horse getting ready to gallop in India.

New Delhi: The secret is out. As Ratan Tata drove in in what is perhaps the most-hyped four-wheeler of the year, excitement was palpable at the Auto Expo show in New Delhi. Christened Nano, and famously priced at Rs 1 lakh (about $2700), the car was unveiled on Wednesdayto a thunderous applause.However, not all seemed as excited over the launch. “If everyone buys the small car, where will they keep it. Where will they drive it?” Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil quipped.Allaying fears of environmentalists, Tata said the 624 cc, 33 HP petrol engine meets Bharat Stage-III emission norms and can also meet the Euro 4 norms.Nano will also have a 30-litre fuel tank and four-speed manual gearshift. The car will come with air conditioning, but will have no power steering.The car comes with front disk and rear drum brakes. The company claims mileage of 20 kmpl in city and 26 kmpl on highway.The base model of Nano is expected to cost Rs 1 Lakh excluding levies.”Since, promise is a promise the standard dealer version will cost Rs 1 lakh,” said Tata Sons Chairman Ratan Tata.He also said that that the car is eight per cent smaller bumper to bumper, than the Maruti 800 but at the same time 21 per cent larger in its interiors and can sit up to four people.Talking about the safety of the car, Tata said, ‘‘the car has passed the full-frontal crash and the side impact crash”.The car will be available in many variants, which will include one standard version and two deluxe versions with AC.The initiative will determine Tata’s place in the global automotive arena, where the battle is increasingly being fought in emerging economies such as India, China and Russia.Only 10 years ago, Tata Motors Ltd unveiled its first car, a hatchback, that established the truck maker’s credentials as a car maker.The new model, using re-engineered plastics and modern adhesives, is a far cry from the premium Jaguar and Land Rover bands Tata is negotiating to acquire from Ford Motor Co.Tata Motors’ drive to produce a cheap, no-nonsense, small car was born from close observation of a local market where millions often ferry families of four, plus baggage, on motorbikes and scooters.source:ibnlive.com