Beauties big and small

Several new cars were unveiled at the recent 9th Auto Expo in Delhi. Besides Tata’s dream car Nano, new models of big cars like Mercedes, BMW and Corolla will hit the road shortly.
H. Kishie Singh checks out the auto scene

A promise is a promise", said Ratan Tata. As Stanley Kubrick’s theme from A Space Odyssey thundered through the sound system, Ratan Tata unveiled the Nano, and made history. The Rs 1 lakh car was a reality. His move silenced the sceptics and gave the aspirations of millions a fillip. Ratan Tata’s actions and words were seen and heard around the world. It was a definitive moment in the history of the automobile industry. Not since Henry Ford gave the world the Mode T 100 years ago has the auto industry had such a wave of enthusiasm for the people’s car, made in India.

At first glance the car presents a pretty picture. Cute, curvy and almost cuddly. On the outside it is 20 per cent shorter in length than the Maruti 800 but on the inside it has 21 per cent more space. This has been made possible by placing the engine at the rear. This means that the fire-wall at the front end has been moved further up. Luggage space is reduced, just enough for one suitcase. It should be kept in mind that this is an intra-city car and not an inter-city car. Four people can sit comfortably. The fifth one can be ‘adjusted.’ No front reclining seats. A visual check shows where the costs have been kept low. Three nuts on each wheel, as compared to four. Thin tubeless tyres. The weight has been cut by 3 kg by using three nuts and no tubes. Also, eliminating the tubes has saved money.

One large wiper has been installed to clean the front windscreen. You won’t see it but the wiper motor required is smaller and cheaper. This is just an example of how the price of Rs one lakh was made possible. These were not just cost-cutting measures but by design improvements and improvisations. The essentials have not been compromised. The Nano meets European standards for the frontal crash and the three quarter crash as well as the side impact. By placing the engine at the rear, the front suspension and steering have been relieved of considerable weight. This has also led to the reduction of the length of the car.

No power steering is necessary. More cost has been saved. The steering wheel is hollow. Therefore, the weight is less, and so is the cost. No radio, no headlight-levelling facility. The rear mounted two-cylinder 623 cc engine is with the multi-point fuel injection (petrol) system. It is all aluminium. Cast iron would mean higher cost and more weight. More money saved. Less weight means improved fuel efficiency.

The Nano is expected to give an average of 20 km per litre. Emissions have also been addressed. It is Euro-4 or Bharat 111 com
pliant. It leaves a carbon footprint less than a two-wheeler. Being rear engine and rear-wheel drive means no constant velocity joints ( CVJ) on the front wheels. Quite a few rupees saved. Incidentally, all the specifications mentioned here are not what you will see on the car when it hits the road. Tata officials are tight-lipped on giving out any information. The answer to any question is met with a standard reply: "The car has only been unveiled. That information will be available at the time of the launch."

What else is available for Rs 1lakh? A bicycle! The Fire Fox is made in Noida and M.D. Shiv Inder Singh says being at Auto Expo will create an awareness amongst the young for an environment- friendly transport. The Fire Fox has 20 gears and is a de-tuned bike that Lance Armstrong, seven times winner of Tour de France, used. It has a carbon fibre frame, which carries a lifetime warranty, weighs 900 gm and has a top speed of 90 kmph. That’s faster than a Nano.

One of the best offerings was from Skoda—Fabia. A good- looking hatchback. The German invasion continues. Audi will introduce the A-4 with a 2000 cc petrol turbo-charged engine and a 2000 cc pressure injection diesel engine. This car would be available by May this year.

Mercedes offers the new C class in petrol and diesel. The price would be equivalent to the cost of about 27 Nanos. The stunning CLK is available. Volkswagon, the original people’s car, is today up-market. The company offers the Tiguan with 1.4-litre petrol engine and 2-litre diesel engine, and will be equivalent to the cost of 20 Nanos. Big brother, the Toureg, has a 3-litre diesel engine and is worth 42 Nanos. The Jetta will be available later this year with 1.6-litre petrol engine. The Jetta, in the mid-segment, is set to do battle with Maruti SX4, the Honda City and G.M.Optra.

BMW has introduced its entire range of M series—the M3( the price of 75 Nanos), the M5 (100 Nanos), the M6 ( 125 Nanos) and the M6 convertible ( 132 Nanos ). The 3 and 5 series are already being produced in Chennai. The others are imported as completely built units. Needless to say, any BMW offers stunning looks with performance to match. Now that the entire range is available in India, the motoring aficionado’s cup runneth over.

A new Corolla is on the cards. Even though Toyota was not present at the Auto Expo, the makers made it known that a diesel engine Corolla is coming. It could be the ace up Toyota’s sleeve. General Motors launched its Captiva, a top class SUV to compete with Honda CR-V and Mitsubishi. The Captiva has a 2-litre diesel engine and this may endear itself to the Indian buyer.

The 9th Auto Expo was the largest and showed some of the most expensive cars and bikes. In all 24 new cars and bikes were unveiled. An estimated 1.8 million visitors attended the show. However, the venue left a poor after taste. The sidewalks were broken; no repairs had been carried out. Toilet facilities were inadequate. Fire prevention service was poor. Stray dogs and swarms of flies were in attendance everywhere. The shuttle bus service was also not up to the mark. All this in spite of the fact that the floor rental at Auto Expo is more than its counterpart in Tokyo, Geneva or Detroit. Auto Expo needs better organisation, not up to but better than international standards. After all, it is India shining.