Want to purchase a new car?
Have a budget that won’t exceed 3lakhs?
Worry not. This price bracket has the two of the most talked about cars in the Indian auto industry.
They are:
1. TATA NANO, and
2. MARUTI SUZUKI ALTO.
Well, there’s also TATA INDICA in this segment, but I’m sure no one is going to buy it.
Let’s start with TATA NANO first.
This car made a quite remarkable 1st impression when it was shown at the NEW DELHI AUTO EXPO 2010.
But the scenario changed drastically when it was launched.
Tatas insisted that this car dint need any promotions. But they were wrong.
The car’s sales went down vertically.
It was as if no one wanted to buy this car.
Some unfortunate incidents of BRAND NEW CARS CATCHING FIRE ALSO MADE INTO THE HEADLINES.
Due to this, the waiting period of NANO was now over.
Tatas had to do something. They, at last, came up with promotional projects.
1st they launched the TELEVISION ADVERTISEMENT PROGRAMME. It focused on the “CUTE LOOKS” of the car,
Then they tied up with FUTUREGROUP TO SELL NANOs AT THEIR “BIGBAZAAR” STORES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
Now let’s focus on the prices and features of this car.
There isn’t much of a difference between the CX & LX versions.
LX feels much more upmarket because of some minor fabric works. The basic model has nothing in it. Not even an a/c. and in a country like INDIA, a/c is a must!!
This car doesn’t need a power steering because its super light weight.
The prices are as follows.
WHY SHOULD YOU CONSIDER TATA NANO:
1. YOU TRAVEL MOSTLY IN CITIES,
2. YOU WANT MAXIMUM COMFORT,
3. NANO HAS CABIN ROOM, SIMILAR TO MARUTI SUZUKI WAGON-R,
4. ITS VERY SPACIOUS, (LETS FACE IT, TATAs NEVER MADE CRAMPED CARS)
5. THE 4YEAR WARANTEE THAT TATAs PROVIDE YOU WITH.
WHY YOU SHOULDN’T CONSIDER TATA NANO:
1. IF YOU TRAVEL MOSTLY ON HIGHWAYS.
2. CONCERNED WITH THE LACK OF SAFETY FEATURES.
TO FINISH OFF WITH TATA NANO, stealthracers RATE THIS CAR 7.5/10. THIS CAR SCORES HIGHLY DUE TO THE SPACE AND COMFORT THAT THIS CAR PROVIDES YOU WITH ON A VERY STRINGENT BUDGET.
NOW LETS MOVE ON TO MARUTI SUZUKI ALTO.
IT’S A VERY FAMILIER CAR. ONE CAN SPOT THIS CAR IN NEARLY EVERY STREET IN INDIA. ITS BEEN IN INDIA FOR A LONG TIME NOW.
IT HAS TWO ENGINE VARIENTS.
1. 800CC PETROL MOTOR (DERIVED FROM MARUTI SUZUKI 800) DELIVERING A TOTAL POWER OUTPUT OF 47bhp and TOTAL TORQUE OF 63NM.
2. K-TECH, 1000CC MOTOR (SHARED BY WAGON-R, A-STAR, ESTILO)
WE’LL BE DISCUSSING ABOUT THE 800CC CAR.
This car is like the 21st century MARUTI SUZUKI 800 (LITERALLY SPEAKING). It’s a very basic car Inside out. The front view is also the same. Though the refreshed headlamps and the grill helps it to stand out when compared to the 1st generation car. The side view is totally same. No changes here. The rear, sports a new tail lamp. And we are done with the exteriors. The interiors feel the same as they used to feel in the 1st generation car (the one with 1.1lt engine). The a/c controls may have changed but doesn’t feel plush. Seating is also fine. It can seat up to 5 people (though it’ll be a hell of ride for the backseat riders). But the thing is that the buyer of this car doesn’t worry about these things. He/she might be more interested in the costs of ownership and the fuel efficiency. Well, no one can challenge the mileage figures of this car. It has been tried and tested by thousands. It returns up to 19km/l in standard conditions. This is quite impressive for a car of this budget. Due to the low centre of gravity of this car, you’ll enjoy the car’s handling at high speeds.
WHY SHOULD YOU CONSIDER MARUTI SUZUKI ALTO:
1. IT’S A TRUSTED CAR, OWNED BY MILLIONS. ASK ANY OWNER, THEY’LL GIVE YOU A POSITIVE HEADS UP FOR THIS CAR.
2. THOUGH ITS OLD, IT STILL IS A CAR LOVED BY ALL MAINLY BECAUSE OF ITS SIMPLE AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN.
3. IT’S A MARUTI…..!! NEED I SAY MORE? [ ;) ]
WHY YOU SHOULDN’T CONSIDER IT:
1. IF YOU WANT TO STAND OUT OF THE REST.
2. IT’S CRAMPED.
3. ENGINE IS UNDERPOWERED.
stealthracers RATE MARUTI SUZUKI ALTO 6.9/10. IT’S A GREAT CAR, BUT INSTEAD, BUY A TATA NANO, AND SAVE THE EXTRA BUCKS….
PLS RATE THIS ARTICLE!!
THANKS A LOT!!
COME BACK SOON IF YOU OWN A NOKIA HANDSET.
NEXT UP, TOP APPLICATIONS FOR NOKIA DEVICES.
-stealthracer
