I don’t know what is with these company chairmen trying to impress people at Motorshows by declaring their impossible dreams and then letting some poor chaps called engineers work hard to get their dreams come true. But I do love their dreams, once they sprout wings.
A decade ago, at an opulent Motor show, Mr. Ferdinand Piech, Chairman of the Volkswagen group expressed his idea of a car that has at least 1000bhp and a top speed of 400kmph. The engineers terrified by the Chairman’s declaration, however had to resort to very hard work for the eight years and large volumes of money flowed in until recently, the chairman’s dream finally came true- The Bugatti Veyron. It had a 1000bhp and hit 400kmph as dreamt by Piech and was as unique as planet Jupiter. But only very few could actually buy them as the very limited numbers they produce cost over Rs.8crores and barely manages 2kmpl.
Back here in India , Mr. Ratan Tata, the Chairman of Tata Motors also did a similar exercise at another Motorshow, when he declared his vision of a One lakh Rupee car, by which he stunned the public and frightened his work force. But in his case, fortunately, we are benefited. His project was not a ridiculously over priced, oil well bursting, piece of art form that no one can afford to buy, but a cheap and efficient form of transport that you and I will really consider buying, even if we don’t really need them. It will prove to be an alternative to two wheelers and should be a really great city car.
Work began and from then on, the main questions he faced at every new car launch were about this one lakh rupee car. He has been very careful about his words ever since and whatever he told were carefully dissected by motoring journalists to see what clues of the one lakh car they could derive fromhis words. If the sources are to be believed, the Tata’s much hyped One lakh rupee car will be here next year when you and I will be crowding around the nearest Tata dealer to get ours. And very soon, Tata will take charge as the largest automobile manufacturer in India , beating Maruti and Hero Honda off their current top spots in the four and two wheeler segments. India will have a large part of its population put behind the wheels and the days in which an entire family of parents and two children, traveled by hanging onto the saddle and every other part of Papa’s scooter, will soon be history too. One lakh rupees is all you need to be driving in your brand new car. At least, it sounds very promising.
Let’s however get some fallacy cleared here. The one lakh car, contrary to people’s perception or to its name, will cost more than a lakh. It could have been a lakh were it to be sold eight or nine years ago when the idea was conceived. Steel and component prices have gone up ever since and a safe guess about the price would be about Rs. 1.25 lakhs.
As it can be seen from the illustrations above and as clearly specified by the company’s chairman, it will be a proper car with four doors and four seats and not an auto-rickshaw with four wheels. According to our reliable company sources, it will be a small, mono-volume design resembling the Zen Estilo, but with the engine at the back. Seating will be for two adults and two children, since the engine under the rear seats will make them short on space. But having the engine at the back has some obvious advantages. For one, it gives better packaging in the given size. Secondly, it makes the steering light. And the problem of cooling this engine has been taken care of by vents provided at the back.
It will likely be powered by a small two cylinder petrol engine, which should be a half of the Indica Xeta’s 1200cc block. It is adequate since this is meant to be a city car. To access the engine, the lower part of the rear hatch has to be opened and the rear seats to be removed or folded down. But hopefully Tata, unlike its other cars, will make this engine rather reliable, and that you don’t have to undergo this chore every day.
Tata is also trying to make it very fuel efficient, in the range of 28kmpl. And they will also introduce a diesel version with a 700cc unit similar to the one in the Ace minivan. This engine will be even more fuel efficient to a point where it can threaten even some commuter motorcycles for frugality.
If everything goes well, people will soon say “Tata” to Maruti and will be seen around in cheaper Tata cars. Or else, if the product turns out to be flawed, these same people would invest their money in used yet tried and tested Maruti 800s which are reliable. What has to be waited and seen is how Maruti will react to this situation, where it loses its title as the nation’s largest car manufacturer. I expect a barebones, and even cheaper version of the Maruti 800 at a similar price, with cotton seats and coir mats!
A decade ago, at an opulent Motor show, Mr. Ferdinand Piech, Chairman of the Volkswagen group expressed his idea of a car that has at least 1000bhp and a top speed of 400kmph. The engineers terrified by the Chairman’s declaration, however had to resort to very hard work for the eight years and large volumes of money flowed in until recently, the chairman’s dream finally came true- The Bugatti Veyron. It had a 1000bhp and hit 400kmph as dreamt by Piech and was as unique as planet Jupiter. But only very few could actually buy them as the very limited numbers they produce cost over Rs.8crores and barely manages 2kmpl.
Back here in India , Mr. Ratan Tata, the Chairman of Tata Motors also did a similar exercise at another Motorshow, when he declared his vision of a One lakh Rupee car, by which he stunned the public and frightened his work force. But in his case, fortunately, we are benefited. His project was not a ridiculously over priced, oil well bursting, piece of art form that no one can afford to buy, but a cheap and efficient form of transport that you and I will really consider buying, even if we don’t really need them. It will prove to be an alternative to two wheelers and should be a really great city car.
Work began and from then on, the main questions he faced at every new car launch were about this one lakh rupee car. He has been very careful about his words ever since and whatever he told were carefully dissected by motoring journalists to see what clues of the one lakh car they could derive fromhis words. If the sources are to be believed, the Tata’s much hyped One lakh rupee car will be here next year when you and I will be crowding around the nearest Tata dealer to get ours. And very soon, Tata will take charge as the largest automobile manufacturer in India , beating Maruti and Hero Honda off their current top spots in the four and two wheeler segments. India will have a large part of its population put behind the wheels and the days in which an entire family of parents and two children, traveled by hanging onto the saddle and every other part of Papa’s scooter, will soon be history too. One lakh rupees is all you need to be driving in your brand new car. At least, it sounds very promising.
Let’s however get some fallacy cleared here. The one lakh car, contrary to people’s perception or to its name, will cost more than a lakh. It could have been a lakh were it to be sold eight or nine years ago when the idea was conceived. Steel and component prices have gone up ever since and a safe guess about the price would be about Rs. 1.25 lakhs.
As it can be seen from the illustrations above and as clearly specified by the company’s chairman, it will be a proper car with four doors and four seats and not an auto-rickshaw with four wheels. According to our reliable company sources, it will be a small, mono-volume design resembling the Zen Estilo, but with the engine at the back. Seating will be for two adults and two children, since the engine under the rear seats will make them short on space. But having the engine at the back has some obvious advantages. For one, it gives better packaging in the given size. Secondly, it makes the steering light. And the problem of cooling this engine has been taken care of by vents provided at the back.
It will likely be powered by a small two cylinder petrol engine, which should be a half of the Indica Xeta’s 1200cc block. It is adequate since this is meant to be a city car. To access the engine, the lower part of the rear hatch has to be opened and the rear seats to be removed or folded down. But hopefully Tata, unlike its other cars, will make this engine rather reliable, and that you don’t have to undergo this chore every day.
Tata is also trying to make it very fuel efficient, in the range of 28kmpl. And they will also introduce a diesel version with a 700cc unit similar to the one in the Ace minivan. This engine will be even more fuel efficient to a point where it can threaten even some commuter motorcycles for frugality.
If everything goes well, people will soon say “Tata” to Maruti and will be seen around in cheaper Tata cars. Or else, if the product turns out to be flawed, these same people would invest their money in used yet tried and tested Maruti 800s which are reliable. What has to be waited and seen is how Maruti will react to this situation, where it loses its title as the nation’s largest car manufacturer. I expect a barebones, and even cheaper version of the Maruti 800 at a similar price, with cotton seats and coir mats!
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