It is only now that the Nano has got a real twist. No other car has undergone such transformation post its launch like the Nano has. In continuation with the constant upgrades of its models, of which the GenX Nano was the latest one, with a power steering, Tata Motors has now launched the Nano Twist with an automatic gearbox.
Although this should have come much earlier, initial reports suggest that despite its delayed debut, the Nano automatic is already a hit. There is a waiting period after booking and that is indicative of the high demand the car is seeing in the market. With the latest update, the Nano has almost achieved completion as a car.
The grouse, despite its several advantages, that the Nano's boot is not openable has been addressed in its latest version. The GenX Nano's boot can be opened and has a luggage capacity of 110 litres (94 litres for the automatic version). What are the other features of the latest Nano? Into a detailed Test drive report of the latest Nano.
The Design
The Nano has always been a beautiful car. It cannot be said for certain if the GenX Nano is more beautiful, but timely changes have indeed made it a lot more modern.
With a grill-like setup adorning its front end, the Nano now looks like a real car. Still, there are many who believe that in a world full of cars with front grills, the Nano used to look better without them. The headlamps and the Nano's front and rear bumpers have also undergone a change. Just below the new smoke headlamps are the fog lights. Honeycomb's air circulation technology has been incorporated on the Nano's rear bumper. Those who felt that the old grill was not good enough will come to love the new one. The tail lamp cluster has also been updated. The storage space can be found on top of the engine once the hatch door is opened. The space is enough for shopping bags and small suitcases. Tata Motors says that safety was one of their priorities while designing this car and as a result, new crumble zones have been incorporated in Nano Twist. Further, reinforcements have found their place to reduce the impact from the sides in case of accidents. In short, the structural stability of the car has seen substantial improvement.
The interiors of the car are in better trim with enhanced plastic quality and seats. Tata Motor says the central fascia is in satin cappuccino finish. Seats are of premium fabric with Nano embroidered on them. The high-end models have orange inserts. With the updated designs of the seats, comfort has improved. A tweaked suspension also translates into a better ride quality. One cannot find faults with the latest dashboard thanks to the excellent steering wheel borrowed from Tata's Bolt and Zest models. Another notable feature is the beautiful AMT gear lever. Bluetooth connectivity is there and the stereo has a fairly good sound output and quality.
Behind the wheel
The Nano is meant to be driven in the city and hence it was in need of a power steering and an automatic gearbox more than any other car. With a turning radius of less than four meters, the Nano can be easily manoeuvred in the city traffic and it can negotiate narrow lanes with equal ease. The engine management system designed by Germany's Bosch and the excellent insulation system have made the Nano less noisy.
It is very easy to drive the Nano. Just start the car, change the gear lever from 'N' mode to 'A' mode and then just push the pedal. There is no clutch. Now to take reverse, slot the gear lever into the third position (the R mode). The Nano can be effortlessly handled like a gearless scooter. For those who need a bit of driving thrill, the gear lever can be pushed to the extreme left which enables upshifting and downshifting without clutch. This transmission, developed by Fiat, is at the heart of all AMT cars available in India.
The Nano returns 21.9 km per litre of fuel. The fuel tank capacity has been increased from 15 to 24 litres. This means that the Nano Twist has a 500-km range on a full tank. This version is costlier by Rs 30,000 than the previous ones. The top-end model will cost Rs 3.31 lakh on road. At this price, the Nano Twist is a lakh cheaper than its nearest competitor.
Test drive: 9946102759