Entry-level car segment is a very interesting segment in India. Reason number one: There has been no car till date, since 2000, that has been able to de-throne the leader Maruti Suzuki Alto.Reason number two: Despite an overall sluggish behaviour of the market, entry-level segment alone sold 27,018 cars in the month of April (16,763 units were of the Alto, which is about 38% of the total sales). Reason number three: Many new cars came, tried and gave up but Alto is just indispensable.
Alto sure is the highest selling car in the country, nobody else comes close etc, we all know this. But is it really that good? Is there no other entry level hatchback that can give it sleepless nights? There isn’t right now but one cute little wonder is trying hard…and this wonder is called the Tata Nano with a twist. I mean, it’s called the Tata Nano Twist.
Looks:
This isn’t the segment of very good looking cars. Both the Nano and Alto are rather peculiar looking. But then, looks are subjective and as the famous saying goes- beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. If you look at the Tata Nano is seems to be straight out of a comic strip, a kids comic strip. The Alto on the other hand has a maturer impression on the buyer. A wide grille, tall headlamps and a u-shaped line on the bonnet of the Alto make it more attractive than the round-ish shape of the Nano.
If you look at the Alto from the rear then it does look more wider than just the 5 mm difference. The rear lamps blend well into the body though they are placed very far from each other. The Nano on the other hand has the flowing lights and not much to boast.
Another very big advantage of the Maruti Suzuki Alto is boot space of 177 litres. The Tata Nano offers just 80 litres.
Interiors:
The cabin of the Tata Nano Twist seems more roomy than that of the Maruti Alto 800. It’s mainly because of the beige interiors and large windshield and good view from all windows. The speedometer is placed in the center of the dashboard and just below it are round a/c vents and below that the knobs for air conditioning control. The plastic quality is not much to boast about.
However, the Nano Twist offers more features than the Alto. For starters, the Tata Nano comes with Bluetooth connectivity for phone, though it wont connect in the first go-multiple attempts are needed. The audio quality of voice calls is good and no other car offers Bluetooth in the segment. The buttons on the music system are tiny and are inconvenient to use while driving because the driver has to look at the system to change channels. Apart from this, the Tata Nano Twist offers features like distance to empty display and average fuel economy. Not just this, Nano Twist comes with Keyless Entry too.
Ride and Handling and Safety:
The power steering on the Nano has made the car a lot easier to drive. It is now easier to take turns in the Nano but you do not want to do it at a higher speed. Push the Nano hard and you will want to slow down but then again, entry level cars aren’t made to go fast. It does not take bumps very smoothly and the thud filters into the cabin.
In terms of safety, Tata Nano has nothing to offer except for 180 mm drum brakes up front and rear. The Maruti Alto offers more safety than that. There is an (more expensive) Airbag version and if you opt for the LXi then at least you get front disc brakes.
No comments:
Post a Comment