Tata’s people’s car:
Tata’s one lakh car is the most expected car in recent times not only in india, the whole world is anticipating for the car. “The one-lakh car is a case study which the whole world is watching. If successful, the car can spark demand in a new segment all over the world” reports JD power an Automotive rating and research firm. That’s why every news and rumours about the low cost car is getting covered in almost every magazines, every newspapers and every webportals even the mighty Businessweek and BBC is reporting about the developments of the car. The most expected car has also become the most controversial car in indian history. Whether its the singur controversy or the competitors criticism in one or many ways the one lakh car is making news.
Whie the Chevrolet Aveo, currently the cheapest car in the US, costs around $ 10,350 while Europe’s low cost contender the Dacia Logan costs around 6000 euros. Coming to india while most manufacturers are finding difficult even to make a 100cc bike for Rs40000 Tata is building a car for 1 lakh ($2500) and Tata has to break its own achievements and has to set new levels of benchmarks in design, production, assembly, logistics and whereever they can to produce a car at such a price.
Can the Tata’s meet the expectations? Will the one lakh car convey the india’s potential to the world? Will Tata stick to its price tag? Will it make sense for Tata to have a car when other players are moving to premium segments? Will the more demanding customers will like the low cost machine? In this preview we will find answer for all these questions also we will know how tata is cutting the cost in all domains to adhere to its price tag.
Name for the Commuters car:
The most watched car in the Indian car space — the Rs 1-lakh ($2500) offering from the Tata Motors stables — is still unnamed, but company sources here believe that `Jeh’ is emerging as the `most favoured name’. “It has always been our Chairman Mr Ratan Tata’s dream to name one of the cars after J.R.D. Tata,”said a Tata official.
What’s the 1 lakh car all about?
Tata says the proposed Rs 1-lakh car would be a vehicle that “will seat four to five people and have a rear engine. It will not be a scooter, three-wheeler or an auto-rickshaw made into a car.” “It will also not be a stripped down car. It will be an inexpensive car,” he said, but added that it would obviously not have the finish or the high speed or the power of a larger car. It would be a rear engine, 4-5 seat, four-door car with about 30 hp (horsepower) engine.Though it is tough to preview a car which is guarded highly by its manufacturer, we will unveil as much we can in this post.
Engine and Transmission:
It is almost sure that Tata’s no frills car will be an rear engined car –to save the transmission cost. Tata Motors have tested an 550-650cc engine but felt it is not sufficient to propel a four seater and they decided to step up the engine. Robert Bosch the international Auto Electronics major has acknowledged that’ its latest success is an order to supply alternators, brakes, and gasoline and diesel management systems for the one lakh car from Tata’. So a diesel and petrol unit is sure for the one lakh car. It is believed that finally tata settled for a 660cc petrol unit and 700cc diesel unit to power the one lakh car.
For the 660cc petrol unit Bosch has designed a special fuel injection system called “value motronic” – the cost of the system is roughly half of a full scale system and it is said to be more efficient. For the 700cc diesel will be a CRDi unit( it’s DICOR for Tata) too Bosch has developed a special injection system for this world’s first twin cylinder CRDi engine. Earlier in 1998 when Ratan Tata unveiled a concept car named ‘zing’ he initiated the idea of producing the 1 lakh car using scooter parts. Yes, Tata opted a basic, automatic or variomatic transmission, instead of a manual transmission set up. Not only it will help the tata in cutting the cost as Tata targets millions of two-wheeler users for its 1 lakh car it will be easy for the tata to lure them. In the combination of a smart petrol unit or a DICOR unit with automatic transmission the one lakh car will be dearer not only while your buying it but also it will be softer on your monthly fuel bill. Overdrive reported petrol version of the one lakh car registered mileage/ fuel efficiency in the region of 26kpl(65mpg) in the internal Tata tests and but Tata is gunning for 30kpl!(70mpg) enough isn’t it? if not, Tata – Bosch DICOR unit may satisfy our thirst. On the performance side the petrol unit is believed to produce 33bhp with a top speed of 120kph(80mph)
Few disadvantages in a rear engine car:
* uneven weight distribution and hence poor traction control
* poor cornering and poor handling
* poor engine cooling and hence more chance for engine overheating
* almost no boot space and cramped space for rear passengers
Design and features:
Tata’s zing and indiva concept cars exhibited at 1998 and 2002 auto expo would be base for the proposed one lakh car. Apart from the concept cars, the one lakh car is sure to have few signs popular rear engined cars such as volkswagen beetle, Fiat model 500 and porsche cars. Tata has outsourced the design to Italy’s Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering (IDEA) which designed most Tata;s cars including indica. The one lakh car probably will not be designed to win any beauty contests but at the same time it will not be a ugly duckling either. As evident from the indiva, tata’s small car will embrace not so contemporary tall boy look similar to Maruti Suzuki’s WagonR. Under the front hood the one lakh car will have a small storage space, “like an overhead bin” on an airplane.
As bonnet is used for the storage space, headlamps will not be a wraparound, it may be quadrilateral in shape and the headlamps will sit on the smaller bonnet. As the one lakh car is a rear engined one, i believe drivers will have more fun with this car, starting from steep rake to the larger front windshield is truly what every driver loves to have. For the one lakh car there will not be a distinctive grille but because of the round bumper, Tata’s will carry its familiar ’smiley’ front look to the one lakh car as well. Tata’s small car will make use of a single wiper instead of two, not only for giving the car a cleaner look also for cutting the cost of windshield wipers for the people’s Car in half. In the sides as Tata will source smaller tyres from its cargo carrier ace for the one lakh car and beacuse of this Tata will not spruce up the fenders. Not so full wheels and black door handles will feature in people’s car. Identical rear view mirrors will be used on either side to save cost. In the rear one lakh car will be more upmarket since the car will have pillar mounted taillamps similar to its sibling indica.
Inside, the one lakh car will feature all the basic amenities, instrument console would have a speedometer, an odometer and fuel gauge. You have to cut costs on everything—seats, materials, components—the whole package,” says Tata Group Chairman Ratan N. Tata. These are the words which are going to be reflected in upholsteries and door trims.
Some myths about the one lakh car:
Though too early to call some news about the 1 lakh car as myth, from Tata words we can atleast flush some rumours about it. Some scoops on car’s features includes – Curtains replacing glass windows, removable bolt-on seats instead of the regular ones, roof will be an optional add-on, and plastic body panels instead of the regular metal panels. Yes, Tata had talks with General Electric for using its re-engineered plastics for its low cost car and Tata may make use of modern adhesives instead of welding to cut down cost, but still there is no definite direction in this issue but certainly there will be no curtains. The one lakh car will be a complete car with definite roof and glass windows.
Will the much hyped 1 lakh car end in a flop??.. In Tata’s one lakh car – part2






Dear author
I liked your piece on the one-lakh car. Before commenting, could you send it to me, together with the 2nd and third part, so that I can then respond properly.
Thank you
Bernard Imhasly
(Swiss journalist)
Dear Sir,
We would like to inform you that we are the cream customers of Tata Motors since last 20 to 25 years. I am owing three vehciles i.e. safari,indigo marina and indica.
I am facing problems since last few months and facing with no proper feed back.
I have many atimes made complaints to Tata Motors,Mumbai but found with no results.
I request you to mail us the email address of Sir Ratan Tata or the mail address of his secreatary for further correspondence.
Hope no more disappointments from your side.
Regards,
Abhinava Sankhala
(CEO)
The Standard Alloy Steel Industries
Indore
Telefax: 0731-2806094,2806040,2806330
Can you provide me any addresses of suppliers of parts like HUB MOTORS,Controllers etc. whithin india please ?
Tata ‘One Lakh’ car – Safety should be first Priority and then design/comfort etc. However, the car would be an instant success if Tata Motor’s after sales service is good and the option of ‘Exchange’ is always available for all the owners of ‘One Lakh’ car. Just in case the owner does not like or is not happy with the car, he can give feedback and get a very good reasonable amount off and can buy any other Tata Car in exchange. Hope Tata Motors Management reads this Blogs.
i am very happy to listen that tata is making a car only $2,500
TATA’s new car may incorporate new engine kind run by natural compressed air.Have you updated your knowledge on this .
We’ll post news on in it sooner or later
Dear Sir,
Plse Send me a Price, Picture And date Of Tata People’s car’s Launching in Delhi
Isn’t the Porsche 911 a rear engine car? Does it have these problems?
“Few disadvantages in a rear engine car:
* uneven weight distribution and hence poor traction control
* poor cornering and poor handling
* poor engine cooling and hence more chance for engine overheating
* almost no boot space and cramped space for rear passengers”
hey sup bro u know more about that yzfr1 if u can tell me wen it’s cumin in india and how much it’s gona be.
thx
HI
WEN THE RELEASE OF THIS 1 LAK CAR
I think this car resemble maruthi omni except where the engine should be under rear seat instead of driver’s one
Then this will provide excellent visibility to the driver enabling them to have a better control over the vechile (esp. for women)on the narrow city roads of india
The TATA’s one lakh car has certainly generated a lot of interest not only in India but the entire world. The small size and auto transmission would be really appreciated by the women drivers. However assuming the car is a big hit much like the FIAT 500 in the late 50’s , the next question is (as there would be a large number of cars sold), how good would the customer service be at the servicing centers? The service centers who have to not only service a large number of Indica’s and Indigo’s and the Sumo’s (not to forget the Palio’s) have to keep up with the even large number of small cars.
Dear,
Pls send me photo,exshowroom price atIndore,launching date,engine capacity.Whether it wd be two door r four door.
With Regards
Amzad Mughal
09826406969
Dear Team,
ye car ratlam(MP)me milegi ya nahi.Aur finance ki kya suwidha rahegi
Thanku
Farukh
helo sir WEN THE RELEASE OF THIS 1 LAK CAR
dear sir, plese send me lunching date in gujrat. Your one lakh car.
i want in india road 250cc bike of hero honda coz im a fan of this compnay, just now i haved seen hero honda hunk… but its look is not so good like bajaj 220.. i hope u understand that what will the next laucn of hero honda in india.
its mine mistake… sorry to let u know abt bikes… coz i was searching to share my view abt bikes.. sorry again.
pls send me pictures of people’s car
Just the car I have been searching for.A deisel rear-engine and rear drive four seater.
DEAR SIR,
GOOD TO HEAR ABOUT TATAS ONE LAKH CAR.MY ADVICE ONLY , REAR ENGINE MAY NOT WORK VERY EFFICENT IN INDIA, AS YOU KNOW ABOUT THE HOT CONDITIONS.PLEASE SEE THE FINISHING OF THE CAR LOOKS VERY SEXY. WHAT EVER YOU GIVE IN IN THE CAR SHOULD WORK FINE.
I AM A FAN OF TATAS CARS. I OWNED ALL TATAS CARS.FOR THAT PRICE THEY WORK VERY EFFICENT.BEFORE I END THE PAGE I WOULD REMIND YOU ALL WHO ARE REALLY WORKING HARD TO GET THIS ONE LAKH TATAS CARS PLEASE PLEASE… SEE IT SHOULD BE SUCESS.
MOST OF US IN INDIA ARE MIDDLE CLASS FAMILY, THEY ALL ARE DREAMING AND KEEEPING BIG HOPES ON YOU ALL.I SAY GOOD LUCK TO ALL YOUR TEAM MEMBERS.BYE…BYE…HOPING THE CAR(I CALL IT INDUS) TO LAUNCH SOON.
Ramesh Magalanadu.
Bangalore.
dear team members
this car will definately sell like anything.
dear sir,
i found fiat palio is a grate car. but with a few problam like aliment, spair parts, electronic & fuale effaciancy in petrol verson.
i am having palio elx 1.2 for last 5 year the bigning modal (the origanal italian make). it has a grate pickup.
speed in 2nd gear 20 to 90 in 6 second. it was a fastest care in year 2002-3. and a engin sound is like farrari 350.
but now brand name palio is dead. so plice conserate on this car to live………..
Dear Sir,
Plse Send me a Price, Picture And date Of Tata People’s car’s Launching in Delhi
TATA MOTORS – Rs One Lakh Car
TATA MOTORS – Rs One Lakh Car is all geard to be lauched in the Auto Expo 2009, have a glimpse of it
http://automobile-planet.blogspot.com/2007/12/tata-motors-rs-one-lakh-car.html
I would like to purchase the car. please provide information about the booking. My no is 9811569046
Tata’s one lakh will be a success with lower-middle class, since most of these people use their 2-wheelers overloaded to nearly 4 to 5 (ofcourse, with kids). The bikes themselves cost nearly half lakh. So what else would be a big attraction.
The big problem with 4-wheelers is, parking and road sizes. These are not going up, though the 4-wheeler population is multiplying geometrically. It is time the state and the responsible organisations take a serious look into this and go for long term solutions.
hello
Sir,
This is a great thing which i heard in past couple of months. I am anxious to buy the car in place of Bajaj Pulsar, Pl. road the car at the earliest.
Wow!!!
Is that for real??? Smthing i’ve been dreaming about from long time is finally seems to be coming true. loved the looks n’ style.By the way did i mention i’m from Nepal, kathmandu to be specific. What would be the price here?? I love the color black and red : bold colors.Many thankx!
dear sir,
i am residing in Belgaum District (Karnataka). I very much interested to ride new Tata’s Neno car. Please guide me how can i buy this car i.e. where i can book this car & what price i will have to pay.
Regards
Dinesh
Sir,
It is pleasure to make seat on your new lonching vicheal, It make every people dream to buy the car ,
Each and every people incuding me to buy thi car in minimum price,
I Samikshak Verma want to work with for my dream car ,
I make the differ carin the universe,
So kindly give me work to do,for my self,
Iam also working in TATA TEL SERVICE
AS a multitasker.in kotkhai(SHIMLA){H.P}
PLZ Ignore my spaling mistak,
SUNTY VERMA
Thanks & Regard
Samikshak verma
M NO 9218502106,
I own an indica and a indigo 75000 and 112000 kms resp. They are good cars. But I will nor buy a TATA car again because of poor after sales service. The wipers are worse than hand operated auto rick wipers. I got a Indica with defective wipers and they said the wiper is a consumable so no replacement.
They acknowledged that all 2004 and earlier Indigo,s have defective starters which will not work after a long drive till the car cools down. If I wanted it right I had to pay for it.
Even now i love the cars but i get atrocious maintainence.
After every maintainence i get a call from the tata call centre who will neither take my complaint nor tell me what to do but only ask a set of questions which is very irritating. I have never serviced the cars out side of the authorised maintainence.
It is not fair to the engineers at tata that a good product is so badly managed. On fuel efficiency, stamina and drive and steering control tata cars are superior to other high volume indian manufacturers.
THE TATA’S JUST DO NOT CARE FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS.
Sorry refer to above my mail id is dbshetty@gmail.com
I don’t think this will be available in the makret because the price of steel and petrol hikeing and because of that Tata’s 1 Lakh cars is not possible to launch in Indian market.
HI friends do you think this car worth 1lakh will be a good car.
It’s engine is at the back….
Front space is dikki…..
It is mote than 50% is plastic….
hello sir,
may i know the car worth rs 1 lakh is sufficent for heir for me or not. and how much extra amount i have to pay. and i need to see the picture and look of this new launchging car.
Thanking you
gulia
Tata’s one lakh car is the most expected car in recent times not only in india, the whole world is anticipating for the car. “The one-lakh car is a case study which the whole world is watching. If successful, the car can spark demand in a new segment all over the world” reports JD power an Automotive rating and research firm. That’s why every news and rumours about the low cost car is getting covered in almost every magazines, every newspapers and every webportals even the mighty Businessweek and BBC is reporting about the developments of the car. The most expected car has also become the most controversial car in indian history. Whether its the singur controversy or the competitors criticism in one or many ways the one lakh car is making news.
Whie the Chevrolet Aveo, currently the cheapest car in the US, costs around $ 10,350 while Europe’s low cost contender the Dacia Logan costs around 6000 euros. Coming to india while most manufacturers are finding difficult even to make a 100cc bike for Rs40000 Tata is building a car for 1 lakh ($2500) and Tata has to break its own achievements and has to set new levels of benchmarks in design, production, assembly, logistics and whereever they can to produce a car at such a price.
Can the Tata’s meet the expectations? Will the one lakh car convey the india’s potential to the world? Will Tata stick to its price tag? Will it make sense for Tata to have a car when other players are moving to premium segments? Will the more demanding customers will like the low cost machine? In this preview we will find answer for all these questions also we will know how tata is cutting the cost in all domains to adhere to its price tag.
Name for the Commuters car:
The most watched car in the Indian car space — the Rs 1-lakh ($2500) offering from the Tata Motors stables — is still unnamed, but company sources here believe that `Jeh’ is emerging as the `most favoured name’. “It has always been our Chairman Mr Ratan Tata’s dream to name one of the cars after J.R.D. Tata,”said a Tata official.
What’s the 1 lakh car all about?
Tata says the proposed Rs 1-lakh car would be a vehicle that “will seat four to five people and have a rear engine. It will not be a scooter, three-wheeler or an auto-rickshaw made into a car.” “It will also not be a stripped down car. It will be an inexpensive car,” he said, but added that it would obviously not have the finish or the high speed or the power of a larger car. It would be a rear engine, 4-5 seat, four-door car with about 30 hp (horsepower) engine.Though it is tough to preview a car which is guarded highly by its manufacturer, we will unveil as much we can in this post.
Engine and Transmission:
It is almost sure that Tata’s no frills car will be an rear engined car –to save the transmission cost. Tata Motors have tested an 550-650cc engine but felt it is not sufficient to propel a four seater and they decided to step up the engine. Robert Bosch the international Auto Electronics major has acknowledged that’ its latest success is an order to supply alternators, brakes, and gasoline and diesel management systems for the one lakh car from Tata’. So a diesel and petrol unit is sure for the one lakh car. It is believed that finally tata settled for a 660cc petrol unit and 700cc diesel unit to power the one lakh car.
For the 660cc petrol unit Bosch has designed a special fuel injection system called “value motronic” – the cost of the system is roughly half of a full scale system and it is said to be more efficient. For the 700cc diesel will be a CRDi unit( it’s DICOR for Tata) too Bosch has developed a special injection system for this world’s first twin cylinder CRDi engine. Earlier in 1998 when Ratan Tata unveiled a concept car named ‘zing’ he initiated the idea of producing the 1 lakh car using scooter parts. Yes, Tata opted a basic, automatic or variomatic transmission, instead of a manual transmission set up. Not only it will help the tata in cutting the cost as Tata targets millions of two-wheeler users for its 1 lakh car it will be easy for the tata to lure them. In the combination of a smart petrol unit or a DICOR unit with automatic transmission the one lakh car will be dearer not only while your buying it but also it will be softer on your monthly fuel bill. Overdrive reported petrol version of the one lakh car registered mileage/ fuel efficiency in the region of 26kpl(65mpg) in the internal Tata tests and but Tata is gunning for 30kpl!(70mpg) enough isn’t it? if not, Tata – Bosch DICOR unit may satisfy our thirst. On the performance side the petrol unit is believed to produce 33bhp with a top speed of 120kph(80mph)
Few disadvantages in a rear engine car:
* uneven weight distribution and hence poor traction control
* poor cornering and poor handling
* poor engine cooling and hence more chance for engine overheating
* almost no boot space and cramped space for rear passengers
Design and features:
Tata’s zing and indiva concept cars exhibited at 1998 and 2002 auto expo would be base for the proposed one lakh car. Apart from the concept cars, the one lakh car is sure to have few signs popular rear engined cars such as volkswagen beetle, Fiat model 500 and porsche cars. Tata has outsourced the design to Italy’s Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering (IDEA) which designed most Tata;s cars including indica. The one lakh car probably will not be designed to win any beauty contests but at the same time it will not be a ugly duckling either. As evident from the indiva, tata’s small car will embrace not so contemporary tall boy look similar to Maruti Suzuki’s WagonR. Under the front hood the one lakh car will have a small storage space, “like an overhead bin” on an airplane.
As bonnet is used for the storage space, headlamps will not be a wraparound, it may be quadrilateral in shape and the headlamps will sit on the smaller bonnet. As the one lakh car is a rear engined one, i believe drivers will have more fun with this car, starting from steep rake to the larger front windshield is truly what every driver loves to have. For the one lakh car there will not be a distinctive grille but because of the round bumper, Tata’s will carry its familiar ’smiley’ front look to the one lakh car as well. Tata’s small car will make use of a single wiper instead of two, not only for giving the car a cleaner look also for cutting the cost of windshield wipers for the people’s Car in half. In the sides as Tata will source smaller tyres from its cargo carrier ace for the one lakh car and beacuse of this Tata will not spruce up the fenders. Not so full wheels and black door handles will feature in people’s car. Identical rear view mirrors will be used on either side to save cost. In the rear one lakh car will be more upmarket since the car will have pillar mounted taillamps similar to its sibling indica.
Inside, the one lakh car will feature all the basic amenities, instrument console would have a speedometer, an odometer and fuel gauge. You have to cut costs on everything—seats, materials, components—the whole package,” says Tata Group Chairman Ratan N. Tata. These are the words which are going to be reflected in upholsteries and door trims.
Some myths about the one lakh car:
Though too early to call some news about the 1 lakh car as myth, from Tata words we can atleast flush some rumours about it. Some scoops on car’s features includes – Curtains replacing glass windows, removable bolt-on seats instead of the regular ones, roof will be an optional add-on, and plastic body panels instead of the regular metal panels. Yes, Tata had talks with General Electric for using its re-engineered plastics for its low cost car and Tata may make use of modern adhesives instead of welding to cut down cost, but still there is no definite direction in this issue but certainly there will be no curtains. The one lakh car will be a complete car with definite roof and glass windows.
This information i like.Soon i will buy a nano.
Comparing Maruti 800 and Tata Nano
Space-Nano has more space than 800.
Mileage-Nano has more mileage than 800.
Comfort-Nano is comfort in travel travelling.
Result-Nano is the winner and 800 is loser.