01-12-2008, 01:36 PM
Tata Nano a hit with middle class even before launch
As the world awaits the formal rollout of Tata Nano from the Singur factory in West Bengal, car buying dynamics in India seem to be undergoing a subtle change.
Most believe Nanoâs price is very attractive and affordable. People who own entry-level cars are now thinking of going in for either one Nano â in view of its fuel efficiency â or maybe two, which will cost the same as their existing car. So, there would be one car for the head of the family and another for the family.
Take the case of Sudarshana Sarkar. The school teacher has already enquired about Nano at a city-based Tata dealer. âI particularly liked the yellow Nano. It has a style of its own. Itâs affordable and looks quite comfortable. Itâs good for a small family. I am keen to know when bookings will kick off,â she said.
Tata dealers are flooded with queries from prospective buyers. âNano will be a runaway hit. People, mainly the middle-class, are anxiously waiting for it. After it was unveiled on Thursday, we have started receiving thousands of calls from potential buyers,â said Binod Agarwal of Lexus Motors. Not surprising, considering the countryâs middle-class numbers several million.
Small car owners are upbeat too. âItâs not a bad option to have a Nano for the family. After all, Ratan Tata did assert the car meets all safety standards. So my children can go to school and my wife for her shopping in Nano,â said small-time businessman Apurv Shah.
Prodyut Mitra, an employee with United Bank of India, seconded the emotion: âI commute by a motorcycle and am keen to buy a Nano. I hope banks will come up with soft financing options for the car.â
Sahana Ganguly, a home maker, is, however, more cautious. âItâs an affordable car, no doubt. But I would rather wait a year before buying it, just to see what the experience is like,â she said. Itâs a different matter though that after a year, the carâs price may be revised, if the company wants to mark it to the market vis-a-vis raw material input prices.
The carâs nano space requirement for parking is believed to be yet another purchase point trigger. âThree Nanos can easily fit into the space occupied by two Ambassadors,â an auto analyst quipped.
âTwo Nanos can be effortlessly parked in a typical Scorpio parking slot. So, in metros, where parking is a huge problem, Nano could be a hit,â he added.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Tata_N...how/2694189.cms
As the world awaits the formal rollout of Tata Nano from the Singur factory in West Bengal, car buying dynamics in India seem to be undergoing a subtle change.
Most believe Nanoâs price is very attractive and affordable. People who own entry-level cars are now thinking of going in for either one Nano â in view of its fuel efficiency â or maybe two, which will cost the same as their existing car. So, there would be one car for the head of the family and another for the family.
Take the case of Sudarshana Sarkar. The school teacher has already enquired about Nano at a city-based Tata dealer. âI particularly liked the yellow Nano. It has a style of its own. Itâs affordable and looks quite comfortable. Itâs good for a small family. I am keen to know when bookings will kick off,â she said.
Tata dealers are flooded with queries from prospective buyers. âNano will be a runaway hit. People, mainly the middle-class, are anxiously waiting for it. After it was unveiled on Thursday, we have started receiving thousands of calls from potential buyers,â said Binod Agarwal of Lexus Motors. Not surprising, considering the countryâs middle-class numbers several million.
Small car owners are upbeat too. âItâs not a bad option to have a Nano for the family. After all, Ratan Tata did assert the car meets all safety standards. So my children can go to school and my wife for her shopping in Nano,â said small-time businessman Apurv Shah.
Prodyut Mitra, an employee with United Bank of India, seconded the emotion: âI commute by a motorcycle and am keen to buy a Nano. I hope banks will come up with soft financing options for the car.â
Sahana Ganguly, a home maker, is, however, more cautious. âItâs an affordable car, no doubt. But I would rather wait a year before buying it, just to see what the experience is like,â she said. Itâs a different matter though that after a year, the carâs price may be revised, if the company wants to mark it to the market vis-a-vis raw material input prices.
The carâs nano space requirement for parking is believed to be yet another purchase point trigger. âThree Nanos can easily fit into the space occupied by two Ambassadors,â an auto analyst quipped.
âTwo Nanos can be effortlessly parked in a typical Scorpio parking slot. So, in metros, where parking is a huge problem, Nano could be a hit,â he added.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Tata_N...how/2694189.cms