Competition to Tata Nano - Maruti 800

Maruti 800 is a city car manufactured by Maruti Udyog in India sold at around $5000. It is a rebadged version of a Suzuki Alto. It has a 3 cylinder engine of 37 bhp (28 kW) at 5000 rpm.

It used to be the largest selling car in India until the Maruti Alto recently took that title. It is also exported to a number of countries in southeastern Asia including Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and to some South American markets (as Chile, sold as Suzuki Maruti), and was available in selected European markets between 1988 and 1992, sold as the Suzuki Maruti. The car comes in different versions including one with air conditioning and one without. It was launched in December 1984 with almost 100% imported content.

Competition to Tata Nano - Bajaj Small car

Bajaj silently unveiled its 'Lite' concept car in New Delhi, two days before the much hyped launch of Tata Motors' Rs 1 lakh car.

Bajaj Auto, the country's second biggest two-wheeler maker, said it plans to bring out its small car in collaboration with Renault and Nissan within four years but it will not be for Rs 1 lakh (Rs 100,000).

"I know Carlos Ghosn (President and CEO of Renault and Nissan) has set a target of 2010 for Bajaj-Renault car. While it is hard to put any time-frame, we can say in two-four years we can expect to have the product ready," Bajaj Auto managing director Rajiv Bajaj told reporters in New Delhi.

Bajaj declined to give a specific price of the small car. Ghosn has earlier stated that Renault was looking for a $3,000 car in India, a move triggered by Tata Motors' Rs 1 lakh car that will be unveiled later this week.

Other Cheap cars - Chery QQ

Chery QQ : which sells in China for about $3,900. It's apparently a copy of the GM-Daewoo Spark, introduced in China in 2003. The car is at the center of an industrial rights controversy, since GM have claimed that it is very similar to the Chevrolet Spark/Daewoo Matiz. GM executives have proved that the doors of the Chery car can be mounted on the Chevrolet Spark without modification, and Car and Driver, an automobile magazine, even calls it "a copy".

Tata Nano pictures

Nano Unveiled

These are the first shots of the world's cheapest car called Nano. It is non-polluting; it is safe; it has an AC and it looks good!

Tata Nano Specifications

Dimensions: 3.1 metres (10.23 feet) long, 1.5 metres wide and 1.6 metres high. Can seat four to five people.

Engine: A two cylinder 623 cc, 33 horsepower rear mounted, all aluminium, multi-point fuel injection petrol engine can power the car to top speeds of 105 kilometres per hour (65 miles per hour).

Fuel Efficiency: 20 kilometres per litre, or 50 miles per gallon is claimed.

Pollution: Exceeds Indian regulatory requirements and can meet strict Euro IV emission standards. In terms of overall pollutants, Tata says the car is better than two-wheelers manufactured in India currently.

Safety: Car exceeds current regulatory requirements with a strong passenger compartment, crumple zones, intrusion resistant doors, seat belts, strong seats and anchorage.

Initial Annual Production Target: 250,000 units to rise later to 350,000. PRICE: Basic model price 100,000 rupees (2,500 dollars) plus tax and transport costs, which will bring on the road price to at least 120,000 rupees. The price of two deluxe models that will include air-conditioning and other features to be announced later.

Nearest Domestic Car Rival: Maruti 800, part of Japanese-owned Suzuki Maruti stable whose base model sells for about 4,800 dollars -- nearly double the price of the Nano.

Nearest International Rival: China's Chery QQ which retails for 3,600 dollars.

Sales: Tata will focus on selling the car in India for the next two to three years, before eyeing Latin American and Southeast Asian markets.

Market: India's car market is a huge draw because car penetration is just seven per 1,000 people, compared to 550 per 1,000 in such countries as Germany or 476 in France, according to the Society of Indian Automobiles.

Company Details: Tata Motors is India's largest vehicle company with revenues of 7.2 billion dollars in 2006-2007. It is the leader in commercial vehicles, such as trucks and buses, and the second largest in passenger vehicles. There are over four million Tata vehicles on Indian roads.
(source : Times of india)