Tata’s highly anticipated diesel variant of the Nano is currently undergoing tests, but a launch date is still uncertain.
As is evident from the pictures, the front end of the diesel Nano features a revised bumper that incorporates a bigger air inlet for better heat dissipation, along with rounded foglamp. Other than that, the car’s front end looks similar to the 2013 Nano launched recently. At the rear, the exhaust pipe gets moved to the left and there is also an openable rear hatch, missing on the current car. The shape of the rear honeycomb grille mimics the one up front.
The three-cylinder diesel engine is rumoured to produce power somewhere in the region of 46bhp. The diesel Nano could be the most fuel efficient car in the country. Continued..
Tata is currently focussing on pricing the diesel Nano competitively to retain its value-for-money positioning. Another challenge is bringing noise and vibration levels down to acceptable levels before launch.
Currently, the Nano is rolled out from Tata’s plant in Sanand, Gujurat, which is operating at less than 20 percent of its total annual production capacity of 2,50,000 cars. The diesel Nano is expected to provide a production boost when it finally gets the green light.