Tata Motors has unveiled its next-generation city car concept, the Pixel. Unveiled at the 81st Geneva Motor Show by Ratan Tata, Pixel is a city car concept mainly developed for the European markets.

Based on the Nano, the Pixel is just over three metres in length and when it reaches India in three years from now, it will be up against the Maruti Alto. The rear-engined Pixel is powered by a 1.2-litre 3-cylinder turbo charged diesel motor. The company claims this low-friction design motor along with optimised aerodynamic drag, low rolling-resistance tyres, stop-start technology and intelligent battery charging, will be one of the cleanest vehicles running on European streets.

The design and engineering - the work of Tata’s in-house engineers - incorporates scissor doors and a large glass area, including a panoramic roof. The car’s neatest engineering trick is a system which helps the outer rear wheel forwards and the inner rear wheel backwards when turning at acute angles. The set-up gives the Pixel a turning radius of just 2.6 metres.

Speaking on the occasion, Carl-Peter Forster, MD and CEO, Tata Motors, said, “Tata Motors holds true to its belief that there is an opportunity in Europe for a city car, which is optimal in space, manoeuvrability and environment-friendliness. The Tata Pixel is a reflection of Tata Motors’ idea of what such a car should be.”