Think of German cars and what comes to mind? Technologically accomplished, luxurious and of course, pricey. American cars are always meant to be behemoths that drink copious amounts of fuel. Similarly, think of Japanese cars and you get images of reliable, economical, refined runabouts that are not really exciting to drive. Korean? Value for money cars with extended warranties and a good track record over the last decade. Chinese cars, till recently, meant copycat designs with questionable reliability, but most of us know that they have moved on in life and have become a force to be reckoned with.
Honestly speaking, the Nano image is not all that bad, though it does not make a passion statement like Ferrari does for Italy. The Nano has taken the world by storm with its simplicity, tactful engineering and the mere fact that such an audacious project could be done in a developing economy.
The early Honda Civic and Accord and the Toyota Corolla and Camry laid the foundation for the Japanese in high-volume markets. They were reliable to a fault, practical and held value even in the used car market. They attained the status of ‘student cars’ after their first lives and left lasting impressions on these prospective new car buyers. Unsurprisingly, both the Accord and the Camry have been the largest-selling cars in the US for a very long time. Similarly, the early Ponys and Sonatas are working hard to establish the image of Hyundai and that too with a degree of success.
Can the Nano do the same for Tata Motors and India?
The find!