Tata Motors is expected become the winning bidder for Jaguar and Land Rover in the coming weeks. While the Indian automaker could soon be selling us expensive British luxury cars and SUVs, it's also hard at work developing the world's least expensive car. The cheap car under development is expected to sell for around 100,000 rupees or around $2,500 USD, and we've just learned it will be unveiled early next month at the Auto Expo in New Delhi.Unfortunately, that's one auto show not on our itinerary to attend, so we'll have to report of its debut from afar. The car is expected have an engine in the rear powering the rear wheels, four doors and all the creature comforts of an outhouse, we'd presume. While it's likely the car will be exported to other markets outside of India when it goes on sale later in 2008, don't expect to see it in the U.S. as we expect it would fail both our emissions and safety standards with flying colors. (Tata Indica pictured for reference)
[Source: Automotive News, sub. req'd]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Smeagle @ Dec 20th 2007 4:48PM
Rear engine, rear drive... should handle like a 911 then!
sw @ Dec 20th 2007 4:59PM
hahaha, I have two legs, eyes and arms. I should be able to run like an olympic athelete, be a great sharpshooter and an world class boxer right?
Will @ Dec 20th 2007 5:10PM
Rear engine, rear drive, no creature comforts, sold on price alone. Original Beetle, anyone?
KnightRider @ Dec 20th 2007 4:58PM
Rumor is that costs have gone up, so they will bump the price at around $3000. with a 600cc-ish engine. Not bad I would say for indian roads/traffic.
Hopefully they have crash tested atleast 1 car.
Syco @ Dec 20th 2007 5:00PM
Wheels and engine dont come standard...
Dinger @ Dec 20th 2007 5:15PM
Car Buyer: What's with the big box?
Sales guy: That's your new $2,500 car sir.
CB: What? A box full of parts?!
SG: Well you said you didn't want to pay for any options sir, and that included the option for factory assembly.
Yubastard @ Dec 20th 2007 6:22PM
^^^ LOL!
Steve C @ Dec 20th 2007 5:08PM
Sounds like the original VW Beetle or even the original Fiat 500-600.
They were both basically a very small rear engined steel box that got you from point A to point B.
The perfect urban people mover.
Tired @ Dec 20th 2007 5:11PM
Good deal, my wife's tatas were twice that!
Sean Flanagan @ Dec 20th 2007 5:43PM
You've only spent $5000 on your wife? That's the real bargain in this story!
CEMan @ Dec 21st 2007 6:27AM
That is so bad it is really freaking good.
CEMan @ Dec 20th 2007 5:42PM
Show us your TaTa's
jay @ Dec 20th 2007 7:37PM
now...why would you want to see his?
Atropos @ Dec 20th 2007 5:42PM
this company HAS to name its next car 'bodacious'
Mallory @ Dec 20th 2007 6:07PM
I've had the misfortune of experiencing Indian traffic 1st hand and to do it in anything other than a tank is taunting death. If this is the tin can death trap I imagine it is then Ganesha help them.
Xcountryflyer @ Dec 20th 2007 6:30PM
How about I shine up your Tata?
Toy Yoda @ Dec 20th 2007 7:05PM
This post is degenerating into talk about meat and po-tatas.
Vincenzo @ Dec 20th 2007 7:10PM
You can laugh at the Indians.
But many American companies move not only manufacturing facilities but also development to India. Why? Because there are no engineers in the USA. Everybody wants to be a realtor, doctor, lawyer...
Here are the facts:
450,000 students enroll each year in technical colleges in India,
100,000 in all Europe,
only 70,000 in the USA.
Who will engineer future American and British cars?
cowboy bob @ Dec 20th 2007 7:57PM
Good point if your info is accurate Vinnie. What I would like to know is how will emerging auto manufacturers like this "do right" by the newest emission and fuel economy standards? Do all those Indians breath the same air we do? As a side note, the US now uses mostly illeagles for most of their agricultural business, so what's the problem with importing the other end of the spectrum? Soon we won't have to do anything at all......right?
Roger @ Dec 20th 2007 9:18PM
Actually Cowboy, there's a more to the numbers that Vinnie gives. Ever take a look at the engineering students at our Universities? Lots of foreigners like Chinese and Indians. Hopefully when they'll put their degrees to work for the good ol' USA, but I bet many of them will head back to their home countries to strengthen the competition.