Geely to build car cheaper than Tata Nano?

Tata Motors has milked the Nano minicar's "most affordable" status for a ton of press, but it might soon hand the title belt over to a new challenger. According to a report at TopNews.in, Geely's reportedly got its own ultra-frugal compact in the works for 2010. Called the IG, it's expected to bring a $2,250 price tag and a 1.0-liter, 70 horsepower motor to the party.

We have no idea what to expect from a new car that's priced like a lawn tractor, but word is that Geely aims to surpass the Nano from a quality standpoint. We already have a good idea of what the IG might look like if/when the Chinese microcar hits crowded city streets in a couple years, since Geely showed off the IG Fantastic concept car at last year's Shanghai Motor Show.

While we're certain the concept's gullwing doors will never see life outside an exhibition hall, we're thinking that a cute little runabout could fare quite nicely with a $2,250 price tag. We'll likely never see the IG here in the States, but the folks in China and India will probably love it.

[Source: TopNews]