Will Nano Overtake Maruti 800?
New Delhi When Maruti 800 hit Indian roads over two decades ago, few could have visualized the manner in which it revolutionized the way we travel by car. The question today is: will it now give way to the Tata Nano launched Thursday? Never mind the fact that what was touted as a Rs.100,000 car will cost at least a fifth more – and that’s for the standard non-air conditioned version. Also discount the fact that the formal rollout of the Nano will be only later this year. Seven of the 10 people at Thursday’s launch said they would definitely consider it an option. That’s something that has Tata Motors chairman Ratan N. Tata and his team of executives smiling from ear to ear. Jagdish Khattar, a former head of Maruti 800 manufacturer Maruti Udyog Ltd, says it’s too early to say whether the Nano will overtake the original.
