Hi All,
I am from Mumbai, India. Casual googling for the Nano brought me to this thread.
I have recently booked the Nano Lx as a second car for the family. I can share my research and experience of test driving the nano.
To start with I will answer the questions below :
*
No Hand Brake.
There is a hand brake, atleast in the LX version which I test drove. Not sure about the lower versions. Mumbai roads are pretty uneven terrain, to expect a car to rest when it stops in the same place is unthinkable. This is really a must.
*
Engine at the rear. So no protection at the front in case of accident.
its an all aluminum 2 cylinder engine. I saw the front "engine" space. The front has the tiny front tire stephany right where the engine is, so gives some protection in front impact, and second the engine is pretty small in itself, so I am not sure if it is really the best thing to have for front protection. Also this is a basic city car aimed as a people car. The safety is infinitely better than the puny 100cc 2 wheelers zipping around on 2 wheels (with the entire family) and the 3- wheeler from bajaj . I think this car is miles ahead in safety when comparing the right target audience.
*
Top speed - 90 Kmph (Kilometer per hour). Thats why it would be just a city car more or less, no long drives! Pity!!. So, it would not be popular among youth who need speed which they get in Bikes.
Again the nano is aimed as a city car for bike riders who have a family. It is still going to be a good teenager car owing to its look. Its not for the speed gods, they are better off on bikes !! I have seen and heard and read a lot about how the Nano can put up to the top speed on the highway. When I drive in my regular maruti suzuki car, I dont try to hit 100 with my family, so I am not sure if this is a good compare.
* Made up of low grade metal - Aluminium
Its light metal, not low grade. Besides most modern cars including audi, BMWs and mercs now have to incorporate the crumple technology, so I guess stiff hard metal is anyway out. How is this a deterrent or bad ?
* Mileage: 20 Kmpl in spite of being light weight
*
Drawback ?
*Low Quality interiors - Seat cover are made up of leather.
Wrong comment unless you feel them. They are no way low quality.
* No spare Tire.
Present
- Small sized Dashboard which can't safeguard against collision from front.
I doubt any dashboard protects. In case of front impact, I only think that the dashboard would do a good job of turning to shreads and penetrating the body ! Besides car customers on the sub continent have been consistently cheated on the safety aspect by MNC car manufactures. I would always want an airbag in all cars I buy to save my ribs from the steering wheel impact irrespective of front engine or not. An airbag matters more than a front engine or a front heavy dashboard for protection.
- Low Priced gearbox from Kinetic Scooter Company.
low priced caar 
* Very ugly interiors.
personal perspective, no comments. to each his own.
* Seats uncomfortable much like a Three-Wheeler.
If you have felt it and compared it with the rest of the cars, they are way better, unless you have sat in a spruced up 3 wheeler. Normal ones are nothing more than a hard wooden bench with coir on top of it.
- Emission norms not followed properly.
BS3/BS4 - not good enough ?
- Not powerful, Slow Pickup (0-20 Kmph)
Its for the city, not for a race track. How many times have you gone 0-20 under a second in a city ?
Please rectify this information in case it is incorrect. Thanks
The Nano has to be seen in the correct perspective. Its a pride for everyone on our subcontinent, not just for India. All the American and European and Japanese car makers have learnt the dynamics which drive the sub continent. We stand proud by specializing in working in a "micro" economy. Shampoo sachets. 100CC bikes, small portions, small cars - the Nano stands as the pinnacle of this new economic structure which the MNCs now realize and are now coming around to seriously consider and work towards !!
