The real star of this year's motor show in Geneva started its journey in Mumbai. The stand featuring the new luxury model of the Indian small car Nano drew enthusiastic crowds. The Nano is built by Tata, India's premier car maker. Within recent years they have been so successful there that their competitors might as well say "ta ta" to their market shares.

Despite currently having no presence in Europe the Nano aroused so much interest on the back of it's bargain basement price (1700 Euro for the base model) and the fact that other Tata models are available in certain EU states (for example Italy). The top dog in the Nana range costs twice as much as the entry model but even this is only half as much as a new Dacia Logan which hitherto has represented the cheapest new small car available in the European market. Ratan Tata, the founder of the group, has expressed the hope that "the high end version of the Nano will one day be available in Europe".

Until this time Tata is represented in Italy and Spain by a medium sized saloon, the Indica, whose names betrays a penchant for punnery. This model is due to be launched in Turkey according to Debaris Ray, the company's Head of Communications, and he believes it could also find its niche on German and French roads. However he believes it makes more sense to first consolidate the presence of the marque in those countries where some brand recognition is already extant.

The ambition and potential of Tata is embodied in their proposal to buy Jaguar and Landrover from Ford. Apart from being cheap and cheerful, the Nano would also present potential buyers in Western Europe with the added incentive of virtually guarantying them the cheapest motor insurance or Autoversicherung possible due to the vehicle's limited engine capacity and minimal emissions rating. Also, apart from low Kfz Versicherung premiums several European governments are expected to roll out further incentives for drivers of green cars in the coming years. 05/03/2008

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