BackBig B’s new eye candy: cute and cuddly Tata Nano
Two Tata Nanos join Amitabh Bachchan's fleet of bewitching cars
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The Tata Nano has been springing surprises ever since it was just an idea. Here’s one more.
A few weeks back, the Kolkata branch of Concord Motors Pvt. Ltd, a dealership owned by Tata Motors Ltd, had a rather improbable visitor—superstar Amitabh Bachchan. And guess what he had come looking for? A Tata Nano.
As things turned out, Bachchan wanted to test drive the new Nano GenX launched on 19 May. He drove the car and placed an order for not one but two Tata Nanos in red and purple colours.
Known to be a car aficionado, Bachchan owns models from every possible luxury marquee brands, ranging from a Bentley and Porsche to a Rolls-Royce and Lexus. It would be fair to say that the Tata Nano GenX by far is the cheapest of his acquisitions.
In an email interview, Bachchan talked about why he chose to buy the car.
What prompted you to buy the Nano—not one but two of them?
I liked the car, the latest version. I bought one for myself and one for my granddaughter. It was cute and cuddly like her!!
The car has been on Indian roads since July 2009. Did you consider it before?
I did consider it earlier, but had a small version Maruti (Zen), so did not get one.
How does the Nano fit into the collection of your marquee models?
It fits in rather well because it is so small in size!!
Where and when do you plan to use it?
I use it every day. I drive it myself, in and around town and my locality!
How often do you drive?
Everyday!!
Is it the first time that an Indian brand has found a place in your garage?
No. Maruti, Tata and Mahindra have found a place and still do.
The purchase of a car, which was originally envisaged for someone who cannot afford a four-wheeler, by the highbrow film star, could not have come at a better time. The Nano has had a chequered past since its launch. Only last quarter, ending March 2015, its sales plunging to the lowest.
In fact, the unique selling point of the car—its price and positioning which was initially thought of as the biggest draw for Ratan Tata’s pet project—did the undoing. And Tata concedes the mistake. On 16 July, addressing students of the Great Lakes Institute of Management in Chennai during a convocation function, Tata said the greatest mistake was in the branding of the Nano as the cheapest instead of the “most affordable" car, according to a Hindustan Times report.
Since July 2009, when Tata handed over the keys to Ashok Vichare, the first Nano buyer till date, Nano has traversed a long distance and Tata Motors has tried everything—from repositioning the brand to launching attractive schemes. And some of these seem to be working.
The launch of the new generation Nano, which also offers an auto-gear shift, is showing some traction among buyers. After months of decline, Nano sales have started picking up. In the three months to June, it rose to 4,551 units against 3,029 units a year ago.
After all, who can vouch for this better than Bachchan who has inadvertently endorsed the model by joining the 300,000-plus Nano owners.
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