TATA Nano Twist 2014

The addition of a power steering in the Nano is the most important upgrade it has received since its introduction in 2009. It addresses one of the car’s biggest weaknesses – heavy steering, especially at parking speeds. This drawback hampered it from living up to its billing of an ideal urban runabout.

But let’s rewind a bit first to see how the Nano has evolved since its launch in 2009. The first major upgrade came in 2012 – the seats were improved, the suspension was tweaked to provide a more comfortable ride, the engine got a small bump up in power and the gearing was altered to offer better fuel economy. Also on the update list were subtle changes to make it feel less basic – the interiors got a beige colour scheme, the exposed seat rails were covered and clutch feel was improved. Then in 2013, the Nano got a slightly bigger steering wheel to help offset the lack of power steering, along with some chrome bits on the exteriors for the higher variants – but this was hardly much of an improvement. There are further updates on the way, which include an opening tailgate and automatic transmission.
The biggest change, however, has been in the area of market positioning. Tata wants to shed the image of the ‘One Lakh Car’ and reposition the Nano as a funky, urban youth-mobile. As such, the price has gone from Rs 1.3 lakh for the top-end Nano LX in 2009 to Rs 2.38 lakh for this Nano Twist XT (inflation had its part to play here).

Will all these small steps by Tata Motors translate into one giant leap for the Nano? We tested the Twist to find out.

It took our incredibly tight parking lot at office for the Nano Twist to first make sense. All the other cars, including the Alto 800, need at least a three-point turn to get out. But the Nano Twist, with its ability to turn on a dime, or within an 8m diameter to be precise, simply wiggles its way through narrow spaces. The difference in steering effort between the Twist and the non-power steering Nano is all too apparent. In fact, so heavy is the steering of the non-assisted Nano that you need to crawl forward to take the load of the wheel. With the Twist, you can go from lock to lock when stationary and take full advantage of the car’s manoeuvrability.
On the move in city traffic, the EPS provides reasonably good feedback, allowing you to enjoy the nimbleness of the Nano without it feeling overly light. The speed-sensitive EPS has been engineered to cut off at speeds higher than 80kph to further improve feel. The problem is that even at moderate speeds, the EPS feels a bit over-assisted – this can be unsettling, especially in crosswinds and on uneven surfaces. The quicker steering also accentuates the Nano’s tall stance and its susceptibility to crosswinds.
There are no new mechanical changes on the Twist since 2012, when the two-cylinder, 624cc engine received some tweaks.  The last update saw a 2bhp increase in power and a 0.4kgm bump in torque, along with taller gearing, and the rev limit raised by 500rpm. The engine now revs to 6,000rpm and power doesn’t abruptly cut off as before. Around town, the Twist now has enough grunt to keep up with other traffic even when the roads are open. That said, thanks to the tuning, it’s not as responsive at low revs as the original Nano. You notice this especially when you are trundling about in third gear and need to downshift to second to accelerate away.

The latest Nano does the 0-100kph sprint (if you can call it a sprint) a whole two seconds faster than before (27.7sec versus the old car’s 29.7sec) and, despite Tata’s official top-speed claim of 105kph, it tops out at a true 111kph.
It’s under emergency braking that the Nano feels less than capable. Running drum brakes all around and weedy 135-section front tyres, squeal sets in early and the wheels tend to lock up. Now that the Nano has power assistance, Tata could have offered wider tyres – they would help improve its 35-metre stopping distance from 80kph.
The ride, though much improved from before, is still quite choppy. The small wheels and short wheelbase leave little scope for improvement, and lack of finesse in the way it rides remains one of the Nano’s weaknesses. It’s not well-insulated either. Engine and road noise seep through into the cabin and you always feel like you’re driving with the windows down. The air-con, however, is top-class, cooling the large cabin brilliantly, and doesn’t sap the small engine excessively.

The interiors in the Twist are as before, except for the instrument cluster which had to be changed to interface with the electronics of the EPS. The upshot is smarter dials that even give you a distance-to-empty readout. There’s Bluetooth connectivity too (we tried, but found it difficult to pair it to iOS and Android devices). The interiors remain astonishingly spacious, the generous seats are just as comfortable, and there is a noticeable improvement in fit and finish. For someone put off by the spartan interiors of the original Nano, this car will come as a revelation. It feels grown up with better fabrics on the door pads, plastic cladding covering unsightly bits of the seat frames, twin gloveboxes (they are small, though) and improved ergonomics. There are still crude bits (the hinges of the gloveboxes, for example) but they aren’t as glaringly obvious as they used to be.

The Nano remains the cheapest car you can buy in India. And with fuel efficiency ranging from 15.1kpl in the city to 20.6kpl on the highway (versus the old car’s 14.6kpl and 20.3kpl, respectively), it is cheap to run too. We just wish it had a larger fuel tank.

Tata Nano Lx

Come May, it’s holiday season, which means it’s ‘relatives visiting Mumbai’ time. And this holiday we had an extra-special visitor, my grandmother. Unlike most grannies, however, this 88-year-old loves to travel around the city; and her chauffer of choice, more often than not, is me.

Now normally, the weekends are reserved for my beloved blue SS80, better known as the first-generation Maruti 800. It’s a car I absolutely love, and driving it is a real treat. But though I love piloting it on weekends, my family doesn’t think very highly of it, especially when I ask them to squeeze themselves into the rear. Also, my gran finds it very uncomfortable to be sat so low. This holiday, however, I had at her disposal our very attractive, papaya-orange, long-term Nano.

The Nano ticked three very important boxes on my gran’s list of ‘car comfort’. First, the interior is cleverly packaged, so you get acres of space. Second, the seats are positioned at a near-perfect height, so senior citizens can simply slide right in. And third, the air-con is quite effective too – an essential given Mumbai’s weather in May.

The youngsters in my family were delighted by the Nano’s cute looks, while the elders were happy with the airy cabin. The ultra-frugal nature of the Nano also meant I had much more money in my pocket than if I’d been driving my 800 around that weekend. Our updated 2012 Nano is more efficient as well, and has recently been returning a very impressive 17.45kpl.  

Also really nice on this updated car are the interiors. There’s more support for your shoulders in the driver’s seat, while the material on the door pads and seats is nice to touch. The air-conditioner really is pretty effective (it kept the family cool and happy all through the weekend drives), and using it does not put an unduly high load on the motor. 

That said, the steering still feels very heavy, especially at parking speeds, the non-progressive clutch takes time to get used to and the high driving position feels strange initially as well. Once you’ve got a few hours on the car however, the Nano just becomes second nature and the responsive engine makes it feel nice and perky in traffic.

The best bit, however, is that the cheerful orange Nano still manages to turn a lot of heads, most of them with broad smiles, and that just feels good. 

Tata Safari Storme review

When you first look at the new Safari Storme, you are immediately struck by how, even 14 years after its launch, Tata seems to have made barely any changes to the exterior. Alterations to the nose and rear suggest that it’s not much more than a facelift. However, that misconception gets blown to dust the moment you drive it. Once you’re behind the wheel, you realise just how much of an improvement the new Storme is over the previous Safari. It feels better built, it’s far more refined, it rides really well and the interior too feels a generation ahead.

The most obvious changes are to the front, where the slim, wide grille (capped with a thick chrome strip) undercuts the sharp-looking headlights in a nice, stylistic touch. Move to the side however and the Storme looks exactly like the old Safari. New cladding for the doors and wheel arches can’t hide the fact that the glass house is identical, the doors are similar and the A, B and C pillars are the same as well.

At the back, the tailgate-mounted spare wheel has now been moved under the floor. The result is a cleaner rear profile with a new set of tail-lights.

On the inside, the overall improvement in quality all around is immediately evident and almost nothing of the old car is carried over. The chrome door handles and leather seats add a touch of luxury, as do small details like the chrome on the gearlever and the flock lining in the glovebox.

Just like the previous generation Safari, the Storme has excellent seat comfort and, once you haul yourself in, you are rewarded with a commanding seating position and a delightfully spacious and airy cabin. The front seats are large and very well bolstered, whilst the rear bench is supportive too.

In stark contrast, the third row is far from comfortable or practical. The tiny, foldable jump seats are only useable on short journeys, at best.

On the mechanical front, the Safari Storme uses an updated version of the 138bhp Dicor motor, which Tata now calls VariCor, because of the use of a variable geometry turbo. This 2.2-litre common-rail, direct-injection motor uses double overhead cams, hydraulic valve adjusters and sixteen valves to breathe better.

The overall level of refinement is much better now with an engine that is quieter throughout its rev range, and a cabin that feels particularly well insulated from the outside.

Tata engineers have managed to shave around 75 kg off the old car thanks to a lighter chassis, but this hulking two-tonne SUV is a bit lethargic off the line; a result of its weight and lack of low-end torque. You need to keep the engine above 1800rpm, after which the Storme picks up the pace with a fair amount of enthusiasm. The mid-range is quite punchy and cruising is quite effortless, which suits the Safari’s role as a long-distance cruiser.

The clutch is reasonably light and the gearbox has been improved with shorter throws, but the shift still feels a bit soggy and vague.

The Storme sits on a shortened version of the Aria’s hydroformed X2 chassis and maintains the previous Safari’s 2650mm wheelbase. As a result, the Storme’s chassis is approximately 50 percent stiffer and 35kg lighter than the old Safari’s outdated ladder frame.

The ride comfort is simply fantastic. The Storme coasts over bumps and broken roads like a freight train, flattening out even the largest of potholes. The suspension, also carried over from the Aria, is on the softer side, and hence there’s a fair amount of pitching and heaving over uneven surfaces.

The Storme retains the old Safari’s comprehensive four-wheel-drive system that includes a low range and a limited-slip differential. The system is easily engaged by using a central console-mounted dial and this allows the big Tata to tackle medium to difficult sections.

The new Safari Storme comes equipped with features like ABS, remote locking and an audio system with Bluetooth connectivity standard across the range. In fact, the Rs 9.95 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) that Tata is asking for the base Storme LX may be considerably more than the old LX, but the equipment is on par, if not better than, the old mid-level EX.

Unusually, the top-end VX versions (Rs 12.5 lakh for the 4x2) no longer get the reversing camera (there’s just parking sensors) or DVD player as they did before.

The Safari Storme, then, comes across as a quantum leap ahead of the previous Safari. It’s well-equipped, refined, better built and comprehensively updated. And with prices starting from Rs 9.9 lakh for the base 4x2 model and going to Rs 13.7 lakh for the fully loaded 4x4 option, it’s great value for money. Also, as a long-distance cruiser, nothing can quite beat it for the money. The only grouse is that, even after 14 years, Tata hasn’t got around to changing the ageing body completely.