Tata Nano...Promise fulfilled...dream realised!!

Overview

Finally the time has come - Tata Nano has been launched in Mumbai with much fanfare. Over 100 media persons were present at the launch ceremony with over 1000 guests.

The Nano can be booked at more than 30,000 locations in 1,000 cities across India, including Tata-owned department and electronics stores, with booking forms costing 300 rupees each. It will be available at just Rs. 2,999 down payment.

Owners will be randomly selected from bookings made between April 9 and 25, and their prices will be protected. Initially, just 1 lakh Nanos will be produced. Delivery of the first lot of Nanos will be possible from July first week onwards.

Design & Style

Nano has been designed with a family in mind, has a roomy passenger compartment with generous leg space and head room. It can comfortably seat four persons. Four doors with high seating position make ingress and egress easy.

With a length of 3099mm, width of 1495mm, height of 1652mm and with adequate ground clearance, it can effortlessly manoeuvre on busy roads in cities as well as in rural areas.

It's mono-volume design, with wheels at the corners and the powertrain at the rear, enables it to uniquely combine both space and manoeuvrability, which sets a new benchmark among small cars.

The main styling elements of Nano are centre crease on the bonnet, side scoops which not only looks sporty but also helps to keep the rear mounted engine cool.

Tata is also providing some add-ons like alloys, rear spoiler & sunroof to make Nano more stylish & attractive. From the rear it looks more or less like the Indica Vista with vertical tail lamps. The centrally placed exhaust pipe looks very cool.

First look at the Nano may not impress you in terms of dimensions but even though the car looks tiny and miniscule in images but it is only when you come up close to it that you can make out that its virtual length constitutes the very cabin space!

Interiors

Step inside and you will feel like you are entering a proper hatch. Nano has more space inside in comparison to the Maruti 800 and Alto. The top model LX comes with three spoke steering wheel while the base model & CX features rather simple two spoke one.

There are many cost saving factors like the hazard warning light switch has been placed behind the steering wheel. The front power window switches have been placed on the centre console to save the wiring costs.

The dash of Nano has been designed in such a manner that they can easily produce left hand drive models as the instrument cluster is placed in centre of the dash and the design of dash is same on both sides.

The legroom & headroom in Nano is more than sufficient. The rear passengers have plenty of legroom even if the driver & front passengers are six footers.

Engine, Ride & Handling

Nano has a rear mounted , all-aluminium, two-cylinder, 624 cc, multi point fuel injection petrol engine which develops maximum power of 34.5 Bhp at 5250 rpm with maxiumum torque of 48 Nm at 3000 rpm. This is the first time that a two-cylinder petrol engine is being used in a car with single balancer shaft.

The lean design strategy has helped minimise weight, which helps maximise performance per unit of energy consumed and delivers high fuel efficiency. Performance is controlled by a specially designed electronic engine management system.

Due to rear mounted engine the luggage space has been pushed to the front. Making the engine closer to the fuel tank has another advantage of increased fuel efficiency.

Rear mounted engine also help in reducing the power loss during transmission. Nano has front disk and rear drum brakes. The company claims mileage of 17 plus kmpl in city and 20 plus kmpl on highway.

Riding on small 12inch wheels and tubeless tyres, the Nano rides surprisingly well. Most bumps are rounded nicely, but as the speeds climb the ride can get a little firm.

The steering has a little vagueness around the centre position, dial in more lock; it feels direct and provides good feedback as well. Grip levels are decent but are limited by the narrow tyres. Straightline stability is also good, you can cruise comfortably at 80-90kph.

Safety

By adhering to the fact that less weight requires less power, Nano is made of light weighing steel. This has made the Tatas come up with a cheap alternative with out compromising on safety and performance.

With an all sheet-metal body, it has a strong passenger compartment, with safety features such as crumple zones, intrusion-resistant doors, seat belts, strong seats and anchorages, and the rear tailgate glass bonded to the body.

Tubeless tyres further enhance safety. It exceeds current regulatory requirements with a strong passenger compartment, crumple zones, intrusion resistant doors, seat belts, strong seats and anchorage.

Variants, Shades & Price

Nano is available in following 3 variants (Prices are Ex-Showroom Mumbai):

• Nano Base/Standard/Basic - 134000.00
• Nano CX - 160000.00
• Nano LX - 185000.00

The Base model of Tata Nano features:

• Seat Belts.
• High mounted Rear Stop lamp.
• Only Driver seat adjust-sliding and reclining.
• Fixed front passenger seat.
• Folding Rear Seats.
• 2-Spoke Steering wheel.
• Grey bumpers and interiors.
• Driver side Outside rear view mirror.

In addition to above features the mid variant CX  features:

• AC.
• Tinted glasses.
• Metallic paint.

In addition to above features the top variant LX  features:

• Tripmeter.
• Front Power windows.
• Central Locking.
• Front and Rear fog lamps.
• 3-Spoke Steering wheel.
• Moulded door trim with fabric inserts.
• Floor console with glass holder.
• Anti-Glare inside rear view mirror.
• Sunvisors on both sides.

Speed of Tata Nano:
Top speed - 105kmph

Dimension:

• Length: 3.1m
• Height: 1.6 m
• Width: 1.5 m

Engine specifications for Tata Nano:

• Rear-wheel drive
• 2-cylinder, 624 cc
• 33 bhp
• Multi point fuel injection petrol engine.
• Engine is rear mounted.
• 1st time a 2-cylinder gasoline engine was being used in a car with single balancer shaft.
• Anti-vibe balancer shaft

Safety features for Tata Nano - The 1 Lakh car:

• Sheet metal body
• Crumple zones
• Intrusion resistant doors
• Seat belts
• Strong seats and anchorages
• Rear tailgate glass bonded to the body.
• Tubeless Tyres

How green is Tata Nano?

• Tailpipe emission exceeds current regulatory requirements
• Lower overall pollution level than two-wheelers
• Fuel efficient (20 km/litre), ensures low carbon dioxide emissions.

Front Bonnet

• Holds Battery
• Wind-Shield washer bottle
• Room for single suitcase
• Spare wheel

For car lovers Maruti Launches A-Star

Maruti Suzuki India today launched its compact B-segment car 'A-Star', which is priced between Rs 3.46 lakh to Rs 4.11 lakh ex-showroom in Delhi for different models.
The introductory offer will be available for a few weeks and the car is available for sale from today, said R C Bhargava Chairman of Maruti Suzuki.
In addition, the company plans to use the new model to re-launch itself in European markets, which it left two years ago.
Maruti’s A-Star is the first brand in the company’s stable to be fitted with the K-series engine that emits about 109 gms of Co2 per kilometer.
However, the company is hoping to sell about 4,000 A-Star's a month. It could also help Maruti to rev up its sagging sales numbers, which fell by 8 per cent in October this year.
Last year, Maruti Suzuki exported about 50,000 cars to about 40 countries. The company’s annual report of 2007-08 states that strategic models like A-Star would help the company export over 1 lakh units to Europe every year, and sell about 1 million cars in the domestic market by 2010.
The company also has a contract to manufacture around 50,000 units of the new model for Nissan, which will be branded with a different name in the overseas markets. For the domestic market, the company hopes to sell around 50,000 units of the A-Star.

VEHICLE SUMMARY
Name:A-Star
Model:Vxi
Car Body Type:Hatchback
Segment:A Segment
ENGINE SPECIFICATIONS
Displacement:998cc, 3 cyl, MPFi, KB-series
Engine Type:Petrol
Maximum Power:67 Bhp @ 6200 rpm
Maximum Torque:90 Nm @ 3500 rpm
DIMENSIONS
Length:3500 mm
Width:1600 mm
Height:1490 mm
OTHER SPECIFICATIONS
Seating Capacity:4
Tyre Size:155/80 R13
Suspension:MacPherson Strut & Coil Springs
Turning Circle:4.50 mtrs.
Boot Space:129.00 ltrs.
Steering:Power
Brakes:Front Ventilated, Rear Disk
Gears:5 Manual
Ground Clearance:170.00 mm
Fuel Tank:35.00

Maruti Suzuki A-Star is a A-Segment car as per the European car standards. The car is produced from the company's Manesar facility in Haryana.
Designed by Rajesh Kumar Gogu and Saurabh Singh of Maruti Suzuki India, A-Star, which is a five-door hatchback; has been engineered keeping in mind the trends and standards of the European market.
It has an all new KB-Series engine which is Euro 5-compliant with Co2 emissions lower than those of European competitors. It has a bold design language with strong lines and large wheelarches. Clever packaging means a five-door model is on the cards, suggesting interior space will be good.
A-Star is heavily toned down as compared to the Concept A-Star which made its debut in London & was also shown at Auto Expo, 2008 in New Delhi.
No doubt that the newcomer is criticised for its looks since it looks as if styling has been taken of the Kia Picanto/Morning, Hyundai i10 and Citroen C1.
An estimated figure of around one lakh units of Maruti A Star will cater to the European Markets under the Suzuki badge, the rest 50,000 units will be sold within India. The A-Star is regarded as one of the most desired projects of Maruti Suzuki India. The Suzuki team has pinned a lot of hope in it.
In fact, the concept of Maruti A-Star is a first for Maruti Suzuki India's research and development team. Maruti Suzuki has entered into an agreement with Nissan to sell A-Star under the formers brand name in the US market. Nakanishi, however, ruled out an estimated price cut for Maruti 800 and rejected reports of Maruti's venture into the Rs.100,000 segments.
Suzuki seeks to further strengthen the environmentally conscious advantages of its products and aim for further reduction of their impact on the global environment. One way to achieve this is fuel cell technology.
The latest two fuel-cell models will be exhibited in Paris: The SX4-FCV equipped with a GM-made high-performance fuel cell stack, a Suzuki-developed 70MPa hydrogen tank and a light, compact capacitor, and the “crosscage” that features a simple, compact, and lightweight air-cooled fuel-cell power system from British specialist company Intelligent Energy, plus a high-performance lithium-ion secondary battery.

Easy Ways to Go Green with Your Computer

Shutdown Your Computer Without Losing the Perks of an Always-On PC

Obviously, computers require electricity to run, so shutting down, sleeping, or hibernating your computer when you're not using it conserves energy. Every modern operating system has its own settings for conserving power, so the first thing you should do—if you haven't already—is open the power settings of your computer and set them for optimal energy use. Set your computer to put your monitor to sleep, spin down your hard drives, and put your computer to sleep when you're not using it. Even better, since your computer uses less power when hibernating than when sleeping, set up your computer to hibernate rather than just go to sleep.
One of the biggest turn-offs (no pun intended) about shutting down or sleeping your computer is that you miss out on some of the finer things your computer provides even when you're away. For example, if you're downloading a large file, you may want the download to continue even when you're away. Likewise, we've covered tons of ways to remotely access your computer, all of which no longer work if your computer's turned off. Luckily you can continue using your computer during these times but still conserve power the rest of the time.
For example, Windows users should check out previously mentioned WinOFF, which shuts down, restarts, and hibernates your computer (among other things) after a certain amount of time, at a specific time, or when your CPU goes idle so that your computer automatically shuts off at times you don't need it.
If a download is what you're waiting for, many peer-to-peer clients, like the popular BitTorrent client uTorrent, can shutdown your computer when a download completes so you can get your file and save energy, too.
Between WinOFF and built-in shutdown features common to many apps, we've taken care of the the download problem—but what about when you want to access your computer remotely? If it's shut down, you can't very well get to it, can you? Actually, you can, assuming you set up Wake-on-LAN on your computer. Once Wake-on-LAN's enabled, you can turn your computer on over the internet from anywhere—so there's no reason not to shut down your computer when you leave the house.
Finally, if you're on a Mac laptop, check out previously mentioned SmartSleep to enhance your power-saving options.
Save Paper when Printing

When it comes to the environment, one of the first places most offices can improve is the giant pile of discarded paper by the network printer. Aside from obvious things you can do on your own—like printing duplex, printing to PDF, previewing before printing, and not printing hundreds of copies of an email forward to plaster around the office—there are a few other tools you can use to minimize wasting paper and ink when printing.
To save ink and paper when you're printing from your browser, use previously mentioned Firefox extension Aardvark to tweak the layout of a page and remove elements—like ads and images—that you don't need on the printed page.
When you're not printing from the browser, Windows users can save tons on ink and paper with previously mentioned GreenPrint, a freeware application that automatically identifies and removes unnecessary pages or space from your printouts before they head to the printer.
If you're regularly sending documents back and forth to other people or businesses, you can also save a few trees and save a little time in the process with a couple of office hacks. For example, rather than going through the age-old print, sign, and fax dance handed down through the generations by our forefathers, try creating a scanned signature and then sending scanned PDFs rather than faxes. It's quicker and it saves on resources and costs.
Turn Off Peripherals to Kill the Vampires

Now that you've put good energy practices into use on your PC, it's time to move onto the power-hungry peripherals you've got plugged into it. Whenever possible, you want to turn off any peripheral when you're not using it—like your printer or monitor. Likewise, you should be aware of any gear in your computing setup that draws standby power (a.k.a., vampire power) even when you've turned off the device in question. Vampires commonly stand out as large, unsightly AC adapters.
While you could diligently unplug your wall warts or keep them plugged into a power strip that you switch off when they're not in use, you can go even further and automate the process with gadgets like the Energy Saving Smart Strip (original post) and the Power Minder (original post), both of which monitor your PC's power state and automatically shut down other peripherals when you turn off your computer.
For more on saving energy at your computer, check out our top 10 computing energy savers.
Estimate Your Power Usage

It's one thing to know your computer sucks down a lot of energy every month, but actual power usage numbers drives the point home. Windows can install previously mentioned LocalCooling, an tool that both helps you tweak your Windows power saving settings and visualize the amount of power your computer consumes. Some users reported inaccurate measures with the app when we first posted about it, but the well-intentioned LocalCooling team continues in their efforts to improve the application and help you save energy and visualize the impact of your energy-saving.
If LocalCooling's not giving you accurate results or you want to get a more definitive look at your PC's power consumption, regardless of your operating system, this Coding Horror post demonstrates in detail how to determine and lower the cost of leaving your PC running