Tata Nano to Be Launched on March 23

Tata Nano, often referred to as the most affordable car in the world, will be officially launched on March 23, 2009, parent company Tata Motors announced today. The unveiling will take place at a function in Mumbai, the Indian manufacturer said, with sales expected to start in the first week of April. Bookings will begin in the second week of April, but more details are expected to be announced on March 23 at the public launch.

Even though it's not yet publicly available, Tata Nano caused an impressive interest all over the world, a fact also emphasized by the huge traffic the official website of the model recorded in the last few months. Tata says the website had more than 30 million hits in the past one year plus "the creation of over 6,000 interest groups and communities."

Tata Nano first saw daylight in on January 10, 2008 at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi, India and was well promoted as a very affordable model. Even though not confirmed, rumors claim Tata Motors may sell the nano for around Rs 100,000 (approximately $2,000).

Nicknamed "The People's Car", Tata Nano is obviously powered by a fuel-efficient two-cylinder 623cc 33 PS engine that also produces very low emissions. In addition, the car meets all safety requirements, with safety features such as crumple zones and intrusion-resistant doors.

“I observed families riding on two-wheelers – the father driving the scooter, his young kid standing in front of him, his wife seated behind him holding a little baby. It led me to wonder whether one could conceive of a safe, affordable, all-weather form of transport for such a family. Tata Motors’ engineers and designers gave their all for about four years to realise this goal," Ratan N. Tata, Chairman of the Tata Group and Tata Motors, said.