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Strong initial orders for Tata Motors' new ultra-cheap car, the Nano, have boosted the struggling Indian carmaker's finances while prompting competitors to launch their own low-cost models. (Read "The World's Cheapest Car Debuts in India...
...formally debuted in Mumbai, Tata Motors announced this week that it had taken pre-paid orders for 203,000 vehicles during a special 16-day booking period that ended April 25. Dilip Chenoy, director general of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), says the Nano is the first car in India to log more than 200,000 orders at launch. In comparison, the tiny Suzuki Alto, one of the Japanese carmaker's best-selling Indian offerings, has sold 913,000 units in the domestic market since 2000. (See the 10 things you should know about the Nano...
...unusual sales scheme for the Nano could ease some of its financial pressures related to $3 billion in short-term debt taken on by the company to acquire Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford in March 2008. Because buyers placing orders for Nanos were required to pay for their cars in full, Tata Motors - India's largest car company - is receiving a $507 million cash infusion. Analysts say the revenue will reduce the company's liquidity problems and make it easier to refinance its outstanding loans, which come due next month. Tata Motors repaid $1 billion of the debt through...
...Nano shortage notwithstanding, Tata Motors has demonstrated there is a market for the low-priced car, which has four doors and a 33-horsepower, 634cc engine located in the rear, Volkswagen Beetle style. "The Nano has shown how a new product at the right price can change the rules of the game," says SIAM's Chenoy...
...Other automakers are reacting. Suzuki India this week announced plans to launch a 660cc car for the domestic market but did not divulge the car's price. Renault, Toyota and Hyundai are also developing small cars for the low end of the Indian market, now defined by the Nano. Volkswagen is believed to have plans for a two-door, rear-engine car. "The Nano has opened a big market segment, and all the players will certainly push up their launches to attract those buyers fast," says...