Tatas woo buyers with automatic Nano

Tata Motors is pulling out all stops to boost Nano sales. On offer now is an exchange scheme for the new automatic version that is scheduled to debut soon. This will involve existing Nano customers getting the best price for their car and then upgrade to the new version with AMT (automated manual transmission).

It now remains to be seen if this bait will do the trick in getting the people’s car back on track. Its sales have been averaging around 1,200 units a month even while the company has been trying to steer clear of the cheap car brand association.

The Nano was initially conceived with automatic transmission given that it was largely inspired by the gearless scooter. The idea was to help the two-wheeler rider elevate to a safer mode of transport. However, everything went awry thanks to a combination of factors starting with the relocation of the plant to Gujarat coupled with the wrong branding strategy.

While the ₹1-lakh price tag caught the attention of the world, this soon became a liability for Tata Motors as potential buyers began tiring of the constant reference to the cheap car. To its credit, the company acknowledged the problem and, over the last few years, began working in right earnest to reposition the car.

The latest AMT initiative could do the trick in the backdrop of market response to the Suzuki Celerio.

The Tata Zest also has this feature keeping in mind that Indian customers are less paranoid about using automatic transmission cars.

As cities become even more crowded and a host of mobility solutions are being offered, there could just be enough space for a product like the Nano.

And Tata Motors will be hoping that the AMT will change the fortunes of this car.