CarToq Scoop: Tata Nano Diesel NOT coming to the 2014 Indian Auto Expo

Snapshot: Tata Motors will not showcase the Nano Diesel at the upcoming 2014 Indian Auto Expo. Instead, Tata’s focus at the Expo will be on the electric power steering equipped Nano Twist and the Falcon range of upcoming cars.

Even as the motoring web is agog with rumours of the Nano Diesel being put in cold storage due to unfavourable market conditions, CarToq’s sources indicate that the car will not be showcased at the upcoming 2014 Indian Auto Expo, a big ticket biennial event that sees automakers competing with each other to make the biggest splashes of the auto world.

Instead of showcasing the Nano Diesel, Tata Motors will focus its energies on other upcoming cars such as the Falcon 4, Falcon 5 and the Nano Twist (electric power steering equipped) models. Our sources hint that the Nano Diesel’s launch, if it happens at all, could be scheduled during the later part of the year, close to the Indian festive season. Also, new variants of the Tata Aria and Sumo Grande are also likely to be showcased.

Faced with stumbling Nano sales, Tata Motors desperately needs a hot seller in the low cost car’s range. While the power steering equipped Nano Twist could attract womenfolk and the elderly to its fold, the high 35+ Kmpl fuel efficiency of the Nano Diesel continues to have the potential to be a game changer in the segment. Even as you’re reading this, test mules of the Nano Diesel continue to do the testing rounds in and around Pune.

With the 2014 General Elections lined up for the middle of this year, political ramifications could play a major part in diesel price deregulation. By delaying the showcasing and launch of the Nano Diesel, Tata Motors is likely to get a clearer picture on the impending diesel price deregulation, with a clear direction to emerge in the next few months.