After a tough beginning that included everything from slumping sales, an abandoned factory, and spontaneous combustion, the Tata Nano city-car is getting a restart, of sorts. India’s Tata Motors, the Mumbai-based automaker that builds the Nano, is fitting an upgraded starter motor to models built up to mid-September 2011.
The change is being done to “enhance” the Nano’s performance, though some might question whether it’s related to a spate of fires that turned several early Nanos into smoldering wrecks. Tata Motors had already upgraded the Nano’s exhaust and electrical system. On sale since July 2009, Tata has sold approximately 110,000 Nanos.
Yet there were problems even before the Nano reached production. Tata Motors was forced to abandon a new factory dedicated to building the Nano when political disputes over land purchased for the sprawling site turned violent. More recently, the 4-door family car has simply failed to live up to sales expectations. Tata Motors has dedicated additional resources towards marketing and promoting the car throughout India, presently the only market where the Nano is sold.
The 2012 Nano is slated for several other improvements, including a choice of eight new colors, improved interior trim, along with a more powerful engine. Of course, the boost in power is relative, considering the 624-cc 2-cylinder gasoline engine in the new model offers 38 bhp, a 3 bhp improvement from the previous version. At least fuel economy gets a bump, with the latest Nano now offering up to 60 mpg.
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