Tata Nano GenX AMT




A promise is a promise. The famous words of Ratan Tata while launching the 1 lac rupee car back in 2008. It was touted to be a historical milestone, a game changer, not just for Tata Motors but for the automobile industry across the globe. It sounded like an auto rickshaw, some of them caught fire and you needed to lose all social status and self dignity to be seen driving one. After a series of packaging changes and failed attempts to resurrect the Nano, Tata Motors finally launched the Nano GenX. It features some cool features and also has an Automated Manual Transmission. Does that change anything? Well there's only one way to find out. Yet another test drive!




Tata Motors has given some smart touches on this one. They include a larger fuel tank, a honeycomb front grill, a small but functional boot, music system, power windows and of course the all new 5 speed AMT. The car definitely feels more upmarket. The design upgrades, the overall quality and fit and finish do not feel cheap any more. Well that's probably because they're not. At a pricetag of over Rs. 3.5 lacs on road Mumbai, the top of the line Nano GenX AMT is anything but cheap.



One thing that the Nano has always scored high on is cabin space and that's carried forward to this one as well. The cabin feels airy and there's ample leg and head room even for the tallest of drivers and passengers. The air conditioning is powerful and takes no time in cooling the cabin down. We also have two very functional glove boxes one on each side on the dashboard for keeping sunglasses and other miscellaneous items. The top of the line model also gets one bottle holder. Overall the car no longer feels like it's made to a budget.




The engine is the same 600 twin carried over from the older Nano but for some reason it feels more refined. The engine is peppy. Nothing dramatic but good enough to take you from point A to point B in the city.  The company claims a fuel efficiency of around 20 kmpl. A very believable figure given the power handicap that this car comes with. What impresses me the most however is the AMT gearbox. I have driven cars with CVTs and cars with DSGs. This was my first encounter with the AMT and it strikes a near perfect balance between the two extremes. It's not as fast as a DSG gearbox, nor is it as sluggish as a CVT. Tata Motors also gives you the tiptronic manual mode if you prefer to have more control over the acceleration and braking but honestly, you need a bigger engine for all that. 




The power steering is very light. That coupled with the small turning radius makes this car very happy to zip around city traffic and very easy to park. Overall ride quality is comfortable and it will score pretty highly even as a chauffeur driven car. Noise cancellation could have been better though. Another downer are the brakes on this one. With all four drum brakes, the brakes completely lack the initial bite. They take a bit of getting used to but eventually do the job with additional pressure.




Overall I was super impressed with the Nano GenX, especially with its AMT. It's easy to own, easy to drive, easy to park, easy to maintain and easy to crash. It's the perfect car for people who are not interested in driving, people who drive to commute, people who drive because they no longer want to be at the mercy of rickshawallas and cabbies. So housewives, college students and retirees you've got a Honda Activa on four wheels headed your way. For the power junkies, well why are you reading this anyway...!

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