[b]It is 3 metres long, seats four comfortably or five at a squeeze, does 65mph and aims to revolutionise travel for millions. The “People’s Car” is also the cheapest in the world at 100,000 rupees (£1,300) – the same price as the DVD player in a Lexus.

The Nano, from Tata, the Indian conglomerate bidding for Jaguar and Land Rover, was unveiled at the Delhi Auto Expo yesterday to music from 2001: A Space Odyssey. Ratan Tata, the company chairman, harked back to the first flight by the Wright Brothers and the Moon landing as he revealed the cute, snub-nosed hatchback that will allow millions in India’s emerging middle classes to buy a car for the first time.

“I hope this changes the way people travel in rural India. We are a country of a billion and most are denied connectivity,” he said. “This is a car that is affordable and provides all-weather transport for the family.”

The aluminium shell contains a rear-mounted 33bhp two-cylinder petrol engine and weighs about half a tonne. The standard version comes with the vital features: brakes, a four-gear manual transmission, seatbelts, locking, wind-down windows and a steering wheel. A small boot could store a duffel bag. It lacks a passenger-side mirror and has one windscreen wiper. The deluxe version will have air-conditioning while extras such as a radio and an airbag could be added. [/b]

http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/driving/article3164205.ece

Can't one get a fully functioning second-hand car for much less than this will eventually cost?

The equivalent in Naira will be about 300,000.You have to ask the kind of second hand car you can get in Nigeria for that price and compare that to this.

India is somewhat like Nigeria in the sense that this offers value for money compared to 2nd hand cars you can get for a similar price.

2nd hand cars are cheaper in the West,so I guess the attractiveness of this car is lessened there.

Apparently the car is an accident prone tangle of 2nd hand materials.

Even the factories where it will be produced are 2nd hand. lol

Let's not even start with the environmental implications