Launch of Tata Nano diesel delayed; may arrive only by 2013-end

The much anticipated diesel version of the Nano was supposed to be out by the year end but now it seems we won’t be seeing it plying on our roads until the other half of 2013. The prime reason for this is said to be the fact that the carmaker is struggling to attain the fuel economy figure of over 30kpl which has been set as a benchmark.

The Nano diesel will be powered by an 800cc, twin-cylinder engine with a modest 40PS of power and about 100Nm of torque. And as with any twin cylinder engine, vibration levels can be considerably high. The easiest way to overcome the NVH issue would be to add more noise dampening material but it of course will add to the production costs. 

What has also proved to be a major hurdle for Tata Motors is the cost of developing the Nano diesel. The carmaker is looking to up the quality stakes given all the criticism that the petrol powered Nano has received so far. The Nano diesel is touted to come with far better quality than its petrol powered sibling. This, in turn, will further add to the production costs.

Source: TopGear India