A Tata Nano prototype has been exported to South Korea which is valued at 5,16,949/-, and will rival the Maruti Alto with 1.0-litre and 0.8-litre petrol engine options.
Tata Motors’ revamp mission seems to be on track as the automaker is readying up to introduce all-new models over the next couple of months. It is also refurbishing its existing lineup and most recently introduced the Safari Storme facelift in the country. With models like the Kite (codename) hatchback and Hexa crossover scheduled for launch up next, the Indian auto giant has commenced work on the Pelican small car that will be rivalling the Maruti Alto in the segment and has exported a prototype of the model to South Korea.
Codenamed ‘Pelican’, the new small car will be positioned above the Nano in Tata’s lineup and is based on an updated Nano platform. The new model though will be larger in terms of dimensions and is most likely to borrow design cues from the Pixel concept that was showcased at the Geneva Motor Show in 2011. In terms of powertrain, 1.0-litre and 0.8-litre petrol engine options (similar to the Alto) are set to be under consideration. Speculations further suggest that the two-cylinder diesel motor originally developed for the Nano won’t make it on the Pelican as well.
Tata Motors has a venture with South Korea’s Daewoo Commercial Vehicles and the company sends a lot of parts and prototypes to its test centres in the country. More recently, the automaker imported parts for the Hexa crossover from South Korea that is expected to commence road testing soon. Coming back to the Pelican, Tata’s aggressive pricing strategy will ensure that the model range starts at around Rs. 2.6 lakhs (ex-showroom), around Rs. 50-60,000/- higher than the Nano and competitive against rivals. Apart from the Alto, the Pelican will also lock horns with the Hyundai Eon and the upcoming Renault Kwid, with the latter considered to be a product to watch out for.
Source – Zauba.com