The Tata Pelican is basically a heavily facelifted version of the Tata Nano, which will come with a host of changes and a new name.
You read it first on MotorBeam. The Maruti Alto rivalling Tata Pelican is nothing but the Tata Nano facelift, which is expected to be launched next year. Sources inform us that the Pelican is the Nano facelift which will be repositioned as an alternative to the Maruti Alto, rather than being positioned as a cheap entry-level car, a mistake which was made with the Nano. The new offering from Tata Motors could get a new name to ward off the image of the Nano being a cheap car.
In terms of styling, the Tata Pelican looks similar to the Nano but gets a heavily re-styled front end featuring a power bulge on the bonnet and smoked headlights for a premium appearance. The side profile and rear end of the car will receive significant updates such as new alloys, bumpers, tail lights and more. The Tata Pixel concept inspired styling cues are expected. The upcoming hatchback is not an all-new car but Tata Motors will be embellishing the car in a way that it gives a tough fight to the Maruti Alto.
New engine options will include a 1.0-litre petrol engine and 0.8-litre diesel, which was being tested extensively for the Nano but will now debut on the new nameplate. The new compact hatchback will be exported to other markets as well and will be manufactured at Tata’s Sanand facility. The Pelican will be positioned above the Tata Nano to compete with the likes of the Maruti Alto, Hyundai Eon and Datsun GO. Meanwhile Tata Motors is planning to launch the Kite hatchback and sedan along with the AMT equipped Nano later this year.
