Why is there no Tata Nano in South Africa?

[InternetSwag]

The Tata Nano was released at a price of $2000 (at the time) currently around $2500 from what I gather on Wikipedia.

So, it'd probably cost R30 000 - R35 000 here in SA?

Here are some things Tata did to reduce the cost of making the Tata Nano (copy pasted cause I'm lazy)

Cost cutting features


The car's exterior was designed at Italy's Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering.[4]
The Nano's design implements many measures that make its manufacture cheap.
The Nano's trunk is only accessible from inside the car, as the rear hatch does not open.[14]
One windscreen wiper instead of the usual pair[5]
No power steering, unnecessary due to its light weight[5]
Three lug nuts on the wheels instead of the usual four[15]
Only one wing mirror[5]
Radio or CD player is optional[5]
No airbags on any model[16]
624cc rear engine has only 2 cylinders[5]
No air conditioning in base model[5]


Weight: 600 kg

0-60 in 8 seconds

Top speed of 105 km/h


I think this car would be massively successful in South Africa, they would sell so many the mark up price would not even have to be more than 23.08% I reckon.

You could argue it's an unsafe car, but I really doubt it can go fast enough to hurt anyone :P

[Quantum Theory]

Really? You want these little coffins on our highways, cruising in the fast lane at a max speed of 105km/h?

I thought you like Scoobies. You do not make any sense!

[Chevron]

We have enough i10s on our roads as it is and you want these lawnmowers?

[cbrunsdonza]

The car is illegal to import into South Africa and originally thought it was due to small engine but its becuase the car is a "right hand side road" car (which are illegal to import into SA). But it seems Tata are planning to release a left hand model.

[InternetSwag]

Really? You want these little coffins on our highways, cruising in the fast lane at a max speed of 105km/h?

I thought you like Scoobies. You do not make any sense!

I can love practical cars and fast cars.

They won't be allowed on the freeway because you need to be able to go at least 120 on the freeway, or I believe that applies to scooters and bikes. Why not zoidberg?

The car is illegal to import into South Africa and originally thought it was due to small engine but its becuase the car is a "right hand side road" car (which are illegal to import into SA). But it seems Tata are planning to release a left hand model.

That's interesting, what about centered steering wheels cars like some sports cars have?

[cr@zydude]

The car is illegal to import into South Africa and originally thought it was due to small engine but its becuase the car is a "right hand side road" car (which are illegal to import into SA). But it seems Tata are planning to release a left hand model.

India drives on the left hand side of the road, just like SA. I'm assuming here, but shouldn't the Nano thus be right hand drive?

[Quantum Theory]

Tata Nano Interior.

Looks like RHD to me...

[TJ99]

Because we have enough plastic, third-world lunchboxes on wheels on the roads as it is.

And if it was available here, you can bet it wouldn't cost anywhere near $2000. You have to apply SA scumbag car-dealer exchange rates, which is even higher than SA scumbag electronics-dealer exchange rates. So $2000 would be about R114 299 or thereabouts.

[xumwun]

Because we have enough plastic, third-world lunchboxes on wheels on the roads as it is.

And if it was available here, you can bet it wouldn't cost anywhere near $2000. You have to apply SA scumbag car-dealer exchange rates, which is even higher than SA scumbag electronics-dealer exchange rates. So $2000 would be about R114 299 or thereabouts.

I doubt that somehow.
You could get a real car for that money.

Tata Nano Interior.

Looks like RHD to me...

That is fugly

[grim]

I can love practical cars and fast cars.

They won't be allowed on the freeway because you need to be able to go at least 120 on the freeway, or I believe that applies to scooters and bikes. Why not zoidberg?



That's interesting, what about centered steering wheels cars like some sports cars have?

There is no law stating that any vehicle needs to be able to achieve 120KM/h to be allowed on a highway here although I do believe that nothing with an engine capacity less than 125cc is allowed.

1. Trucks are only allowed to do 80KM/h - Not that this bothers them, I've had a big 18 wheeler (truck&trailer) barrel up behind me while I was doing 140 or so before.
2. Taxis are only allowed to do 100KM/h - Yeah right.

And the Nano is a piece of crap and as was said before, we don't need more idiots sitting in the fast lane at 100KM/h refusing to move over even though it's the law.

[TJ99]

we don't need more idiots sitting in the fast lane at 100KM/h refusing to move over even though it's the law.

Or driving at 50 on the onramp, forcing everyone behind them to try death-defying stunts to merge onto the highway.

[grim]

Or driving at 50 on the onramp, forcing everyone behind them to try death-defying stunts to merge onto the highway.

Love those as well.

[Fazda]

The car is illegal to import into South Africa and originally thought it was due to small engine but its becuase the car is a "right hand side road" car (which are illegal to import into SA). But it seems Tata are planning to release a left hand model.

Don't know where you got that piece of misinformation from....the are all RHD cars as India drives on the same side of the road as us.

That being said, it's the last thing we need on SA roads.

We already have Chinese junk littering the scrap yards, this would result in total mayhem....if any were bought.... SA buyers want bling and power, and that has neither.

[dualmeister]

Actually from the documentaries I've seen on India they drive on neither the left nor right hand side of the road

[thestaggy]

Because we have enough plastic, third-world lunchboxes on wheels on the roads as it is.

And if it was available here, you can bet it wouldn't cost anywhere near $2000. You have to apply SA scumbag car-dealer exchange rates, which is even higher than SA scumbag electronics-dealer exchange rates. So $2000 would be about R114 299 or thereabouts.

If the average South African driver obeyed road laws and drove like s/he wasn't the only person on the road, these smaller cars and bikes would be fine. But as the average South African driver is aggressive and through a combination of not giving a toss about road rules and nobody enforcing them, small cars and bikes become coffins on wheels.

On a more practical level, unlike Europe, our country is also spread out so you really have to use a freeway, making small ''city cars'' that little bit less suitable as well.