A lawn mower for four?

The Washingtonu00a0 Post can mock the Nano but the western media can't deny that Nano has made them take noteu00a0

The Nano Tata's small wonder has unleashed a range of emotions abroad: Amusement, surprise, contempt and, without a doubt, one that's associated with an ugly shade of green.

The London-based Guardian wondered about the environmental impact of the tiny car in a country like India.
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"The emergence of the Nano has caused concern among green campaigners, who have warned of an environmental nightmare on India's roads. Although there are just 5 million cars in use in India, only seven in every 1,000 people own a car, the roads are clogged with dozens of other vehicles," says the report.

Drive like a dream

"India's Nano, Driving Like a (National) Dream": screamed a Washington Post headline on the Nano launch.

"I didn't want to be the first Western journalist to crash a Nano. But I was so curious about the world's cheapest car I was willing to take that chance," the Post's correspondent says. "With a sticker price of about $2,000, the new Tata Motors' Nano has been mocked as a lawn mower for four," says the report, adding, "But in a country where it's not uncommon to see a family of four or five perched precariously on a motorcycle, it puts the dream of car ownership within reach of India's emerging middle- and- working classes."

"It won't have airbags or back-seat safety belts. There won't be power steering or an anti-lock brake system. But with a base price of Rs 100,000, middle-class India may just stampede its way to car-dealerships when orders for the Nano begin in mid-April," says Global Post, a newly-launched news wire.

"The latent demand for a low-priced car could boost the Indian car market's size by 65 per cent, even in the face of a slowing economy," adds the report.

'Moths to light'

MSNBC.com said: "People flocked to the Nanos on display on Monday night like moths to light, thwacking the doors shut, testing the seats, tooting the horns, and tugging on the flexible plastic bumpers."

"Ratan Tata won't speculate whether this is a Henry Ford moment for India. Ford famously paid his factory workers enough so that if they saved carefully, they'd be able to buy their own Model T," added the report.

"Analysts said that if the car proves an immediate hit in its home market, Tata may struggle to meet demand," says BBC news website.