Tata Nano culled as demand for world’s cheapest car dies

Tata has ended production of its Tata Nano city car, which has long held the title of the world’s cheapest car.

The Indian manufacturer has experienced fast-falling demand for the Nano, with just one being sold last month – a 274 unit decrease on June 2017.

Despite costing from as little as £1700, sales of the Nano, which uses a 625cc, twin-cylinder engine developing 35bhp, have starkly contrasted the rapid rises seen in the wider Indian car market.

Experts claim that this is as much an example of the rising expectation of Indian consumers as it is a reflection of how dated the back-to-basics car, which entered production in 2008, had become.

Top 10 best affordable sports cars

Tata described the Nano as its “people’s car” back when the compact four-door model first arrived. Measuring just 2.2 metres long, it’s about half the length of the Ford Focus.

The Nano was never officially sold outside India, but some have been exported.

While there are no plans for the Nano to return to production, a Tata spokesman told Bloomberg that the car in its “present form cannot continue beyond 2019”, suggesting an evolved version could be in the pipeline.

More content:

2019 Toyota Supra takes to Goodwood hillclimb

2019 Mini Electric: first official pictures