Test driving the new GenX Nano AMT

The journey of the Nano has been an uphill climb so far Even with its intelligent trendy design and clever packaging the car couldnrsquot quite sell in good volumes Its compelling price which was supposed to be its USP somehow became its undoingTata Motors to its credit has valiantly faced the challenge and has been working on the product The latest GenX Nano is a result of the companyrsquos boffins going back to the drawing board armed with customer feedback to add more polish and appeal to the car In its newest avatar the Nano gets the GenX monicker an updated interior more features and most importantly an automated manual transmission or AMT Has it worked this timePrice Rs 20 ndash 29 lakh exshowroomDesign and styleTata Motors has changed quite a few things on the GenX Nanorsquos exterior terming them collectively as the lsquoInfinity design themersquo The Nano in its latest iteration gets new bumpers a restyled rear hatch which can now be opened an updated rear spoiler and revised interiors Up front the bumper has been rehashed for GenX and now features a large smiley grille in black plastic with fog lamps at its ends The grille termed the lsquoInfinity Grillersquo by Tata Motors is a functional unit feeding air to the radiator unit which has now been moved to the front The bonnet lip features a piano black insert with the Tata logo inthe middleThe bonnet lip gets a piano black appliqueacute with the Tata emblem at the centreThe headlamps have been restyled too and now get a smoked effect thanks to darker bezels The rear bumper and the bootlid have been duly restyled and mimic the front bumper and bonnet in treatmentThe manual transmission version continues to get its exhaust in the centre while the AMT variant sees it shifted to the left There are seven colours to choose from mdash Sangria Red Persian Rose Pearl White Meteor Silver Royal Gold Dazzle Blue and Damson PurpleThe dashboard gets a Latte trim in top variants along with a premiumlooking steering wheel from the Zest Bolt sans the controlsInterior and featuresThe interior of the new Nano witnesses a slew of changes and the addition of new features To start with the dashboard gets a latte finish and two additional glove boxes in the topend XT variants The steering wheel is shared with the Bolt and the Zest though there are no integrated controls The centrally mounted instrument console has been updated too with a newly designed speedometer unit flanked by fuel and temperature gauges A great new feature is the Digital Information Display delivering useful information such as low fuel warning distance to dry gear shift indicator average fuel consumption etc The GenX Nano also gets an updated audio system with four speakers compatible with Bluetooth CD Radio USB and AUXin optionsThe instrument cluster has been thoroughly revamped and now displays important data including distance to dry and average consumptionThe fabric upholstered seats get Infinity symbol motifs along with Nano branding The door pad trim has been altered slightly too and now features Infinity branding like on the seats Topend variants get front power windows which are operated via the centrally positioned buttonsThe Nano in its newest avatar replaces the fixed rear hatch with a hinged hydraulic unit that reveals up to 110 litres of boot space for the manual variants and 94 litres for the AMT version That may not be a lot of space but is handy enough to keep those shopping bags when there are four passengers aboard With the rear seats folded however storage capacity increases to 500 litres The GenX Nano also gets a parcel tray with Nano branding and integrated speakersLegroom and headroom is commendable for a car this size both at the front and rear seats Even six footers can sit in the backseat without rubbing their knees against the front seatrsquos backrest Quality of materials and overall levels of fit amp finish have improved though therersquos still much to be desiredThe Nano has always been a cute little runabout and the changes made to the GenX version decidedly add to the trendy appealEngine gearbox and performanceIt is powered by a 624cc multipoint fuel injected water cooled naturally aspirated 2cylinder gasoline engine with 2 valves per cylinder The rear mounted engine delivers 38PS power5500RPM and 51Nm torque Performance figures remain the same as the previous Nano Engine cooling has been enhanced with the radiator having been moved to the front Other changes made to the engine include a tweaked ECU better mapping for the drivebywire throttle and better fuel efficiency which now stands at 236kmpl for the manual variant and at 219kml for the AMTThe engine doesnrsquot feel very strong and suffers a bit more as you turn the AC on though the drive at the wheels is adequate for the Nano to handle city traffic effortlessly Taking to the highways and munching miles in a relaxed manner isnrsquot the Nanorsquos forte though Talking of the highway the fuel tank capacity has been raised from the earlier 16 litres to 24 litres for a longer range and lesser trips to the fuel stationThe XE XM and XT variants continue with the 4speed manual transmission while the topoftheline XTA version gets a fivespeed AMT The new AMT developed from a Magnetti Marelli sourced actuator unit has five speeds and boasts Creep function and Sports modeNow an AMT is the quickest and most economical way for a manufacturer to offer a car with a transmission which works like an automatic Everythingrsquos mechanically similar to a manual shift except that here you have hydraulic actuators controlled by a computer chip that act like your hands and brain on a manual setup The functional keywords here are convenience and economy not performanceThere is a bit of delay to be experienced during downshifts and the transmission isnrsquot comparable to a full blown automatic or CVT transmission All of that said however the AMT makes tremendous sense in city traffic and spells great convenience especially with the Nanorsquos diminutive size and easy manoeuvrabilityThe Creep function on the AMT allows the GenX Nano to inch forwards or backwards by just taking the foot off the brake Itrsquos a great feature for stopgo traffic relieving the driver of physical and mental strain The car will attain a speed of up to 7kmh using the Creep function post which yoursquoll have to use the accelerator to gain further momentum The Sports mode allows the car to hold on to revs for longer and helps while trying to overtake or accelerate quicklyTata Motors has also taken steps to reduce the NVH levels and the difference is quite perceptible though itrsquos still on the higher side as compared with other mainstream cars Even with all the measures taken the sound from the rearmounted engine manages to filter in and isnrsquot pleasing to the earsHandling and dynamicsThe removal of the fixed rear hatch could have reduced the Nanorsquos structural rigidity so Tata has worked on the carrsquos body at other places to reinforce the structure The Cpillar and front sections have been reinforced while intrusion beams for side crash protection have been added on all four doors for enhanced structural strengthThese structural changes apart from enhancing safety have also resulted in improving the dynamic ability of the car at higher speeds and around corners Independent suspension all around with antiroll bars also does its bit to help the car maintain poise The new Nano rides on tubeless 13570R12F tyres up front and slightly wider 15565 R12R tyres at the rear Grip cannot be termed generous but therersquos nothing to complain about while in the cityPushing the car hard around bends is a strict nono though The brakes too featuring a drum setup all round arenrsquot the most powerful though they possess adequate anchor dropping capability for sensible city useThe GenX Nano comes equipped with an electric steering and active return feature making it an amazingly easy car to manoeuvre in the city A turning radius of 4 metres further enables it to handle crowded environs with utter easeVerdictThe Nano in its newest avatar especially with the AMT option makes sense for those who want a compact economical and convenient city car It also lends itself as a handy option for women owing to it its cutesy appeal AMT option and manoeuvrabilityHaving said this donrsquot expect too much from that costeffective AMT tech as itrsquos built to a cost and doesnrsquot match up with the conventional fullblown automatics The overall refinement of the package could have been better too However for a car that saves you more than Rs 1 lakh over its nearest competitor in such a lowcost lowmargin segment doesnrsquot leave room for complaint If yoursquore fishing for an automaticrsquos convenience on a budget you really canrsquot miss test driving this one