Say hello to my little friend ... which has loads of space inside

Mel Cooke, Gleaner Writer

Officially, Joe Ferreira is director of New Markets for Metis Motors, the Hope Road-based importers of the Tata Nano. And he does a good enough job of showing Automotives some of the Tata Nano's finer features in the Gleaner's parking lot. Ride height much more than the accustomed sedan or hatchback - check. Get in the back seat and check out the more-than-ample leg space - check. Point out the roof height, which justifies the Nano's decidedly ovoid profile - check. Good ground clearance - check.

But on North Street, Kingston, Ferreira momentarily turns semi-maniac revolutionary driver as he twirls the Indian-made Nano in the road, missing making the complete circle in the two-lane road in one go by mere millimetres. It is much to the interest of a few members of the purple-clad crew and the terror of Automotives - the turn came with a perfunctory advisory of "watch this!" and a running commentary as the world rotated.

However, the point was made. The Nano is nimble, very well suited to city traffic. Also, although Ferreira did not make it a highlight of the manoeuvre which he would repeat with more success on South Camp Road (try two turns in succession for size), Automotives noticed there was very little body roll.

That manoeuvrability, despite the Nano's lack of power-assisted steering and stability, were a large part of Automotives' glee in the Nano when passenger and driver swapped seats. But loads of my delight in the Nano came from movement of the left hand.

Oh what a joy to be piloting a stick shift again! After a four-year monotonous 'matic diet, this is bliss to the soul. Call it the male's phallic fascination, call it the macho need to be to manhandle the automotive beast (well, at 625cc, the Nano is more pussycat than tiger) into submission. But with each oh-so-easy gear change, Automotives dipped into Scarface memories with Al Pacino - "say hello to my little friend!"

The drive started on Port Royal Street, the Nano tootling along the toll road to just beyond the collection booth. There is a Nano-specific quirk. Not only is the top speed limited to 105 kilometres per hour (which is quite enough, as the legal upper speed limit in the country is 110 kph), there is also a restriction on how much rev can be applied in each gear. Try to exceed the set top speed and the 'check engine' light will come on as the Nano slows down. The same goes for trying to 'rev out' each gear too much.

top speed in third gear

That 'check engine' light made its yellow presence felt quite a few times in the early going of the test drive and certainly on the toll road. Of note is that although it is a four-speed box, top speed comes in third gear, so fourth is good for just maintaining pace. On the way back, Automotives noted the Nano's discomfort with a brisk crosswind - after all, the car is tall and light, at a little over 600 kilogrammes (somewhere between 1,300 and 1,400 pounds). This is not the ride of choice for making a run across open country in high winds.

So much for open road and tight traffic, Automotives genteelly demurring at Ferreira's offer to take it on wet grass to really show the handling. But what about hills? Up into Chancery Hall we went and the Nano showed it had guts, even through the steepest parts of the climb. The test includes stopping it at the foot of a very steep back road up which I have driven other cars, walked and run (very slowly). The Nano handles it well.

pressing on

The car's miniscule footprint came in handy going up Constant Spring Road, pulling out of traffic to make the right turn on to Oliver Road. Another car was coming but, pushing the right foot down, Automotives pressed on. (OK, so the intention was to return the scary favour to tight-turn-Ferreira, but nary a flinch nor blanch came from the passenger seat). A twitch of the steering took the Nano out of head-on collision path, the small car finding loads of room where others would be hard-pressed to fit.

The Nano has its personal idiosyncrasies. The battery is under the driver's seat and the tyre-changing tools under the passenger seat. Only the two front windows are powered and the controls are on the floor close to the gear-stick. The back does not open - one accesses the limited trunk space by pulling a tab that makes the back seat fold forward. There are no airbags or temperature gauge, a two-stage overheating warning substituting for the latter.

It does have central locking, foglights standard on the top-end LX model which Ferreira says is the only trim level to be imported, small but workable digital display and a decent Bosch radio - no expander required.

However, with its more than adequate people space, manoeuvrability, decent get-up-and-go and superb fuel economy, the Nano accomplishes its low-cost, new car mission with aplomb. It does what a car is supposed to do, very economically.

Now if the price could go down about $200,000 from the current full cost of $943,000 it is possible that Metis Motors could have a real winner on its hands.