India's Tata brought its Nano minicar to Detroit Thursday to show the Motor City what the world's cheapest car looks like. The Nano was unveiled for the first time in the United States at the Detroit science center, just a few miles away from where Tata's rivals were be displaying their latest wares at the Detroit auto show.
Executives said it will likely be years before the Nano hits US showrooms. "No decision has been made yet on when to bring the car to the US," said Warren Harris, president and chief operating officer of automotive engineering consulting firm Tata Technologies.
The car needs "stiffer structure in the rear" to meet US crash test standards, Harris said. It will also need a bigger engine as the top speed of the Nano sold in India only goes 65 miles per hour and the US version would need to get up to 80 or 90 miles per hour, Harris said. "It also would need more features. It would also need things like iPod connectors, cup holders and USB ports," he said. Tata Technologies played an important role in the development of the Nano, which debuted last year and is one of the most talked about vehicles launched in the past decade because it costs only 2,500 dollars.
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