Upgrading your car

So you already own a car(mostly entry level) and you want to upgrade. Assuming that one can't afford to have 2 cars, the new car should have all the goodness of present car and much more. Please note that upgrading here doesn't mean modifying the car, but changing the car.

Upgrading is mostly obvious but sometimes deceiving. Its not just buying a car which is costlier than the present one, but buying a car of different class. That means if you own a hatchback(premium or entry level) go for a sedan. And if you already own a sedan buy a more sportier sedan. Simple. Also SUVs and estates(station wagons) come under hatchback category. For instance if a person owns Swift Vxi then buying Skoda Fabia is not an upgrade in real sense. Instead going for say Ford Fiesta(or even Indigo CS) is a much better option.

So why am I insisting on sedans over hatchbacks/SUVs/estates? Because its the perfect design for a car. It has better ride and handling. Moreover the passenger compartment is isolated from the boot. Seating position, front and rear, is far superior. I think these enough reasons. So upgrade in true sense.

Some people might argue that a sports car is better than a sedan. Well not really because a person owning a sports car must own another car. Sports cars are only for pure weekend fun and they have zero utility.

Tata Nano: First Impression

Well the Nano has been launched. Its currently the least expensive production car. Briefly the spec looks like this-

Max Power: 33Bhp @ 5500 rpm
Max Torque: 48 Nm @ 2500 rpm
Rear Engine, Rear Wheel Drive
Front Disc Brake

So the spec is not very impressive but sufficient for a car of its size and purpose. And there are couple of interesting things about this car. It has 21% more interior space but occupies 8% less space compared to Maruti 800. This is because of rear mounted engine and overall height. Now this low cost(initial and running) and small size makes it a perfect second car. So this car is not just for the common man.

Looks: Design is very good for a car of that segment. Overall its a full fledged car. I particularly liked the air vent near the rear wheel. Its just awesome!

Other Concerns: Now this low cost car will not cause any kind of traffic congestion in my opinion. People who use public transport obviously can't afford a motorcycle(~Rs.30,000), therefore the Nano is un-affordable for them. Some bikers might upgrade to Nano, but this will be compensated by other people who will use Nano instead of their D-segment cars within city limits. Autos might disappear from roads(which is a good thing). But one thing for sure is- Nano will wipe out used car market in the entry segment.

I believe rear mounted engine is also a cause for its low cost. How? in fwd cars both turning the car and driving the car forward is done by the front wheels. This leads to a slightly complex assembly. Debatable, but thats just my guess. Also hatchbacks have huge top hinged rear door to access boot. This requires a stronger C-pillar and a strong rear hinge to support the huge door, leading to extra weight and hence cost. Even this factor is eliminated in the Nano.

Now the most important point I wanted to tell. Is Nano a sedan!? I think so. It has a traditional 3-box design. The boot(in front), the engine(at rear) and the passenger compartment are all isolated from each other! So I am happy to announce that its not a hatch back :)