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Just when you thought you were spoilt for choice, there is Tata’s Nano, the car for the common man. So what are the options before you — in case you’ve decided to sell your bike and go for a four-wheeler?

Tata’s Nano

When Ratan Tata, chairman of the Tata Motors, unveiled the people’s car ‘Nano’ in New Delhi, it took the global automobile industry by surprise.Nano has a roomy passenger compartment with generous leg space and head-room. It can comfortably accommodate four persons. With a length of 3.1 metres, width of 1.5 metres and height of 1.6 metres, Nano can effortlessly negotiate the roads in cities as well as in rural areas. Nano has a rear-wheel drive, all-aluminium, two-cylinder, 623 cc, 33 PS, multi point fuel injection petrol engine. The lean design helps maximise performance per unit of energy consumed and delivers high fuel efficiency (20 km/ltr). Nano comes in three variants. Standard and two deluxe models with AC. The standard one will cost Rs 1,00,000, excluding VAT and transportation cost. “The car has also gone through a full frontal crash test as per standard norms,” says a press release from Tata. “The Nano is eight per cent shorter than Maruti 800, the cheapest car on offer currently in India, on bumper to bumper length, but is 21 per cent more spacious,” claims Tata. The people’s car will be launched in India by the end of 2008.

Reva

Reva is a fully automatic, battery operated car. It can accommodate two adults and two children. The battery should be charged according to usage. The approximate charging time is three to six hours. Reva comes in four variants. Standard, AC, Classe and Reva I. The Standard version comes with low battery warning light, fuel gauge, folding rear seats, map pockets, adjustable headrest and special tubeless tyres. Reva AC has a separate electronic motor to control the air conditioning system so that it won’t affect the speed while the AC is on. Reva Classe comes with a pre-cooling AC system, which helps cool the interior of the car while charging or parking. The speed limit is 65 kmph. Reva-I, the most advanced version, gives speed efficiency of 80 kmph compared to its earlier versions. Reva-I has a hill-restraint feature that allows better negotiation on slopes and hair-pin curves. The starting price of Reva is Rs 3,45,000.

Maruti 800

Maruti 800 is still the cheapest and most user-friendly car available in India. The important aspect of this car is its mileage, which can go up to 17 km/ltr on city roads and above 20 on highways. There are two variants in this category: 800 MPI BS STD III and 800 MPI BS AC III. It has Bharat Stage III, a hi-tech 32 ECM ultra-refined engine. Collapsible steering columns, high mount stop lamp, clear lens headlamps and front grille are the extra features. The ex-showroom price of the standard version is Rs 1,94,434 (non-metallic) and the AC model is Rs 2,15,071. With an overall length of 3335 mm, Maruti 800 has 4.4m minimum turning radius. The ground clearance is 170 mm.

Maruti Alto

An improved version of Maruti 800, Alto does its job well. It has a fuel-efficient three-pot motor with a four-valve head. There are three variants. Standard, LX and LXI. The LXI version comes with power steering and AC. All models are equipped with an immobiliser. The price starts from Rs 2,32,000. The most important aspect of Alto is its mileage. Even with AC, it gives a mileage of above 15/litre on city roads.

Santro Xing

“The active intelligence technology empowers the engine to think and operate at its best under usage condition, delivering maximum power and mileage,” says a brochure from Hyundai. Santro Xing is equipped with larger ventilated front disc brakes, which assures effective braking. Another interesting aspect is its pick-up. The price starts from Rs 2,90,000 onwards.

Chevrolet Spark

What makes Chevrolet Spark different from other cars is its compact and stylish design. The specially designed headlights and taillamps add colour to its look. With a wheel base of 2345 mm, its turning radius is 4.6 m. There are four variants in this model — 1.0 E, 1.0, 1.0 PS, 1.0 LS and 1.0 LT. The interior is superb. “The advanced Smart-Tec Engine maximises power and torque at lower speeds, making the Spark ideal to commute in city roads as well as highways,” says a brochure from Chevrolet. Another aspect of this car is safety. No one can beat Chevrolet when it comes to strength. And it is similar in the case of Spark. Almost half of its body shell is made of high strength steel. The price starts from Rs 2,80,000.