Tata Nano

Tata Nano: which version to buy (2008–2015)

The Tata Nano was sold in one generation (January 2008–April 2015) as a Hatchback 4-door, with three catalogue versions that share the same 624 cm³ rear-mounted 2-cylinder Inline engine architecture. The buying choice is not between generations. It is between 0.6 MT at 38 hp, 0.6 AT at 38 hp, and the second 0.6 MT at 33 hp (LPG).

The Tata Nano was sold in one generation (January 2008–April 2015) as a Hatchback 4-door, with three catalogue versions that share the same 624 cm³ rear-mounted 2-cylinder Inline engine architecture. The buying choice is not between generations. It is between 0.6 MT at 38 hp, 0.6 AT at 38 hp, and the second 0.6 MT at 33 hp (LPG). All three list 12.6 s to 100 km/h, 105 km/h top speed, RWD, 180 mm ground clearance, a 24 L tank, and wheels 135/70 R12 or 155/65 R12. What actually changes is power, fuel type, gearbox, mixed consumption, and kerb weight.

Which Tata Nano to buy: the three versions compared

0.6 MT (38 hp, Gasoline) is the lightest and most efficient petrol-manual pairing in this dataset: 38 hp (27 kW) at 5500 rpm, 51 Nm at 4000 rpm, 4-speed Manual, mixed consumption 4.2, kerb weight 695 kg.

0.6 AT (38 hp, Gasoline) keeps the same 38 hp / 51 Nm gasoline engine and the same 12.6 s / 105 km/h figures, but swaps in a 5-speed Automatic. Mixed consumption rises to 4.6. Kerb weight is 765 kg.

0.6 MT (33 hp, LPG) keeps the 4-speed Manual, 695 kg kerb weight, mixed 4.2, 12.6 s, and 105 km/h, but the engine is labelled LPG at 33 hp (24 kW) at 5500 rpm, still 51 Nm at 4000 rpm.

There is no second generation to “wait for.” Production of all three versions is dated 2008-01-01 to 2015-04-30. Restyling is not listed as a separate generation in this data.

Tata Nano specs: power, weight, and what the automatic actually costs

Specific output on the 624 cm³ block:

• 0.6 MT 38 hp Gasoline: 38 / 0.624 ≈ 60.9 hp per litre
• 0.6 AT 38 hp Gasoline: the same 60.9 hp/L
• 0.6 MT 33 hp LPG: 33 / 0.624 ≈ 52.9 hp/L — 8.0 hp/L less than the two 38 hp gasoline versions, or 5 hp less on the same displacement (13% less peak power)

Power-to-weight (kg per horsepower, lower is better on this metric):

• 0.6 MT 38 hp: 695 / 38 ≈ 18.3 kg/hp
• 0.6 AT 38 hp: 765 / 38 ≈ 20.1 kg/hp
• 0.6 MT 33 hp LPG: 695 / 33 ≈ 21.1 kg/hp

The automatic does not add horsepower. It adds 70 kg (765 − 695) — about 10% more kerb mass — and 0.4 mixed consumption (4.6 − 4.2, about 10% more fuel on the mixed figure). Torque stays 51 Nm on all three. Boost is not measured on all three. Feed system is not measured on all three.

Torque per litre is identical: 51 / 0.624 ≈ 81.7 Nm/L. Compression is 10.3 and bore × stroke is 7.35 x 7.35 on every version. Cylinder count is 2, layout Inline, 2 valves per cylinder, engine location Rear, drive RWD. Fuel grade in the data is 95 even on the LPG row.

Tata Nano engine table (all versions)

Peak power rpm is 5500 and peak torque rpm is 4000 on every row. Do not treat the two 0.6 MT names as the same car: one is 38 hp Gasoline, the other is 33 hp LPG.

Tata Nano 0-100, top speed, mpg / consumption

0–100 km/h is 12.6 s for 0.6 MT (38 hp), 0.6 AT (38 hp), and 0.6 MT (33 hp). The catalogue does not show a faster or slower version.

Top speed is 105 km/h on all three. The extra 5 hp on gasoline versus LPG, and the extra 70 kg on 0.6 AT, do not change the listed top speed or 0–100.

City consumption: not measured (all three). Highway consumption: not measured (all three). Mixed consumption: 4.2 on both 0.6 MT rows; 4.6 on 0.6 AT. CO2: not measured. Eco class: not measured.

On mixed figures only, 0.6 AT uses 0.4 more than either manual. Relative to 4.2, that is 4.6 / 4.2 ≈ 1.10, i.e. about 10% more mixed fuel for the same 38 hp gasoline engine. The 33 hp LPG 0.6 MT is listed at the same mixed 4.2 as the 38 hp 0.6 MT, not lower.

Tank-based mixed range (24 L tank ÷ mixed rate × 100):

• 0.6 MT 38 hp and 0.6 MT 33 hp: 24 / 4.2 × 100 ≈ 571 km
• 0.6 AT: 24 / 4.6 × 100 ≈ 522 km — about 50 km less on the same tank

This is arithmetic on mixed consumption and tank volume, not a measured range.

Tata Nano dimensions, weight, clearance, wheels

Kerb weight

• 0.6 MT 38 hp Gasoline: 695 kg
• 0.6 AT 38 hp Gasoline: 765 kg (+70 kg vs either MT)
• 0.6 MT 33 hp LPG: 695 kg (same as the 38 hp manual)

Gross weight: not measured on all three. There is no payload figure to compare.

Ground clearance: 180 mm on all three. Version choice does not change listed clearance.

Fuel tank: 24 L on all three.

Wheels: 135/70 R12 and 155/65 R12 on all three. No version-exclusive tyre size in this data.

Suspension: front Independent, spring; rear Independent, spring — same on all three.

Brakes: front Drum; rear Drum — same on all three.

Chassis hardware therefore does not separate the buying decision. Weight, gearbox, fuel type, and mixed consumption do.

Tata Nano generations: what changed (and what did not)

1 generation is the only generation: Hatchback 4-door, 3 versions, 2008-01-01 to 2015-04-30. There is no later generation in this catalogue with more power, a different body, or a different displacement. Comparing “old vs new Nano” on these data means comparing the three contemporaneous versions above, not year-over-year hardware.

Within that single generation, the mechanical split is:

1. Same 624 cm³, 2 Inline, Rear, RWD, 51 Nm, 10.3 compression, 7.35 x 7.35 bore/stroke, Drum/Drum, 180 mm, 24 L, 12.6 s, 105 km/h. 2. Gasoline vs LPG: 38 hp vs 33 hp on the two 0.6 MT names. 3. Manual 4 vs Automatic 5: 695 kg / mixed 4.2 vs 765 kg / mixed 4.6, same 38 hp.

Which Tata Nano version to choose

Choose 0.6 MT (38 hp, Gasoline) if the numbers you care about are mass and mixed fuel on petrol. It is the best kg/hp in this set (18.3), tied for lowest mixed consumption (4.2), tied for lowest kerb weight (695 kg), and has the higher specific output (60.9 hp/L). Versus 0.6 AT you give up the 5-speed Automatic and keep 70 kg off the kerb figure and 0.4 off mixed consumption. Versus the other 0.6 MT you keep 5 hp (38 vs 33) and Gasoline instead of LPG, at the same 695 kg, same 4.2 mixed, same 12.6 s, same 105 km/h.

Choose 0.6 AT (38 hp, Gasoline) only if the Automatic is the point of the purchase. You do not gain hp, Nm, 0–100, or top speed versus 0.6 MT 38 hp. You pay 70 kg and mixed 4.6 instead of 4.2, and the mixed tank arithmetic drops from about 571 km to about 522 km. You do keep 38 hp and Gasoline, so you are not stepping down to the 33 hp LPG output. Gear count is 5 versus 4 on both manuals — the only gearbox that is not a 4-speed Manual in this model.

Choose 0.6 MT (33 hp, LPG) if the fuel type LPG is the requirement. You keep 695 kg, mixed 4.2, 4-speed Manual, RWD, 12.6 s, and 105 km/h. You lose 5 hp and about 8.0 hp/L versus the gasoline 0.6 MT. kg/hp is the weakest of the three (21.1). Torque is not reduced: 51 Nm is the same as the 38 hp rows. Do not confuse this 0.6 MT with the 38 hp 0.6 MT — the names match; the power and LPG label do not.

If the listed 0–100 or top speed is the decision: the data do not rank the versions. All three are 12.6 s and 105 km/h.

If mixed consumption is the decision: either 0.6 MT at 4.2, not 0.6 AT at 4.6. City and highway mpg are not measured, so they cannot break the tie.

If weight is the decision: either 0.6 MT at 695 kg, not 0.6 AT at 765 kg. Gross mass is not measured.

If you hoped a later generation would add power, AWD, or a different body: this catalogue has 1 generation and Hatchback 4-door only. The version decision is entirely inside 2008–2015.

Prices are not in this dataset and are not used here. Reliability, known problems, and crash scores are not in this dataset; they are not invented. What the numbers support is a three-way split: 0.6 MT 38 hp for the lightest, most efficient gasoline manual; 0.6 AT for the only Automatic, at +70 kg and +0.4 mixed; 0.6 MT 33 hp when LPG is required, at −5 hp versus the other two.