Tata Nano Pelican coming in 2018

Tata is gearing up for its next major launch which is the Nano Pelican. Sizewise the  Nano Pelican is identical to the Nano, but it gets a bigger engine, larger wheels and wider tyres.

Inside, it will have more frills, features and improved interiors too. The Nano Pelican will be competing with the Alto 800 and the Datsun RediGo. This new hatchback will be positioned between the Nano and the Tiago. How good will it be? We explain this in our Tata Nano Pelican preview.

Also Read: Renault Kwid AMT Review

Tata Nano Pelican Design

Tata Nano Pelican or the Tata X302, will be the new hatchback based on the Tata Nano platform. The Nano Pelican shares its platform with the Nano. This is why it will also be manufactures at Tata’s Sanand plant in Gujrat. This facility is capable to produce a lot more cars than what it currently is. The Pelican will look exactly like the Nano, however it will be having larger size wheels and bulkier looks, compared to the Nano. Tata will be using the Nano design as it is one of the most spacious in its segment, even now. So, why loose out on this existing design? This new hatchback will have the front end similar to the Tata Nano Europa. This will be make it look aggressive and meaner too.

The Nano Pelican prototypes are in the making and Tata Motors is in talks with the vendors for bigger size tyres and other body parts. The Nano Pelican— codename— is slated to be launched in 2018. This is when even the new-generation Alto Kei will be made available. Maruti is looking at reducing the engine size to about 660cc, while Tata will be making a slightly bigger engine. Major testing of this vehicle will happen in Gujarat, mountains regions and even in Europe.

Also Read: All new Tata Safari in the making

Tata Nano Pelican Interior

The Tata Nano Pelican will be a tall-boy design for best utilisation of space with two rows of seating and boot larger than most of its competition, except maybe the Datsun GO. The Tata Nano Pelican will come loaded with features like power windows for the front windows, electric power steering, music system with Bluetooth connectivity, auxiliary and USB connectivity. This will get the same Tiago interiors, and hence it will look a lot more stylish and upmarket when compared to its competition.

Nano has always been good on space and the Nano Pelican will also have that space advantage over the competition. The Nano Pelican will be getting a new range of features that aren’t available on the Nano. A new music system will be added and the new dashboard will be resembling the Tiago. There shall be no difference in the styling of the two dashboards. So, the instrument cluster will be moved to the right from the centre. This is what will make the Nano interiors look a lot more premium. The seats will have more padding and a lot more comfortable with better support too.

Tata Nano Pelican Engine (Expected)

The Tata Nano Pelican will come with two engine options, one will be the 0.9/1.0-litre petrol that will produce about 62bhp of power and the other will a 0.8-litre diesel engine with a power of 45bhp. There will also be an AMT offered on the Nano Pelican. The petrol will be a three-cylinder and the diesel will be a two-cylinder engine. The diesel engine will be highly fuel-efficient as it will have a pressure of about 1600 bar, which will also improve its performance as well. This will again be a rear-wheel drive from what we understand, for better space utilisation and this will come as a rear-wheel drive too. Diesel engine might not be coming in as there has been a shift in demand, however do expect a more powerful petrol engine.

Also Read: Datsun RediGo Review

Tata Nano Pelican Safety Features

The Nano Pelican will be made in Tata’s Sanand plant along with the Tiago and the Kite 5 sedan (Sway). The Nano is also being tested and is also being considered to be retained post the new crash test norms. We aren’t certain if the Nano will be retained once the new norms come in. The currently sold Nano will be replaced by this once the new crash norms come in place. Adding ABS to the Nano might not be a possibility as it has drum brakes and the cost of airbags will make the Nano almost twice its current price. With the more powerful engine, space and bigger tyres the Nano Pelican will be become an ideal option for Tata Motors.

Tata Nano Pelican Competition

The Nano Pelican will compete with Maruti Alto 800, Datsun RediGo, Hyundai Eon and the Renault Kwid. This will have Nano’s dimensions however, it will look a lot stylish and premium than the Nano.

Then there shall be larger wheels too.

Also Read: Maruti Alto 800 vs Renault Kwid vs Datsun RediGO

Tata Nano Pelican Price

Tata Nano Pelican will be priced at about INR 3.5 lakhs to INR 4.5 lakhs (on-road). This will be after the new crash test norms are implemented. The new Alto and Kwid will also have a similar pricing once they get the ABS and airbag as a standard feature.  The new Alto will be launched by late 2017 or early 2018.

The K10 is likely to be replaced by the 660cc turbo engine, while the 796cc shall get the regular 660cc engine. The Alto Kei is lighter by about 45 kilograms and the Nano Pelican will be in the same segment.

Tata Nano Pelican Mileage (Expected)

Mileage – 25km/l

Tata Pelican Specifications

Also Read: New Maruti Alto 

Tata Pelican Features

1) Air-conditioning

2) Electric power steering

3) Front power windows

4) Driver airbag

5) ABS

6) In-built music system with bluetooth, USB and aux-in