Displaying the international version of Tata Motors' much-acclaimed small car Nano at the Geneva Motor Show on Tuesday, Tata group chairman Ratan Tata said it would come on the European market by 2011. Expected to be the cheapest car in the world, the Nano is scheduled to hit the Indian roads on March 23 this year.

"We hope to launch the Nano Europa in 2010-11," Tata said at a packed news conference during the show. He, however, refused to give away the cost of the European version of the car, saying a lot of factors needed to be looked at before the price could be decided. "But it'll hold to its image of being one of the cheapest cars in the market," he added.

Asked whether he wanted Nano to become the next people's car for Europe, just like Volkswagen had decades back, Tata said his goals were much more modest. "We are a relatively new car company in a relatively new car-producing nation. We just want to produce a car in India that's robust and can compete with the rest."

The Nano Europa has attracted the maximum attention at the Geneva show, which is among the world's top four auto exhibitions. With its reputation preceding it, journalists, exhibitors and engineers from across the globe were checking out the car throughout Tuesday.

The scrutiny was intensive and intrusive, so much so that Tata officials at one point decided to lock the car to save it from damage. "The way they are examining it is too aggressive," a Tata executive told the Hindustan Times. The lock, however, was soon opened - and the curious scrutiny continued.

The Nano, which was first unveiled during the Auto Expo in New Delhi last year, captured global headlines for its ultra-cheap pricing, and later when its manufacturing plant had to be shifted from Singur in West Bengal to Gujarat following a land row.

"In India, the cars will be on display at company dealerships from the first week of April," Ratan Tata said at the conference. "The Nano has also generated wide interest in developed countries since its unveiling in Delhi and its presentation in Geneva last year. We are delighted to present the Nano Europa for future launch in such markets," he added.

The company said that Nano Europa would include safety equipment like anti-lock braking system, electronic stability programme and air bags, which are missing from the no-frills Indian variant.

Nonetheless, while impressed with the rock-bottom price tag of a little over $2,000, most watchers felt the finish left a lot to be desired.
Unlike the Indian version, the Europa will feature ABS, driver and passenger side airbags and an electronic stability package. It will also have a three-cylinder engine so that it can keep pace with expressway speeds, unlike the Indian two-cylinder version.

Power steering is also standard in the Europa. The cars at the Geneva show pavilion featured 175/50 R 14 P6000 Pirelli tyres that immediately made the car look good and more proportionate overall.

The carmaker also displayed its concept sedan Tata Prima, designed by Pininfarina - the famed designers of Ferrari cars; as well as the electronic variant of its compact Indica Vista, which Tata Motors is developing in collaboration with auto R&D company Miljo Grenland and industrial innovation developer Innovasjon, both of Norway.

Meanwhile, The Economic Times reports from Mumbai that Tata Motors could follow up the Indian launch of the Nano with a diesel variant by the middle of next year. A vendor told the newspaper that "We are part-suppliers for the diesel version and have been asked to start supplying to the Tatas in six months." It is believed that this version could come with a price tag of Rs 2 lakh, making it the world's cheapest diesel car.