– 2011 TATA NANO CX
Nano is a real car that’s actually affordable to the rapidly growing middle class in developing countries. It surrounds occupants in steel, puts a solid roof over their heads, and even provides a climate-controlled interior. And with an estimated EPA fuel economy of 52 mpg city and 62 mpg highway, the Nano is economical to operate.
2011 Tata Nano base model is slightly longer than a Smart ForTwo, but that doesn’t make it large. Tata has squeezed four seats and a small parcel shelf behind the rear bench. Surprisingly, there is adequate room for four. The tall roof and expansive greenhouse helps promote a feeling of spaciousness even if there isn’t an inch to spare.
One reason the interior has the room it does is because there’s no trunk or conventional engine bay. The other reason for the exemplary space utilization is that there are no traditional crush zones. All vehicles sold in North America have body structures designed to help absorb and safely dissipate the energy of a collision.
The Nano’s engine powers the rear wheels from its position behind the back seats and is accessed through the interior via the panel that forms the floor of the parcel shelf. The hood is held in place with practical wing nuts. Air for the engine’s intake and cooling is sucked in through vents in front of the rear wheels and the exhaust pipe isn’t much larger than the straw of a Super Big Gulp.
2011 MAZDA 2
The new Mazda2 is driving enjoyment, not fuel efficiency, and the Mazda2 is proof that a small, slow, inexpensive car can be fun to drive quickly. Compared to the next largest Mazda, the MX-5 Miata, the Mazda2 is 1.8 inches shorter (155.5 inches) and an inch narrower (66.7 inches), yet it’s also 8.7 inches taller (58.1 inches).
2011 Mazda2’s exterior wears its shrunken lines quite well. Its 15-inch alloy wheels fitted with 185/55 R15 Yokohama all-season tires fill up those small wheel wells nicely without being swallowed by the fenders. There’s also a soft shoulder line that begins below the top of the front wheels and rises precipitously to above the taillights.
The rear is the least expressive angle, though a roof spoiler does manage to whisper Mazda’s hyphenated catchphrase. The Crystal White Pearl paintwork of our tester also contrasted nicely with the blacked-out lower grille, fog light surrounds and rear apron, all of which manage to avoid looking cheap.
The interior gets down to brass tacks. Fun and cutesy have been left outside, replaced with somber blacks and restrained grays. In fact, a sliver of red piping on the dark, cloth-lined seats is just about the only splash of color in this otherwise midnight cabin. There are also no amenities to mess with besides the climate control and a six-speaker AM/FM/CD audio system with an auxiliary input jack.
Jom komen!