MRF, JK Tyre OE Partners for World’s Cheapest Car

The Ninth Auto Expo in New Delhi was selected as the venue for the January 10 launch of the world’s cheapest car, India’s Tata Nano. In its most basic form the Nano will retail for Rs 100,000 plus taxes. That’s around £1,300, less than one-third of the cost of the cheapest model sold in the UK. What buyers get for their rupees is a fairly spartan vehicle – the entry level Nano features no radio, air conditioning, power steering or any related luxuries, and comes fitted with a single windscreen wiper and a driver’s side only door mirror. But despite the lack of frills, the car is a genuine four-seater, and its two cylinder 623cc engine is said to deliver 33 hp and 5 litres/100km fuel economy. Furthermore, Tata reports that the Nano exceeds current safety and environmental standards.

Tyre related information is scant in official release documents, with Tata and most other publications only referring to the use of tubeless tyres on the Nano – still a safety feature worth noting in the Indian market. However it has previously been reported that original equipment tyre supply for the half million Nanos Tata hopes to sell per annum has been awarded to MRF and JK Tyre, and the vehicles on display at the Auto Expo are said to have been fitted with 135/70 (front) and 155/65 (rear) rear MRF tyres. The marketing director of JK Tyre, A.H. Mehta, also told T&A that the company will be supplying the Nano with 155 & 135 R12 tyres.