This is probably India’s cheapest car to buy and run, at least among those that consume fossil fuels. Tata has just launched the Tata Nano CNG eMax in two variants, priced at Rs. 2.52 lakh for the CX variant and Rs. 2.77 lakh for the LX variant, ex-showroom Mumbai.
The Nano CNG is a hugely practical car as far as city commuting cars go, and now comes with lowest running costs and is among the greenest cars as well, with the lowest per kilometre emission of carbon-di-oxide at just 75.6 grams per km.

High on fuel efficiency, low on cost

The Tata Nano eMax CNG is a bi-fuel car that can run on both petrol and CNG. It has a 15-litre petrol tank and two CNG cylinders capable of holding up to 5Kg of gas under the front seats. The rated fuel efficiency on CNG is 36 km per Kg, while on petrol it has a rating of 25 kmpl. Combined, that gives the Tata Nano a considerable driving range, while on CNG alone it can do over 150 km, ideal for those who want cheap city transport. On CNG, running costs are just about Rs. 1.30 per km, which is cheaper than some motorcycles as well.


Added features

The Tata Nano LX eMax CNG gets a few additional features that include lockable glove boxes, redesigned front seats and leak detection sensors that will shut down gas flow in the event of a cylinder leak. It also has an interlock sensor that makes sure the engine is shut off during CNG filling.
The car also has some innovations with its CNG-petrol fuel system to ensure the driver has adequate power at all times. It is equipped with a two-cylinder sequential gas injection system with an engine management system that switches between CNG and petrol as the need be. If a driver wants extra power for overtaking, for instance, and presses the accelerator, the car will switch back to petrol for an additional boost in power. The engine can also be started on CNG alone instead of petrol and switching between petrol and CNG can also be done manually by a push-button on the dash.
It is powered by a two-cylinder, 624 cc engine that puts out 37.5 bhp of power and 51 Nm of torque on petrol, while in CNG mode it makes 32 bhp of power at 5,500 rpm and 45 Nm of torque with a four-speed manual transmission.
The Tata Nano CNG will be sold in Gujarat, Mumbai, Delhi and Lucknow to start with until CNG use spreads to other cities. It comes with a 4-year or 60,000 km warranty as standard!