Tata Motors today launched the much-awaited GenX Nano at Rs 1.99-2.89 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The biggest changes to this year's version of Tata's city car are an openable hatch, a considerable facelift and the option of an automatic gearbox.

This 'GenX' Nano, as Tata calls it, debuts a lot of new features never before seen on the car. Apart from the option of an Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) gearbox, the boot can finally be accessed by an openable hatch.

When the Nano first rolled out in March 2009, the company did have to cut corners in order to achieve that famous starting price of Rs 1 lakh to make it the cheapest car in the world. But now it has been repositioned as a city car and, therefore, many comfort and convenience features have been added over the years.

The new GenX Nano will be made available in five trims — XE, XM, XT, XMA (AMT) and XTA (AMT). The AMT is a five-speed gearbox (unlike the manual, which remains a four-speed), which Tata calls 'Easy Shift’. Not only does it get a 'tiptronic' mode to shift gears manually, there's also a Sports mode for quicker responses, and a 'creep' function that moves the car forward slowly as soon as your foot is taken off the brake pedal.

The Nano GenX gets the same 624cc, two-cylinder, rear-mounted petrol engine, apart from some modifications to the ECU for slightly improved fuel efficiency. Storage capacity in the automatic car is 94 litres, while the manual car can take 110 litres. The car gets an audio system with four speakers, Bluetooth, aux-in and USB.

Interview: Girish Wagh, senior VP (Programme Planning & Project Management, Tata Motors, on the newest avatar of the Nano

On the outside, the Nano GenX has smoked headlamps, a black band with a chrome strip to liven up the near-vertical bonnet, new front and rear bumpers, fog lamps and a new grille that gives the car a smiling face. 

Fiscal year 2014-15 wasn’t great for the Tata Nano as sales dipped 20 percent from the previous year to 16,901 units. However, with these few important and much required updates, the Nano is now far better equipped at being an easy-to-use city car than it ever has been in the past.

Prices (ex-showroom, Delhi)

XE - Rs 1.99 lakh

XM - Rs 2.29 lakh

XT - Rs 2.49 lakh

XMA (AMT) - Rs 2.69 lakh

XTA (AMT) - Rs 2.89 lakh