Category: accessories

Can I add this modification to my car?

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Hyundai Coupe/Tiburon with body kit at Ceylinc...
Image via Wikipedia

A common question and dilemma a lot of prospective vehicle owners have are around what modifications they can perform to their vehicle and what are best purchased as factory installed options. This post attempts to guide such buyers through that decision.

Modifications that cannot/should not be done after purchase of a new vehicle without considerable effort & cost and putting your warranty in question and having to deal with questionable quality: 

 

Chick Magnet
Image by icathing via Flickr
Carbage
Image by joes2005via Flickr

(Please do think many times before you go down this path. Your/your parents’ hard earned money may make you the laughing stock of the world).

Thumb rule: If your rear  spoiler is more than a few inches taller than boot/roof and looks like clothes can be dried on it and still does not have anywhere near as much horsepower as a spaceship:  YOU ARE OVER DOING IT. You have enough warning from all websites ridiculing “show but no go” / “rice rockets” .

Accessorizing The Nano

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If you are planning to buy a Tata Nano and want help deciding how to accessorize it-read on…

A lot depends on the trim level you plan to buy. If you go in for the base version, you spend less on the car upfront and have money to spare to accessorize. You could also go in for a middle-of-the-road variant as well and accessorize accordingly. If you can afford the top of the line variant and still are not satisfied with the accessories, you may want to look at a costlier car :-).

The 3 variants details known as of now are (Source: MotorBeam.com, Vicky.in):

Tata NANO at the Auto Expo 2008
Image via Wikipedia

Base ( On Road Price  Approx: Rs. 1,10,000)

    Seat Belts (ELR Front, Static Rear)
    Engine opening through rear bumper
    Speedometer and Odometer
    High mounted Rear Stop lamp
    Centrally placed exhaust
    Only Driver’s seat adjust-sliding and reclining
    Fixed front passenger seat
    Folding Rear Seats
    2-Spoke Steering wheel
    Grey bumpers and interiors
    Driver side outside rear view mirror

CX(Adds the following on the Base)( On Road Price  Approx: Rs. 1,30,000)

    HVAC (Air conditioner with heater)
    Tinted Glass
    Both Driver and Co-driver seats slide and recline
    2 tone grey interiors and seats
    Optional Metallic paint.
    Hopefully the CX gets body colored bumpers.

LX (Along with the features of Base CX Adds the following)( On Road Price  Approx: Rs. 1,60,000)

    Trip-meter
    Front Power windows
    Central Locking
    Front and Rear fog lamps
    3-Spoke Steering wheel
    Moulded door trim with fabric inserts
    Floor console with glass holder
    Anti-Glare inside rear view mirror
    Sun-visors on both sides

You have to define your vehicle budget as the first step. Based on that you

Tata Nano
Image via Wikipedia

can determine what you need to or what you  can add on as an accessory. Also decide if you have that sum all at once or if you need to spread it over a period of time.
For an all-at-once deal you could either spend it all on ICE and interiors, exteriors or on performance options or on a mix of it all. For a bit at a time you may want to do the exterior at one time, interior at another etc.

 

Factory installed options (must do at booking time):
The stop start technology is a must have in addition to getting a diesel if this is at all given as a factory option. This would improve mileage by a great deal. As of now only the petrol’s will be launched.

Must have exterior list:
Get exterior rear-view mirrors to make sure you are aware of what traffic is there outside. A single one shouldn’t cost more than Rs. 500. (Required on all models from Base upwards)

Must have interior:
Music system and a set of 4 speakers. This on a minimum would cost you around Rs. 8, 000.

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