Piaggio takes on Tata

Piaggio Group has unveiled a low-cost car concept in Milan this week. The NT3 is a lightweight, tiny three-seater aimed at buyers in India, Vietnam and South-East Asia, for basic mobility and low-cost transport. There’s a clear relationship with Piaggio’s Vespa scooters and the Ape three-wheeler, but this is a potential rival for the Tata Nano, offering car-like safety and versatility at an accessible price little more than that for a motorcycle.

The NT3 is just 2.4 long, with a three-seat layout and central driving position. It’s built around a modular spaceframe structure, which could support different body types, and three different powertrain options are suggested: 200cc or 300cc engines, or Piaggio’s 300cc hybrid powertrain. Though it was developed in India, with specific developing markets in mind, sales in Europe and other regions are also being considered.