A New Car for $2000?

There are some obvious advantages to having a car in India rather than just a motorcycle. Cars offer protection from the smog, have the potential for AC, and can transport your friends in a sealed compartment. Not to mention that with a car you don't have to live in constant fear of being smushed by your neighbors on the road. I've been thinking about buying a car for a while, but have always been gagged by the price. If I'm only going to be in India for a few years then why invest the cash? Well today on Treehugger.com there was an article about a new collaboration between Nissan and Renault for a $2000 car. That's right. 1 lakh for an automobile.

A new car would cost roughly the same as the new Royal Enfield that I'm driving right now. It will have four doors and is projected to even pass a crash test. What's not to like? The plans are to begin releasing the cars in April of next year. I might just have to bite the bullet and get one if I can wait that long. And from the pictures, they sort of look like the new Maruti Swifts. Cool, huh?