Tata Nano passes European crash testing

The Tata Nano, a tiny car with an even smaller price tag, just surprised a lot of folks (including me) by passing European crash testing.

Obviously, to make vehicles smaller, cheaper and lighter, it's easy to compromise on safety. And we're not saying that the Nano is exactly safe, but it is safe enough to be sold in Europe, which was a big question for all the people who wanted a car that gets 50 miles per gallon for only a few thousand dollars. Tata hopes that these results will aid in its goal to get the Nano on European roads by 2012.

There are still questions of emissions testing and American crash tests. Of course, any car sold in the U.S. or Europe would be significantly more expensive than the $1000 Indian versions due to increased safety and emissions measures. But it would still almost certainly be the cheapest car available in America. Not to mention one of the most efficient.

Via Autobloggreen