New Delhi-based Tata Motors is hoping its new subcompact, the Tata Nano, will bring motoring to the masses.   The reasonable price is what’s most striking about the car, which is a four-door, five-seater hatchback.  In India, the car will retail for about 100,000 rupees, or just $2,500.

Tata's goal is to get the Nano in the driveways of Indian citizens who otherwise couldn't afford four-wheeled transportation. That’s why the company's preferred description of the vehicle is the People's Car.

The Nano has a two-cylinder 0.6 liter gasoline engine with 33 horsepower, giving it a top speed of about 60 mph, according to Tata. It gets 50 miles per gallon.

Tata engineers cut costs and weight on the Nano in countless ways.  The Nano features a hollowed-out steering-wheel shaft, a trunk with space for little more than a briefcase, and a rear-mounted engine not much more powerful than a high-end riding mower.

Tata said it hopes to export it to developing nations across Asia, Latin America and Africa in two or three years.

At the start of this year, US car giant Ford announced that Tata would be the likely buyer of its UK-based Jaguar and Land Rover luxury brands, reflecting the Indian company's global ambitions.

Go here for a photo of the $2,500 car

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