At the ninth annual New Delhi Auto Expo Tata Motors on January 10 displayed its much-discussed "people's car" now officially named the NANO with a sales price of $2,500.

A personal project of Ratan Tata, chairman of Tata Group, the largest conglomerate in India, the car is geared toward middle-class drivers who need a safe and affordable transportation option.

In India the per capita income is approximately $820 annually. The motorcycle, a common form of transportation in the country, starts at around $1,000. Tata wanted a car that could compete in that price point range.

The NANO is a four-door sedan that comes in shorter than the Honda Fit by 29 inches. It has room for five and has been compared to the Japanese Maruti 800, which sells for approximately $4,800.

Although exact specifications remain somewhat sketchy, it reputedly has a 700cc engine and a fuel efficiency of 25 km-per-liter (approximately 58 miles per gallon). The vehicle meets international specifications, including those for emissions foreshadowing a possible European release.

In a need to address weight issues, Tata incorporated more plastics in the design of the NANO as well as minimizing the number of bolts used, relying instead on advanced welding techniques.

Although some critics have denounced the NANO for its gasoline engine and possible contribution to already seriously overcrowded roads in developing nations, pundits are calling it a major shift in the evolution of affordable personal transportation.