Tata’s Nano may face stiff competition on its home turf as Japan’s Honda Motor Co. plans to launch a four or five-seat car in early 2010 in the booming Indian market.

Honda Motor Co. President, Mr Takeo Fukui said the Japanese car-maker plans to launch a very small car in Europe as well as emerging countries such as China and India in the early 2010.

“We are developing a small car that would be even smaller than the Fit subcompact,” he told a news conference.

The engine displacement for the four- or five-seat car would be less than 1 litre, against 1.3 litres for the smallest version of the Fit subcompact series, he was quoted as saying by Kyodo news agency.

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The Board of Investment (BoI) today will consider eco-car projects proposed by the Japanese automotive giants Suzuki Motors Corporation and Nissan, according to a senior BoI official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Suzuki has proposed spending 9.5 billion baht to build a new plant in Rayong province for eco-cars with completely knocked-down (CKD) kit parts. It will have an annual capacity of 138,000 units and begin operations in 2010.

Nissan would invest 5.5 billion baht through subsidiary Siam Nissan Automobile to build more facilities and equipment for eco-car production at its assembly plant in Samut Prakan, as well as a CKD production unit. The plant, which would open in 2010, would have an annual capacity of 120,000 units.

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