The country’s largestcar maker, Maruti Suzuki India, today said that “Tata Nano” may have a marginalimpact on the sales of its entry-level small car Maruti 800, but ruled outcutting its price. “It (Nano) may have a marginal impact on the Maruti 800segment, but we don’t have any plan to cut its price or enter the Nanosegment,” Maruti Suzuki India Chairman RC Bhargava told reporters on thesidelines of the CII annual session here.

Asked about the company’s plans tocounter the competition from Nano, he said, “Nano is in a different segment andwe are in a different segment.” He, however, said Nano will help in expandingthe market.

Asked about the sales performance of the company, he said, “The ongoing quarterhas been good”, but declined to forecast saying issues like elections, policiesof the new government, interest rates and commodity prices would have to befactored.

Meanwhile, major two-wheeler manufacturers are unanimous that the Nano will haveno impact on their business.

“Nothing much has changed since the unveiling of Nano at the Auto Expo, exceptfor the announcement of prices. I still maintain it is not going to have anyreal impact on two-wheelers,” Hero Honda Motors Managing Director and ChiefExecutive Officer Pawan Munjal told reporters here today on the sidelines ofthe CII Annual Session.

He said going by the price, there is a fair difference between the cost ofownership and maintenance of Nano and two-wheelers. TVS Motor Company ChairmanVenu Srinivasan said, “There will be no major impact on two-wheelers. It (Nano)will create its own segment.”

In a similar vein, Bajaj Auto Chairman and Managing Director Rahul Bajaj said,“I don’t see a Pulsar buyer going to Nano.