Tata Nano

You've undoubtedly heard of the iPod Nano, and may even have the tiny music player tucked in a pocket or hanging from a lanyard around your neck. You can't tote the Tata Nano that way, but Mumbai-based Tata Motors is hoping its new subcompact has as powerful an effect on the automotive market as Apple's iPod did in media gadgetry.

The most striking thing about the car, though, isn't its size. It's the price: 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. Hence the company's preferred description of the vehicle: the People's Car.

Correction: This caption originally gave an incorrect location for the headquarters of Tata Motors. The company is based in Mumbai.