“We believe that the car would pose serious questions to two-wheeler manufacturers. Those who cannot afford a Maruti today will go for it, and not vice versa,” said Maruti Suzuki MD Jagdish Khattar. “We have a strategy of our own and it does not depend on what others are planning.”

For the car to match up to expectations, Tata Motors will have to find answers to a lot of tricky questions. The company has itself admitted that adhering to the targeted price tag of Rs 1 lakh ($ 2400) will be tough. A look at the cheapest cars available worldwide today indicates why. The cheapest car at $ 3900 is manufactured by Chinese carmaker Chery (Maruti 800 and Hyundai Santro also figure in the list of the cheapest ten), and the price of Tata’s car is significantly lower at $2,400. In addition to sticking to the target price, the product must also satisfy all. And unlike in the case of the Indica, the Tatas may not get a second chance.

“Unlike the Indica, where Tata Motors got a second chance, it is doubtful if it will get a second chance with the Rs 1 lakh car as consumers have become more discerning and demanding,” said JD Power director India Mohit Arora. “How far-reaching will the impact on the two-wheeler industry be will depend on the product’s performance, after-sales service, and overall customer satisfaction. Even rural customers are becoming more demanding and less forgiving.”

The battle lines are drawn. In one stroke, Tata may emerge as the country’s largest car maker, leaving Maruti and the rest as mere specks in its rear view mirror. Or, the company, which is still known predominantly as a truck manufacturer, may produce a car that flatters to deceive, and may end up as just another ambitious project that merits only a footnote in global automobile history. Either way we will have an inkling of what will be on January 10, when the car debuts.