After the introduction of the Tata Nano, lots of people began wondering what is going to happen when a lot of people in developing countries have enough money to afford a cheap car. While Tata tried to alleviate concerns of the Nano-boom by saying that the Nano is cleaner than most motorbikes that are running on Indian roads right now, the truth is that low-cost motoring helps developing the car industry - and pollution. If you need examples, take a look at stories like of the Fiat 500 (the old one) in Italy, the VW Beetle in Germany; the Citroën 2CV or the Renault 4CV in France or, dare I say, the Ford Model T in the U.S.

So, what might the future of cheap driving look like? Forbes went around the world and found the ten cheapest cars on the market and we've gathered up information on each of these in the links below. Although it may be bad news to have more cars sending more exhaust gases to the atmosphere, at least current technologies (when implemented) make new cars better and cleaner than cars of past decades.

So, are the cars on this list good to the world or a threat to the environment?

What follows is a list of the 10 least expensive cars in the world, ranked from most expensive to least expensive. Alternatively, you can jump straight to the car of your choice by clicking one of the thumbnails below.

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Click on the image for a gallery of high-res images of the Suzuki Ionis fuel-cell concept

Suzuki Motor Corporation is enjoying a wave of popularity and high sales for its small, inexpensive vehicles in the booming India market. Capitalizing on the growing demand, Suzuki has recently opened three new production facilities on the sub-continent. Fiat-sourced diesel engines and transmissions are being used in many of the vehicles being produced in recognition of the larger share of the market that diesel engines enjoy in India. Suzuki also manufacture many motorbikes for the many consumers in the Indian market who can not afford four-wheeled vehicle.

Analysis: What India really needs are new vehicles that have low emissions as well as good fuel economy to help improve the appalling air pollution found in many of the major cities. Hybrids and fuel-cell vehicles may be too expensive for the Indian market today but I hope that Suzuki are putting particulate filters on those diesels at least.

Related:

• Aussie car round-up ranks economy and practicality
• Suzuki Ionis fuel-cell concept to display at the Melbourne Motor Show
• Suzuki plans to introduce hybrids to Japan and North America ASAP

[Source: Suzuki press release]