After the success of Zest and Bolt models, Tata Motors is gearing up to launch a crossover. The company displayed the concept model of its upcoming crossover at the Geneva International Motor Show.
Hexa is a product that exploits the expertise of Jaguar Land Rover and the vehicle has already grabbed international attention.
Meanwhile, Tata has not ruled out the possibility of an international launch of the vehicle. Hence, the Hexa may be launched soon in all markets including the ones in European countries. The Hexa’s international debut will only make Indian customers proud since they will soon get to experience a world-class, made-in-India product.
Tata’s Zest and Bolt are products that have proved that the Indian company has the ability to give foreign carmakers a run for their money. Both the Zest and the Bolt, with their refined engines, transmission and quality interiors, have shown us how attention to details at the design stage itself can vastly improve products. These two cars offer what even costlier ones don’t. Which other car from the same segment or higher segments comes with a turbo-charged petrol engine that has different driving modes and cabin luxuries like say a Harman Kardon music system? The answer is, none.
If the Zest and Bolt have helped Tata create an exclusive space for itself in the competitive world of automobiles, the Hexa will take the automaker to a position which will probably remain unachievable for its competitors for a long time to come. The automaker has for long been criticised for low brand value of its products by people, most of them hand in glove with the company’s competitors who were running a campaign to tarnish the Indian carmaker’s image.
But even amidst all the negative campaign, Tata vehicles always had a loyal fan base that loved their country and believed in the products that an Indian manufacturer made for its citizens. After all, Tata Group, with its wide product line that ranges from salt and tea to five-star hotels and automobiles, has been a part of India’s daily chores for many decades now. In many sectors the company has near monopoly. Even in the case of automobiles, at a time when foreign carmakers were quoting exorbitant prices for their products, it was Tata that came up with the idea of ‘more car per car’ and put an end to the trend.
Tata’s automobile history is in fact richer than several Japanese manufacturers’, in a sense that many years ago, when the latter were running bicycle garages, Tata was manufacturing engines for cars, trucks and even trains. If at all there were any quality issues with its cars in the past, the Bolt and Zest have resolved them. The entire line of upcoming products from Tata consists of vehicles that offer high value for money.
The Hexa is built on the Aria’s platform while components including the Hydroformed chassis are a match to that of the Land Rover’s. Apart from the platform (the latest Safari has been upgraded to this platform), the Hexa has nothing in common with the Aria. The traditional Tata-like front-end look has given way to a new, large grill, air dam and brushed aluminium stripes. Other features include projector headlamps, day-time running lamps, and huge body claddings starting right from wheel arches. The Hexa rolls on five-spoke 19-inch alloy wheels.
The Aria’s rear-end design had drawn much flak owing to its bland look. The Hexa’s is different with a big chromium stripe at the rear which meets tail lamps at both ends. Below the bumper is cladding in aluminium finish. The vehicle comes with twin-exhausts that add to its sporty look.
The Hexa is a six-seater with captain seats in the front and the middle rows. There are air conditioning vents for all passengers and the Harman Kardon stereo from the Zest has been carried over to the Hexa with an added navigation system and a bigger screen.
The 2.2-litre DiCOR engine has now become twin turbo and belts out 175 bhp. The engine is mated to a six-speed manual transmission that does the job of transferring the power to all the four wheels all the time. The vehicle is available with an automatic gearbox option as well. The company is yet to announce Hexa’s pricing details. If Tata manages to price Hexa aggressively, it will for sure become a big hit with automobile enthusiasts. The vehicle is expected to hit the showrooms soon.