Monday, July 27, 2020
By Kamal Swami
Tata Motors Readying To Dominate The SUV Segment In Next Few Years
Besides launching various new vehicles in the different segments domestic carmaker Tata Motors speculates its position in the SUV segment. According to recent reports, the carmaker plans to launch some mind-blowing SUVs in the Indian car market including the mini SUV based on the HBX concept. Some of the expected SUV’s from the home-grown carmaker are summarized below:
1. Tata Gravitas: The SUV was showcased during the Auto Expo 2020 held earlier this year and will go against the recently launched MG Hector Plus. It is reported to make its debut sometime during the first month of January next year. It is regarded as an enlarged version of Harrier with subtle changes. It will be equipped with the same 2.0-liter diesel engine as offered in the Harrier and mated with a six-speed manual gearbox.
2. Tata Blackbird: The Blackbird SUV from Tata Motors is believed to bridge the gap between Nexon and Harrier. It will be launched against Kia Seltos and Hyundai Creta. It is reported to be developed in a collaboration with Chery Automobile Company from China, however, going through the existing situation the chances of such venture are very less. It will be launched by the end of next year or at the beginning of 2022.
3. Tata Hexa Safari: The SUV was unveiled during the Auto Expo 2020 and will be launched by the end of 2020. An interesting feature of SUV is the Safari badge mounted on the exterior and interior segments. Expected to be launched in the military green color, the SUV will be empowered with BS6 2.2-liter, 4-cylinder turbo-diesel engine generating the power of 156 bhp and the torque of 400Nm. The transmission duties will include the options of a five-speed manual gear transmission system, six-speed manual gear transmission system and six-speed automatic transmission system.
4. Tata HBX: Slated for launch during next year, the HBX based mini SUV will be launched against the Maruti Suzuki S-Presso. Till now nothing has been revealed about its engine configuration, except that this HBX concept based mini SUV will be based on the Alfa platform and empowered with the petrol engine.
5. Tata Harrier: It is speculated that the carmaker will surely make some cosmetic changes in its best selling SUV Harrier to retain its freshness among the buyers. As far as engine configurations are concerned it will be offered in both petrol and diesel variants. Before this, the company is readying to launch its new 1.5-liter turbocharged petrol engine with an automatic gearbox and paddle shifters. The existing portfolio of the SUV is reported to receive two more trims namely XTA and XT+ equipped with factory-installed panoramic sunroof.
