Tata Motors has finally launched its new crossover Hexa in India with prices starting from as low as Rs 11.99 Lakh and the 4×4 variant is priced at Rs 17.49 Lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). Tata! The name which brings ‘steely and sturdy’ image to our mind and the stance of authority that the company has excelled in the last decade, started their journey from the Tata Sumo in 1994 and the home-grown company has come a long way from there.
Hexa SUV (crossover) is the new flagship offering from Tata which is a result of designing by pioneer from three countries (India, UK and Italy) and 8 lakh kilometres of testing. Phew!! The numbers themselves are so tiring and we can’t even imagine the striving that Hexa developers have gone through to make it a soulful experience.
Exterior
Designers have done a rather good job in making an eye catchy design despite the fact that Aria’s design is still present at it’s soul which is more than evident. It further seems that Tata has bridged the gap between Toyota Innova and XUV 500, giving us a well-balanced off roader that doesn’t compromise with 7-seater luxury.
The signature honeycomb front grill, muscular dual colored bumpers, fog lamps with chrome outlines and Safari Strome inspired projector headlamps gives Tata Hexa an appealing and bulky look. The large 19-inch alloy wheels look quite smart, and more importantly, Tata Hexa comes with 200mm ground clearance, completing its butch design.
Interior
Tata Hexa gets an all-black interior which gives the ride a sporty feel with soft touch materials hugging you from everywhere. Seats in all the three rows are fitted with premium upholstery and further gives plenty of utility spaces.
The driver’s seat has got 8-way adjustable tech with horizontal, vertical, lumbar controls and angular recline. Each row gets personalised automatic climate control with speed control on the AC vents.
The dashboard flaunts a touchscreen infotainment unit with navigation option, voice recognition and smartphone integration with ConnectNext app suite. However, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are still missing from the feature list. A JBL sound system with speakers at all the four doors, subwoofer, power amplifier, four tweeters and a centre speaker will give a best in class music experience.
Juke-Car App, which allows you to play your collection of songs, service and diagnostic tools, navigation support and eight ambient lighting options complete the list of creature comforts.
Hexa comes with six and seven seat option and is even longer and wider than its competition, meaning more room. Most seven seaters face the problem of giving leg space and lumbar support at the third row, but trust me, Tata Hexa’s third row is not just for children.
When it comes to safety, Tata Hexa has an option of 6 airbags (front, side and curtains) and offers anti-lock braking system, hill-road assist and electronic brakeforce distribution system for more safety.
Engine and Drivetrain
Under the hood, a 2.2-litre diesel Varicor engine tuned for two power levels i.e. 150 PS and 320 Nm torque and 156 Ps and 400 Nm torque will power Tata Hexa. Most importantly, Tata has gone all in with a 6 speed MT and AT coupled with a 4×4 option, making it a complete package. Borg Warner’s all-wheel drive system which can shift 25 to 40 per cent of the torque to the front and decent wheel articulation further helps in making it an off roader.
The manual variant gets both rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive options while the automatic variant is only available with a rear-wheel-drive configuration.
The manual Hexa gets ‘Super Drive Modes’ (Auto, Comfort, Dynamic and Rough Road) The Auto mode is more of a road-biased option while the Rough Road gives out better power at lower revs and an electronic stability program setting (For your mountain camping trips). Both modes run on full-time all-wheel drive.
Variants and Prices
Hexa XE 4×2 MT: Rs 11.99 lakh
Hexa XM 4×2 MT: Rs 13.85 lakh
Hexa XMA 4×2 AT: Rs 15.05 lakh
Hexa XT 4×2 MT: Rs 16.20 lakh
Hexa XTA 4×2 AT: Rs 17.40 lakh
Hexa XT 4×4 MT: Rs 17.49 lakh
Tata Hexa will be available in five colour schemes: Arizona Blue, Pearl White, Tungsten Silver, Sky Grey and Platinum Silver.
The Tata Hexa is available with three customisation kits – Tuff kit, Expedition Kit and Luxe Kit, costing between Rs 50,000 to Rs 1.3 lakh.
The Tuff Kit is priced at Rs 1.3 lakh and includes a new body kit featuring a head-up display unit comprising of a tyre pressure monitoring system, a roof box, a wireless charging tray, front, side and rear skirts and 3D moulded floor mats.
The Expedition Kit is offered at an additional price of Rs 51,700 and includes a roof platform, a waterproof luggage bag, puddle lamps, a shovel and 3D moulded mats.
The Luxe Kit is a more basic option and costs just Rs 12,150. It offers chrome decorations like ORVM covers and chrome embellishments for the tailgate, side moulding and tail lamp.
Tata Hexa Features at a Glance
ABS (Anti-Lock Braking System), 6 Airbags ESP/Traction Control, Mood Lighting, Cruise Control, Steering Mounted Control, LED DRLs, Customisation Options Projector Headlamps, Leather Upholstery, Hill Hold Control, Hill Descent Control, Corner Stability Control and Harman ConnectNext Infotainment System.
Competition
Since Tata Hexa is launched with the price tag ranging from as low as Rs 11.99 lakh to Rs 17.49 lakh for the 4×4 variant, the new entrant is going to compete in both mini-SUV and fully grown seven-seater SUV segment.
While we expect Tata Hexa to affect the sales charts of Renault Duster and Hyundai Creta, XUV 500 and Toyota Innova seem to be its biggest competitors.
Final Verdict
After the ‘not so good’ performance of Tata Aria and the continuous depletion in Safari Strome’s sales figures, the home grown automobile maker has upped its game with Tata Hexa. There is already a waiting period of 8 weeks and if everything goes according to the plan, this may be the game changer that Tata has been looking for over the years.
And for off-roading enthusiasts who don’t like to compromise with luxury and comfort, Tata Hexa may be the best available option in the market, right now.
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19 Jan. 2017
Rohan Jaitly