Tata To Launch Hexa On January 18, 2017

Tata finally has a concrete date for the launch of its new flagship, the Hexa. The crossover will be officially launched on January 18, 2017 after bookings commenced from November 1, 2016, at Tata Motors dealerships across the country. It will be made available in six variants namely XE, XM, XMA, XT, XT 4x4 XTA. While the automatic transmission has been offered in two variants, the all-wheel drive tech is limited to the top-spec manual variant only. Notably, a top-spec automatic-AWD Hexa is in the works, which won't be made available at launch. 

The Hexa is the successor to the Aria, which Tata billed as India's first crossover SUV. It builds on the existing platform, and boasts a thoroughly revamped design, cabin and motor. It now sits in line with Tata's "Impact" design philosophy, and gets some cool elements such as the smoked-out projector headlamps, daytime running lamps, 19-inch alloy wheels, LED tail lamps and rugged looking cladding for that SUV look. 

The interiors get a major overhaul as well, as the Hexa now sports an all-black theme. It can now be had as a 6-seater (XT, XT 4x4, XTA) or a 7-seater (XE, XM, XMA, XT). Notable features include automatic climate control, 5-inch touchscreen infotainment system paired with a 10-speaker JBL sound system, 8-way adjustable driver seat, sun blinds for the rear occupants and mood lighting as well. Bootspace is a healthy 129 litres with all three rows in place, and 671 litres with the last row tucked away. 

The Hexa is powered by the Varicor400 motor we've seen in the updated Safari Storme. It belts out 156PS and 400Nm, and is available with either a 6-speed manual transmission or a 6-speed torque converter automatic. While the manual gets dedicated 'Super Drive' modes - Auto, Comfort, Dynamic and Rough Road - the automatic gets a Sports mode for the gearbox. 

The Hexa has been built to take on the likes of the Mahindra XUV500 and eat into the Toyota Innova Crysta's pie as well. We expect Tata to be aggressive with the pricing (just like they did with the Tiago) and undercut the Mahindra sizeably. Prices are likely to start around Rs 12 lakh for the base-spec manual variant, and go all the up to Rs 18 lakh for the top-spec automatic.