The Tata Blackbird will essentially be a rebadged version of the Chery Tiggo 5X sold in China except for some cosmetic changes to the fascia to give it the Tata family look.
It is already known that Tata is developing a Hyundai Creta rival that has been code named the ‘Blackbird’ and that it was being developed based on the Chery Tiggo 5X that is sold in the Chinese market. Now, a report by Gaadiwaadi.com says that the Tata Blackbird will essentially be a rebadged Chery Tiggo 5X.
It is already known that Tata is developing a Hyundai Creta rival that has been code named the ‘Blackbird’ and that it was being developed based on the Chery Tiggo 5X that is sold in the Chinese market. Now, a report by Gaadiwaadi.com says that the Tata Blackbird will essentially be a rebadged Chery Tiggo 5X.
Chery is a Chinese brand that came about just about 20 years back. They sell a wide range of vehicles from SUVs to minivans and CVs in the Chinese market. In 2012, Chery struck a 50:50 partnership deal with Jaguar Land Rover to make and sell JLR vehicles in China.
Afterward, Chery intended to enter the international market with its ‘Exeed’ brand in 2017, mainly targeting the European market with a SUV named TX. Even for India, it is additionally said that after the Tiggo 5X, the partnership will bring a Maruti Suzuki Ciaz rival pretty soon indeed, and a few other models will pursue soon.
The Tata Blackbird was initially planned to based on the JLR-derived Omega-Arc platform, but that didn’t prove to be feasible due to technical reasons and the high development costs involved.
The rebadged Chinese-spec Chery Tiggo 5x will compete in the mid-sized SUV segment of the Hyundai Creta, Nissan Kicks and Kia Seltos. Interms of dimensions, it measures 4,358 mm in length, 1,830 mm in width and 1,670 mm in height. Its wheelbase spans a length of 2,630 mm. That’s just about right for the segment.
Also Read : Tata Nexon Receives Minor Changes On The Features List – What’s New?
For its powertrain options, it gets a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine churns out 115 PS of power and 141 Nm of peak torque. This engine comes mated to a 5-speed manual transmission or an optional CVT. The Chery Tiggo 5x will bear the Tata branding inside-out apart from some minor tweaks to the design, particularly to the front fascia to give it a Tata family look.
Also Read : Kia Seltos Vs Tata Harrier Comparison – Engine, Dimension And Prices
The Tata-badged Chery Tiggo 5X will sit right between the Tata Nexon and the Tata Harrier, and it is expected arrive here by 2021. With the downfall in sedan sales globally and rise in SUV’s, Tata Motors has decided to go forward with the project Blackbird instead of the X452, the Altroz’s sedan version.
