Tata will launch the HBX in the market towards the end of this year and it is expected to cost in the range of Rs 4.5-7.5 lakhs. It will be a petrol-only SUV at launch.
The show stopper at Tata Motor’s stall at the 2020 Auto Expo may have been the Sierra EV Concept, but there was another concept car which was equally important. We are talking about the Tata HBX concept. The Tata HBX has been in the rumors (being called the Hornbill) for long and we should see this micro-SUV on our roads by the end of this year. It will slot in below the Nexon in Tata’s lineup and here’s everything you need to know about the Tata HBX.
Underpinnings
The Tata HBX is the second car to be based on the ALFA platform after the Altroz premium hatchback. The ALFA scalable platform has been designed with electrification in mind and it can be adapted into a variety of body styles including hatchbacks, sedans, and SUVs.
The Tata HBX measures 3,840mm in length, 1,822mm in width and 1,635mm in height, and has a wheelbase of 2,450mm. To put this size in perspective, the HBX is roughly the size of a Maruti Suzuki Swift, only slightly wider and quite a bit taller on account of being an SUV.
Its almost production-ready
Pratap Bose, Vice President of Global Design at Tata Motors, had said at the Auto Expo that the HBX is almost 97% production ready. Most of what we saw on display will be what makes it to production, of course sans the knobby tires and roof rack. In fact, the roof rack could be an optional accessory.
Even in concept for, the HBX did look like a handsome car with very nice proportions. The squared-off wheel arches and strong belt line along the sides gave the SUV a very imposing stance. It even borrows some styling cues from the Harrier like the split headlamp design and Tata’s new ‘Humanity grille’. It even gets chunky faux skid plates on the front and rear bumpers.
Powertrains
The Tata HBX will be a petrol-only micro-SUV. It will be powered by a 86hp, 1.2-litre, three-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine that currently also powers the Tiago, the Tigor and the Altroz. The engine is expected to be mated with either a 5-speed manual or an AMT gearbox. There will be no diesel engine on offer due to Tata’s decision to axe all small-capacity diesel engines from its line-up.
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It will see electrification in the future.
The HBX, like we already mentioned before, is based on the ALFA architecture and this platform has been designed with electrification in mind. Inevitably, the Tata HBX will thus see an all-electric version in the future, likely within two years after the petrol-powered HBX goes on sale. It is likely to be powered by Tata’s Ziptron EV technology that made its debut in the recently launched Nexon EV. After the Nexon EV and Altroz EV, the HBX EV will be Tata’s third model to utilise the Ziptron technology.
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Launch Timeline and Competition
The HBX is expected to go on sale towards the end of this year. The prices for the HBX are expected to be in the range of Rs 4.5 lakh to Rs 7.5 lakh (ex-showroom). At this price point, the Tata HBX will be up against the Maruti Suzuki Ignis and upcoming smaller SUVs from the likes of Nissan and Renault.
