We recently brought you a story on how the upcoming Tata Hexa crossover can do what the Aria failed to do. But that isn’t the only SUV they have planned for the Indian market. In fact, as many as six new UVs are headed to Tata showrooms by the end of 2017. Tata Motors has grand plans for the Indian market to regain the lost glory and shake off the “taxi” image its cars have come to be associated with. The first couple of models, the Bolt hatchback and the Zest sedan, are already on sale and doing pretty well and pretty soon we will have the replacements for the ageing Indica and Indigo CS in the form of the Kite hatchback and compact sedan. The major step forward will be taken in the Utility Vehicles (UV) segment starting with a redone Safari Storme, followed by a SUV-MPV crossover, a compact SUV, next generation Sumo and two brand new premium SUVs jointly developed with Jaguar and Land Rover. We bring you a lowdown on all 6 new Tata UVs in the pipeline for India.
1. TATA SAFARI STORME FACELIFT
The Safari Strome couldn’t stay true to its name and failed to kick up a storm in its new avatar. Well, by new we mean the underpinnings were new wrapped up in a mildly modified exterior, which is one of the reasons why it did not taste much success. The instant success of the new Mahindra Scorpio only made things worse. Tata is working on a facelift of the Safari Storme and although, spy shots suggest it won’t get much of an exterior update, its the interiors and technical specifications that will undergo major changes. It is likely to feature a new Land Rover-esque front grille, new alloy wheels, front facing third row seats, a 2-DIN touchscreen audio system and a more powerful version of the 2.2 litre diesel motor putting out 160PS power and 400 Nm torque.
- Expected Launch Date: Mid 2015
- Expected Price: INR 10-13.5 lakhs (ex-showroom)
- Competition: Mahindra Scorpio
2. TATA HEXA (ARIA REPLACEMENT)
The Tata Hexa concept showcased recently at the Geneva Auto will replace the struggling Tata Aria crossover. Built on the same platform as the Aria, the Hexa features a much more butch looking front, redesigned rear and much more rugged exteriors overall. The interiors are new as well and will be more spacious than any other MPV on sale in India currently.Production date haven’t been confirmed, but the Hexa should hit showrooms early next year. It will be interesting to see how Tata approaches this segment for the second time.
- Expected Launch Date: Early 2016
- Expected Price: INR 10-15 lakhs (ex-showroom)
- Competition: Mahindra XUV500, Toyota Innova
3. TATA NEXON COMPACT SUV
Tata will be entering the lucrative compact SUV segment with a car based on the Nexon concept. The exteriors of the compact SUV will follow Tata’s current design language seen on the Zest/Bolt mixed with the looks of the Nexon concept. The Ford Ecosport rival will also features some styling elements from the Range Rover Evoque highlighting greater the greater involvement of the Tata owned British Luxury brand. Launch should take place by mid 2016, by which time Maruti, Fiat, Honda, Mahindra and Renault would also be ready with their compact SUV contenders making the segment very very interesting. Read more about the Nexon compact SUV here.
- Expected Launch Date: Mid 2016
- Expected Price: INR 5.5-8.5 lakhs (ex-showroom)
- Competition: Ford Ecosport
4. TATA RAPTOR (X601)
Tata is also working on a replacement for the ageing Sumo utility vehicle and should come up with a production ready version by the end of 2016. It will be based on a lightweight platform, known internally as the ‘Raptor’ platform and will be a much sportier vehicle than the current Sumo. Though, currently the Sumo caters only to the taxi market mainly in rural India, the next generation Sumo would also be targeting urban buyers. Other details are scarce and we shall update you as soon as we get more information.
- Expected Launch Date: End 2016
- Expected Price: INR 7-9 lakhs (ex-showroom)
- Competition: Mahindra Bolero
5. TATA Q501 PREMIUM SUV
Tata Motors is working closely with Jaguar–Land Rover for developing a brand new SUV targeted at the premium end of the market. Codenamed the Q501, this SUV is one of the two premium vehicles the company is planning to launch. It will be the smaller of the two with a seating capacity of five. It is still in a very early stage of development with no news and inside info being circulated currently.
- Expected Launch Date: Mid 2017
- Expected Price: INR 20 lakhs (ex-showroom)
- Competition: Skoda Yeti
6. TATA Q502 PREMIUM SUV
The other premium SUV being jointly developed by Tata Motors and its subsidiary Jaguar–Land Rover is codenamed the Q502. This particular premium SUV will be a 7 seater and will target bigger SUVs. Like the smaller Q501 sibling details are scarce. Expect a production ready version by the end of 2017.
- Expected Launch Date: End 2017
- Expected Price: INR 25 lakhs (ex-showroom)
- Competition: Toyota Fortuner, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport
