Tata Motors had a busy 2018 with a number of new launches and started the new year with a bang courtesy of the arrival of the Harrier five-seater premium SUV in January. It is the first model to be based on the OMEGA platform derived from Land Rover’s D8 and to bear Impact Design 2.0 philosophy.
The homegrown auto major’s next big debut based on a volume space will happen at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show and the opening press day begins on March 5. Tata has lined up four new products for the 89th annual motoring exhibition, and it includes a near production conceptual version of the micro SUV reportedly dubbed Hornbill.
The road-going premium hatchback derived from the 45X concept showcased at the 2018 Auto Expo is also expected to make world premiere alongside an all-electric future take on the 45X with large influence from the Tata E-Vision concept. The Hornbill micro SUV is expected to officially launch in India towards the end of this year or in early 2020.
It will follow the introduction of the 45X or Aquilla that will go up against Maruti Suzuki Baleno, Hyundai Elite i20, Honda Jazz and Volkswagen Polo by the second half of this year. The Hornbill will also become the second Tata model to sit on the modular Alpha architecture that underpins the 45X.
It will more likely compete against Mahindra KUV100 and upcoming Maruti Suzuki Concept Future S based SUV. Since the segment is not much explored, Tata has good chances of grabbing a big pie ahead of Maruti Suzuki’s entry. The Hornbill is expected to be positioned in an aggressive price range just like every other sub 10 lakh Tata models.
It could be offered with both petrol and diesel engines at the launch with manual and AMT transmission choices. It is part of Tata’s aggressive Turnaround 2.0 strategy as the brands explore ways to be present in 90 per cent of the addressable segments in the domestic market.
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