Tata HBX is expected to go on sale in the coming months and it will likely be powered by a 1.2-litre petrol engine found in the Tiago and Altroz
Tata Motors was on a roll last with consistent launches as the facelifted Tiago, Tigor and Nexon were accompanied by the updated Harrier, all-new Altroz premium hatchback and Nexon EV. The homegrown auto major did start off this calendar year with a bang as the seven-seater version of the Harrier known as the Safari debuted with good reception amongst customers.
However, the resurgence of the health crisis in its deadly second wave did affect the launch plans of many passenger cars across the auto industry. With Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai and Mahindra lining up new launches this year, Tata won’t likely be left behind as the HBX concept based production micro SUV is expected to be introduced during this festive season (September or October).
The early signs of which have come up on the internet as the production-spec Tata HBX, which could be dubbed the Hornbill, has been spotted within what appears to be the brand’s plant premises. This suggests that the production of the Tata HBX based micro SUV could have commenced/ or about to begin and we can expect an official statement on it in the coming weeks.
The Tata HBX or Hornbill will compete against Maruti Suzuki Ignis and Mahindra KUV NXT but its biggest challenger will come in the form of Hyundai AX1, which is expected to launch sometime next year in India. The HBX adorns styling elements based on the latest Impact Design philosophy and it has a split headlamp cluster, wide central air intake, round-shaped fog lamps, and thick black trim connecting the top layer with LED DRLs.
Other visual highlights are tall black pillars with a white roof giving a two-tone appearance, roof rails, dual-tone alloy wheels, thick wheel arch cladding, black body cladding on the sides, wraparound LED tail lamps, clamshell shaped bonnet, raked front windshield, etc.
The interior will have several commonalities with the Tiago and Altroz as the top-end variants will offer a touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. As for the performance, a 1.2-litre petrol engine found in the Tiago and Altroz will be utilised, paired with a five-speed manual or a five-speed AMT transmission.