Tata Aquilla will likely be the production name of 45X concept derived premium hatchback; rivals Maruti Suzuki Baleno and Hyundai Elite i20
When the Tata 45X concept debuted at the 2018 Auto Expo, it grabbed plenty of eyeballs as the anticipation for the production model rose to a new level. It will compete in the hotly contested premium hatchback segment currently led by Maruti Suzuki Baleno, Hyundai Elite i20, Honda Jazz and Volkswagen Polo. Reports surfaced on the interweb points finger at ‘Tata Aquilla’ being the name of the road-going model.
The Tata Aquilla will likely go on sale early next year following the debut of Harrier premium SUV in January. It will become the second Tata product to bear Impact Design 2.0 philosophy and the first to sit on modular ALPHA platform. The Aquilla is expected to have the same hardware as the Nexon with 1.2-litre Revotron petrol and 1.5-litre Revotorq diesel engines doing the propelling duties.
If the same power and torque figures are used as in the Nexon, it will become the most powerful model in its segment brushing aside the hot hatch variants. Transmission options will be handled by a six-speed manual or a six-speed AMT as in the Nexon. Tata could consider a JTP version of the Aquilla in the near future, as the Nexon is expected to get the performance upgrade treatment by the end of this decade or in 2021.
Tata Aquilla will come equipped with a premium cabin as the use of high grade materials, and sporty dashboard as well as centre console cannot be neglected. The premium hatchback gains a large floating touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity in the top-end variants.
Moreover, the centre console will be garnished in silver and other parts like steering wheel with integrated controls will be taken regular parts bin. It will also have high degree of safety features such as standard dual front airbags, seat belt reminder, ABS with EBD, reverse parking sensors and speed alert system.
We can expect Tata to price the Aquilla aggressively in India as a range of around Rs. 5.5 lakh to Rs. 9 lakh (ex-showroom) can be targetted. The same ALPHA architecture the Aquilla is based on will reportedly spawn a micro SUV billed Hornbill and a C-segment SUV rivalling Honda City and Maruti Suzuki Ciaz.