Tata Motors has a new SUV in the making, which will be positioned between Nexon and Harrier in the brand’s lineup
Tata Motors has been enjoying a lot of success in the Indian car market lately. The homegrown carmaker managed to grab the second position on December 2021 sales chart, beating Hyundai. Seemingly emboldened by the popularity of its SUVs, Tata is planning to add a new midsize SUV to its range, to rival the likes of Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos.
Tata Motors has had plans to introduce an SUV in this segment for a few years now. A midsize SUV project, codenamed ‘Blackbird’, was reportedly in development a few years back, but it never made it to production, as Harrier’s initial sales were slow and Nexon was only moderately popular. Adding a new SUV between these two wouldn’t have made sense back in the day.
However, things are completely different now; Tata’s sub-4-metre SUVs – Nexon and Punch – are in extremely high demand right now. Harrier and Safari are also fairly popular, despite their premium price tags. Also, SUVs have been trending a lot among car buyers in India in recent years, so adding a new one would help Tata grab a larger portion of the market.
This upcoming midsize SUV is expected to be based on Tata Nexon’s ‘X1’ platform, with a few alterations. Its length is expected to be around 4.3 metres, similar to its South Korean competitors. Tata Motors has also begun work on a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine. This will be a four-cylinder version of Nexon’s 1.2L powerplant, with an expected peak power output of 160 PS.
Buyer preference has shifted more towards petrol cars since the BS6 emission norms came into effect, so focusing on petrol engines would be a smart move. This upcoming 1.5L petrol engine will be the primary powerplant option on this forthcoming Tata crossover, likely alongside a diesel engine option. Other than that, this turbo-petrol motor will be offered on Harrier and Safari as well.
Also, Tata has been leading the charge in the EV market space in India, and it is planning to maintain its lead. Tata’s new midsize crossover is set to launch in a pure electric version as well. The SUV is expected to launch sometime during 2023, likely as an EV first, followed by the IC-engine version.