Tata’s Fortuner rival will likely be based on the same OMEGA platform as the Harrier boasting good off-roading capabilities
Ever since hopping on the Turnaround 2.0 strategy, Tata Motors have tasted plenty of success in the Indian market and is a fastest growing brand currently. The Mumbai-HQed company knows the significance of introducing new vehicles in order to capitalise on the growing momentum and is planning to launch 10 to 12 new products in the next five years.
It will help the brand increase its 70 percent presence in the PV space and the new flexible platforms enable the ability to enter into segments that have never been explored. The OMEGA (Optimal Modular Efficient Global Architecture) carries its share of importance as the vehicle above 4.3-metre long will be based on it.
It is derived from Land Rover’s D8 architecture giving the upcoming Harrier a macho stance as well as expected off-roading prowess that could act as one of its USPs. Moreover, the seven-seater version of the Harrier is coming within a year after the Harrier’s debut and it will use the same Fiat-sourced 2.0-litre Multijet II diesel engine powering the main rival Jeep Compass.
Tata appears to be working on a range-topping SUV as well to compete against Toyota Fortuner, Ford Endeavour, Isuzu MU-X, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and the likes. This particular full-size SUV segment has largely been dominated by Toyota Fortuner and Tata could fancy a good market share with its upcoming model that is expected to have multiple driving modes.
The official video emerged during H5X and 45X concepts’ unveil at the 2018 Auto Expo does give an indication of the possible Toyota Fortuner rival from Tata. We think it would be the case, as the exterior seems to have been evolved from H5X concept and it has distinctive design of its own.
For instance the sporty floating roofline, aggressive front fascia, heavily raked windshield and what appears to be a compact rear end are present. We can expect the seven-seat to share interior with the Hexa and Harrier and top-end variants may adorn large touchscreen infotainment, Harman audio, AWD configuration, etc.