Tata HBX is expected to go on sale next month in India and it will compete against Mahindra KUV NXT and Maruti Suzuki Ignis
Tata Motors has the HBX concept based micro SUV as its next big launch in the domestic market and is expected to go on sale in July 2021. The homegrown manufacturer introduced the seven-seater Safari earlier this year and it has definitely helped in strengthening its SUV lineup. The sub-four-metre HBX, on the other hand, will aid in garnering more volume sales.
Recently, the Tata HBX, which could go by the production name Hornbill, was spotted in its production guise quite a few times and it will likely be priced between Rs. 4.5 lakh and Rs. 7 lakh (ex-showroom). It is the second Tata model to be underpinned by the ALFA platform, and thus it may well become the most affordable passenger car to have five-star Global NCAP crash test rating.
The micro SUV will be slotted below the Nexon in the lineup and is expected to have an overall length of 3,840 mm, width of 1,822 mm, and height of 1,635 mm with 2,450 mm wheelbase. The HBX will compete against Mahindra KUV NXT and Maruti Suzuki Ignis amongst a host of entry-level models while Hyundai’s AX1 appears to arrive sometime next year.
On the outside, the five-seater gets an upright front fascia with split headlamp cluster, Tata’s now-signature Humanity Line grille, clamshell shaped bonnet, central air intake, LED Daytime Running Lights in the top-end variants, tall pillars, raked front windshield, squared wheel arches, a floating roofline, wraparound LED tail lamps, etc.
Just as the exterior, the cabin takes plenty of inspiration from the concept. It features a floating touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, in-car connective features, layered dashboard, semi-digital instrument cluster, steering wheel with mounted controls, 90-degree door opening for easy ingress and egress and so on.
Under the bonnet, the Tata HBX will more likely be equipped with a 1.2-litre Revotron petrol engine producing around 86 PS maximum power while the turbocharged direct-injected version of the same engine could also be introduced in the top-spec variants. A five-speed manual and a five-speed AMT will likely be part of the transmission lineup.