Tata HBX Spotted With Production-Spec Alloy Wheels & DRLs

tata hbx hornbill-4

Tata HBX is expected to go on sale in the Indian market around mid-2021, and it will rival the likes of Maruti Ignis and Ford Freestyle

Tata Motors started strong this year in the Indian market, with the launch of two products – Altroz i-Turbo and the new-generation Safari. Now, the manufacturer is expected to launch the HBX micro-SUV in our market soon. Test mules of the HBX have been spied multiple times during road tests, revealing key details about the upcoming vehicle.

A new spy video of the Tata HBX, uploaded by The Fat Biker, shows us the vehicle in production-ready form, wearing full-body camouflage. Peeking through the camo are the sleek-looking LED DRLs, which neatly integrate into the upper section of the front grille. Towards the bottom of the front bumper, we also see a pair of fog lamps.

The upper front grille and DRLs get chrome underlining, and the lower grille sports inverted tri-arrow design on the mesh. The alloy wheels sport a unique design, with a machine-cut finish, which looks quite cool. We also see LED taillights, rear door handles integrated into the C-pillars, and a roof-mounted spoiler with an integrated stop lamp. The vehicle also gets a regular antenna on the roof, not a shark-fin unit.

The video also gives us a few brief glimpses into the interior of the HBX, showing us the floating-type touchscreen infotainment system. As for the powertrains, the HBX is expected to be powered by the 1.2-litre, naturally aspirated, inline-3 petrol motor, which also powers the Tiago, Tigor, and Altroz. This motor generates a peak power of 86 PS and a maximum torque of 113 Nm.

The vehicle will come standard with a 5-speed manual gearbox, and a 5-speed AMT will likely be offered as an option. Tata might also launch the HBX with a turbo-petrol engine, which could be the same 1.2L unit that powers the Altroz i-Turbo (with 110 PS and 140 Nm on tap).

Tata HBX production spec spied 2

Tata HBX is built on the brand’s ALFA platform, which also underpins the Altroz. The HBX is expected to arrive in the Indian market around mid-2021, and will likely be named ‘Hornbill’ upon launch. We expect the vehicle to have a starting price of around Rs. 5 lakh (ex-showroom).