Tata Nexon midsize coupe SUV launch expected next year with 1.5-litre petrol and a 1.5-litre diesel engine
Tata Motors is working on a range of new vehicles for the domestic market as its IC-engined and BEV portfolios will be strengthened in the coming years. The homegrown manufacturer also announced a standalone EV-only sub-brand known as TPEML (Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Limited) and below which three EV platforms are expectedly in the works.
The brand reaps benefits from the diverse range of SUVs as the Punch micro SUV, Nexon compact SUV and the midsize duo of Harrier and Safari are performing well. However, there is an apparent gap that exists between the 3.99 m long Nexon and nearly 4.6 m long Harrier and the void will reportedly be addressed with a midsize SUV.
The five-seater midsize SUV will act as a direct rival to the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, VW Taigun, Skoda Kushaq, MG Astor and the likes in the highly popular segment and it will have an overall length of around 4.3 metres. A report indicates that the midsize SUV will be based on Nexon’s re-engineered platform and it will have a coupe SUV body style.
The Blackbird project appears to have been revived and the upcoming Nexon coupe SUV will be underpinned by the modified version of the existing X1 platform. It will have a distinctive design to differentiate itself from the regular Nexon and taking advantage of the market positioning, it will likely be offered in petrol, diesel and all-electric variants.
The Nexon midsize coupe SUV could share body panels with the sub-four-metre to keep the production costs down and it will have a wheelbase longer by 50 mm. As for the performance, the new 1.5-litre petrol and diesel engines will likely be employed. The four-cylinder gasoline mill derived from Nexon’s 1.2-litre three-pot turbo could pump out 160 hp.
Before the midsize coupe SUV, the powertrain could find its way into the hood of the Harrier and Safari as it will help in expanding their respective portfolios. The 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged diesel from Nexon could be uprated to produce more power and torque in the coupe SUV. We do expect both manual and automatic transmissions to be offered upon its arrival late next year or early 2024.