Holy Shit Tata, What Have You Done with HEXA?

Tata Motors’ brand new SUV Hexa is quite an impressive feat. It’s a definite head-turner.

Hexa is Tata Motors’ brand new flagship crossover. Bookings start on 1 November. (Photo: Ankit Vengurlekar)

Tata Motors’ brand new crossover vehicle Hexa is quite an impressive feat. Its design and engineering prowess is what the company needs to grab consumer attention in a segment dominated by Mahindra’s XUV500 and Toyota’s Innova.

As a product, Hexa has what it takes to rub shoulders with the big boys, but the knock-out punch will definitely be the price and sales and service experience, for which we will have to wait till January 2017.

I participated in the Hexa first drive in Hyderabad and came away equally impressed with the capable and stylish SUV, as with the renewed zest (no pun intended) of the Tata Motors team.

Hexa’s proportions are great for the highway, but the big size could pose a challenge for cities’ stop and go traffic. (Photo Courtesy: Tata Motors)

Big and bold, Hexa shows the confidence that engineers and designers exude with the new lineup of cars. With design inputs from Italian, English and Indian teams, Hexa does everything it can to wipe out any hangover one might have of the debacle that was Tata Aria.

Outfitted with an optional Rhino Back roof rack, Hexa 4X4 looks ready for a weekend getaway. (Photo: Ankit Vengurlekar)

Four drive modes that use electronic 4X4 drivetrain, automatic transmission with a sports mode, hill descent and ascent control systems, Harman Kardon’s ConnectNext infotainment system with 10 JBL speakers and companion smartphone apps to control audio, radio and ambient lighting are some of the segment defining features in Hexa.

The cabin is roomy and second and third row of seats offer air-conditioning vents, 12V charging ports and storage compartments. We will give you a detailed experience of what travelling in these seats feels like once we get a considerable time with the vehicle post-launch.

Hexa packs in a host of new features and the dashboard feels premium. (Photo: Ankit Vengurlekar)

There is little doubt that Hexa is the hallmark of a mature and confident Tata Motors. But the bigger challenge Tata faces is consumer’s perception of the brand, thanks to the erosion in brand equity due to years of technological inertia.

The other challenge will be ensuring a premium sales experience for Hexa where it will share showroom space with the Indicas and Tiagos. Tata Motors says they are aware of these challenges and are identifying select partners and dealers who will be trained to elevate the consumer experience to a premium one.

The ‘Bigness’ of Hexa — weight of doors, boot lid and bonnet — can make it difficult for people of a smaller frame to use it. (Photo: Ankit Vengurlekar)

Bookings for Tata Hexa start on 1 November and if priced competitively, this could be the beginning of a bright new chapter for Tata Motors.