Tata Motors has been showing its vehicles at the Geneva International Motor Show for 21 years on the trot. Every year, the company has a few special vehicles to unveil and this year too, Tata has four that have been unveiled – Tata Buzzard, Tata Altroz, Tata Altroz EV and Tata H2X. And then there’s the Tata Harrier on display that is called the Tata Buzzard Sport for European markets.
Of these, the Tata Buzzard and Tata Altroz will be launched in India later this year. The vehicles follow Tata’s family look in terms of design – what Tata calls Impact Design 2.0. The Buzzard is the same as the Harrier except for the rear, which is taller and redesigned to accommodate two extra seats. The Altroz was showcased last year as the 45X concept premium hatchback. The Tata H2X compact SUV will later become the Tata Hornbill micro SUV according to industry buzz.
Tata Altroz
The Tata Altroz is the production version of the 45X concept that was showcased at the 2018 Auto Expo in Delhi and the Geneva Motor Show. The Altroz was unveiled in two powertrains - the regular Altroz with internal combustion engine options and the Altroz EV which is an all-electric car capable of over 300 km on a single charge.
India will first get the Tata Altroz with internal combustion engine options only, while the electric vehicle still has some R&D to take it forward. The Alfa platform on which the Altroz is based will underpin most of Tata’s future hatchbacks and sedans, as well as a crossover. It is a versatile platform that can take either electric powertrains or conventional internal combustion engines.
The Altroz is likely to get 1.2 litre naturally aspirated petrol, turbo-petrol and 1.5 litre diesel engine options when it finally comes to market. It will compete with the likes of the Hyundai i20 and Maruti Suzuki Baleno.
Tata Buzzard
The Tata Buzzard is the seven-seater variant of the Tata Harrier. It is about 62 mm longer than the Harrier and the roof has been raised to accommodate a third row of seats. Where the Harrier has a coupe like sloping roofline at the rear, the Buzzard has a taller stance.
It will continue to be powered by the 2-litre multijet diesel engine, but with power likely to be bumped up to about 170 bhp to cater to the extra load. The Buzzard will be positioned a notch above the Harrier in the Rs 16 lakh to Rs 20 lakh price segment, but will take on seven-seater’s like the Mahindra XUV500 and even lure buyers of vehicles like the Alturas and Isuzu MU-X.
Tata H2X Concept (Hornbill)
The showstopper at the Tata stall in the Geneva Motor show was the H2X concept, a micro-SUV based on the same Alfa platform as the 45X, but borrows a lot of styling from the Tata Harrier. The front looks quite a lot like the H5X (the concept on which the Tata Harrier is based).
Tata is reportedly building a micro-SUV to compete with the likes of the Mahindra KUV100 as well as Maruti’s upcoming micro SUV (which was showcased as the S-Concept at Auto Expo 2018). The Tata micro-SUV is likely to be called the Hornbill. Given the demand for SUVs in the Indian market, most manufacturers are increasing their portfolio of SUVs.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)