The Tata Hexa is a very important product for the Indian passenger car maker as it marks the resurrected era of Tata Motors after the blasphemous 2000's Indica era. Therefore it was imperative for Tata to put in all its engineering might into the car so that it meets all the needs of the ever-so-demanding Indian consumer. Thus the folks at MotorBeam decided to test the final product through their gruesome regime and see whether the car, or Tata for that matter can stand the true test of times.
The Tata Hexa promises to be a brash, brutal and intimidating beast of the road with heavily sculpted bonnet, smoked out projector headlamps, wide imposing grille and LED daytime running lights.
The neat looking 19-inch alloy wheels enhance the butch looks of the car and fit the wheel well nicely.
These are the biggest wheels available in this segment. The side profile has been cleverly reworked to cover the MPV proportions of the erstwhile Tata Aria.
The interiors of this Tata is unlike what you have ever seen before in a Tata car.
The quality of materials and the fit and finish is the best the company has given to any of its car till now. The instrument cluster gets a big multi-information display.
That said, it somehow doesn’t offer push button start/stop feature but there are automatic headlamps and rain sensing wipers.
The centre console comes with a neatly integrated ConnectNext infotainment system designed by Harman. It offers a 10-speaker JBL audio system including a sub-woofer and power amplifier.
The sound quality is super rich and unrealistic for this segment.
Other features of the infotainment include USB, AUX, Bluetooth connectivity along with voice recognition and navigation.
The legroom and headroom is excellent even for tall passengers. There is ample amount of storage spaces in the car to keep the cabin neat and tidy.
The seats are very flexible so you can fold down the third and second row of seats to enhance luggage space.
The Tata Hexa is powered by a 2.2-litre Varicor 400 diesel engine seen recently with the Safari Storme.
But the Hexa’s engine has been tuned to produce the same amount of torque at lower RPMs, thereby offering better drivability. The engine makes 156 PS of power and 400 Nm of torque.
There is a mild turbo lag under 2000 RPM but it picks up good pace in the mid-range, which is an ocean full of torque.
The Varicor 400 engine in the Tata Hexa can be mated with either a 6-speed manual or automatic transmission.
The manual transmission is a truck-like notchy gearbox however, the clutch is light and the ratios are well stacked for both city and highway drivability.
The manual version comes with Super Drive modes - Auto, Comfort, Dynamic and Rough Road.
The 6-speed automatic transmission, on the other hand, is a pleasant surprise from Tata Motors.
The auto box offers smooth shifts and is clever enough to respond quickly to your throttle inputs. There are no jerks as well between the shifts, which was very pleasing while driving in the city.
We expect the Tata Hexa to deliver a real world fuel efficiency of around 12 km/l.
Tata Motors is known to offer fantastic ride quality in its every car no matter the size. Same is the case with the Hexa as it just glides over bumps and potholes.
The Hexa is a heavy car and it has some body roll when you push it around the curves.
The steering is light and predictive. The Hexa is a capable off-roader too, comes with AWD torque on demand system that offers great traction in slippery conditions.
Tata Motors haven’t compromised on safety this time and the Hexa is loaded with safety equipment.
It comes with six airbags including dual front, curtain and side airbags. Other safety features include Traction Control System, Electronic Stability Program, Hill Hold Control and Hill Descent Control.
The Hexa’s long term durability and cost of ownership is yet to be seen and Tata Motors needs to ensure stress-free ownership.
There are no two ways about the fact that Tata Motors took its own sweet time bringing the Hexa crossover on Indian roads.
For a long time, the Mahindra XUV500 was the undisputed king of the Rs 15 lakh 7-seater crossover segment.
But now the car has been launched for the Indian public and it has the attractive looks and the amount of features Tata Motors promised in the new SUV which lured the audience at the 2016 Delhi Auto Expo.
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