Tata Hexa was discontinued earlier this year after the BS6 emission norms were implemented in India. The 7-seater SUV was showcased in a new avatar at the 2020 Auto Expo but Tata is yet to launch the new Hexa BS6. While Tata showcased Hexa Safari Edition, which is a 4X4 version of the model, new spy pictures show that Tata is currently testing the Hexa on the roads and it looks different from the Safari Edition. Here are the details.
The pictures posted on Instagram by Rahul show that a test vehicle Tata Hexa, which gets 4X4 badge on the passenger side. At the rear, the test vehicle displayed the XMA badging, which means that it is automatic. While there is no other information available on the vehicle, it is likely that Tata is planning to relaunch the Hexa, most likely in a 4X4 iteration only. This will allow the brand to keep the focus on different segments of customers.
It should be noted that Tata will also launch the all-new Gravitas, which is a seven-seater and is based on the Tata Harrier. The Gravitas was also showcased at the 2020 Auto Expo and it is likely to be launched during the festive season, which is starting next month. The all-new Gravitas will be positioned just above the Tata Harrier in the model line-up. It will take on the likes of Mahindra XUV500 and the MG Hector Plus. The return of the Hexa in only 4X4 avatar will set it apart from the Gravitas. Just like the Harrier, the Gravitas is built on the OMEGA-Arc platform and it is not designed for AWD and 4X4. So the Gravitas will not get any 4X4 or AWD models in the line-up.
It should be noted that before the discontinuation of the Hexa, Tata offers both automatic and manual variants of the Hexa. However, the 4X4 system was only available with the manual transmission option. All the automatic transmission options were 4X2 only.
Tata currently does not offer any AWD or 4X4 iterations in its model line-up. While launching the Harrier, Tata said that the demand for 4X4 and AWD vehicles is so low that less 1% of total sales of Tata vehicles constitute for that. That’s why it does not make sense to invest money to develop such complicated systems, which most people will not buy.
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