The latest iteration of the Geneva Motor Show saw Tata come out with its full might. Among the various concepts and models Tata brought to the show, the H2X concept probably attracted the most attention. With it, Tata will enter an all-new segment which was untouched by with them until now. In its segment, it will rival the likes of the Mahindra KUV100 NXT and the Maruti Suzuki Ignis. Since there is still some time before the H2X is brought out in production form, here are 10 things to know about it.
Larger in dimensions than rivals
The H2X concept might be a micro SUV but its design is more biased towards being an SUV rather than a hatchback. For the same, Tata made sure that the H2X will be the largest car in its segment. The dimensions revealed by the company at the Geneva Motor Show suggest the same. As for the dimensions, the H2X concept has a length of 3840 mm, a width of 1822 mm and a height of 1635 mm. Both of its chief rivals, the Maruti Suzuki Ignis and the Mahindra KUV100 NXT are smaller than it in any of the three dimension parameters.
Based on the same platform as the Altroz
Tata’s ALFA (Agile Light Flexible Advanced) Arc platform can accommodate a variety of body designs, engines and size. The versatile platform, therefore, will be used on many upcoming Tata cars like the Altroz, Altroz EV and the Hyundai Creta rivalling Blackbird SUV. The H2X will also be built upon the same platform and will be the smallest car to use the ALFA platform.
Design inspired by H5X concept(Harrier)
The H2X is designed on the lines of Tata’s new IMPACT 2.0 design philosophy, which is seen on all the new and upcoming Tata vehicles. Additionally, Tata says that the H2X concept has taken several design cues from the H5X concept, that was first showcased at the 2018 iteration of the Delhi Auto Expo. The hot-selling Tata Harrier is the production version of the H5X and going by this, we expect the production version of the H2X concept to be quite a looker too.
Will have best in class cabin space
We already discussed that the H2X concept will have the biggest exterior dimensions than its competition. Tata also claims that the production version of the H2X concept will have the best cabin space in its segment, even rivalling cars from a segment above. The wheelbase of the H2X concept is 2450 mm, which again is larger than the other vehicles in its segment. This means that fitting in five adults wouldn’t be much of a problem in the upcoming Tata micro SUV.
Will be the smallest SUV in Tata lineup
The production version of the H2X concept will be the smallest SUV by Tata in India. Though some may argue that calling it an SUV might be an overkill, that’s the kind of nomenclature manufacturers are using. It can definitely be called as a micro SUV and will be positioned below the company’s sub-compact SUV, the Nexon. With this, Tata will have 5 SUVs with IMPACT 2.0 design DNA in them – the H2X (upcoming), Nexon, Blackbird (upcoming), Harrier, and the Buzzard (upcoming).
Likely to be powered by a 1.2-litre petrol engine
The ALFA platform is designed to accommodate Tata’s 1.2-litre, three-cylinder Revotron petrol as well as the 1.05-litre, three-cylinder, Revotorq diesel engine. However, the production version of the H2X concept is expected to come powered by the 1.2-litre Revotron petrol engine initially. Though the company has not given any information on what the powertrain on the micro SUV will be, the 1.2-litre petrol is the most likely unit to be used on it. As for the gearboxes, both manual and automatic options would be offered, the latter probably being an AMT unit to keep costs in check.
Expected launch by
Going by the rapid pace of Tata’s R&D team, it is expected that the production-spec H2X will be launched around mid-2020. The H5X concept was first showcased at the 2019 Delhi Auto Expo and was launched in January this year, which means that the concept to product development was done under a year. The launch of the production-spec H2X, therefore, can be expected by the first half of 2020.
Same interior design theme as on other new Tata cars
The cabin and dashboard of the H2X concept are quite futuristic which is expected from a concept. However, upon close inspection, you will find that the design theme is similar to the recent Tata cars. The dashboard design with a bum in the middle, air-con vents placement, and floating touch infotainment system are some of the design elements that will be carried over on the production-spec variant.
Production version reveal at 2020 Delhi Auto Expo
The company showcased the concept version of the H2X at the Geneva Motor Show. Now, the production spec of the vehicle will be unveiled at the 2020 Delhi Auto Show. However, this will be the unveiling and not launch, just like Tata unveiled the Buzzard (7-seater Harrier) at Geneva but it will be launched in India by the end of this year.
Pricing
While there has been no word on the pricing as of yet, the production-spec H2X concept will set below the Nexon in Tata’s product lineup. The base model of the Tata Nexon starts at Rs. 6.36 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi). Therefore, we can expect the base price of the H2X concept to be around Rs. 4.5-5 lakhs, which will make it quite a VFM product.
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