[Tushar]

Mod Note: Our Tigor Report has been taken live at this link. Please continue the discussion over on the new thread. Thanks!

Tata recently started testing the Kite which will rival the Maruti Suzuki Celerio. The hatchback will slide in above the Tata Nano, but below the Bolt. However, the Kite will not only be available as a hatchback, but as a low cost compact sedan as well. Fresh spy shots show the car draped in Zest camouflauge, but the design is evidently different. The Indigo eCS which started the compact sedan segment in India has aged. In all likelihood, Tata will replace it with the new Kite based compact sedan.

Both, the Kite hatchback and compact sedan are expected to be manufactured at Tata's under-utilized plant in Sanand, Gujarat. Reports suggest that engine options could include a 1.2-litre petrol and a 1.05-litre diesel engine. Tata may also offer the AMT transmission with at least one engine option.

The Kite based compact sedan will not have any direct rivals as it stands. However, the strategy seems to revolve around under cutting cars like the Hyundai Grand i10, Honda Brio & Maruti Suzuki Swift.

Images courtesy: Cartoq & Autocar

[arjab]

Very interesting. Am intrigued by the profile.

Scrutineering the window line indicates the placement of a possible quarter - light glasshouse arrangement. And the "C" pillar gracefully arches over it.

Are we looking at a notchback silhouette in the making? If it is , and if it looks good, in the final iteration, it has the potential to breathe fresh life, stylistically, into the entry+ level segment.
The erstwhile Accent Viva was positioned a segment higher, and I am not considering the Verito Vibe as it looks kind of confused to me from the rear 3-quarter angle.

[rsquared]

Even I had the exact same thoughts when I looked at the rear profile. The rear silhouette looks very classy, at least in these spy shots. This could be a game changer and Tata's opener for the notch-back segment!!

[400notout]

The silhoutte reminds me more of this




Than this



what say folks??

[tushky]

Seems like tata has take some design inputs from Jaguar. The design of C pillar is similar to the XJ

[Reinhard]

Originally Posted by 400notout

The silhoutte reminds me more of this


Than this

what say folks??

You read my mind mate. The moment I saw the spy shot, my first thought was "Wow thats a good imitation of an X6!" And well, I wasn't alone certainly .


That sure looks wonderful. I hope the execution on final product is good.

[StepUP!]

Wow! TATA is again creating a new segment altogether! Wondering what it will be called. It's not hatchback. If it's notch back then B2 else ideally it goes to C segment. C0!
I just pray it doesn't end up looking as ugly as Vibe.

[rohanjf]

Tata is taking the idea of exploiting the "Under 4 meter" rule a little too far. Why would they want to have two different compact sedans?

This idea must have occured to them after Zest was well into development. Otherwise, Zest would have been a proper sedan and a true replacement for Manza.

Looks like, Tata wants to provide prospective customers with an option in every possible price range. Maruti does that with hatchbacks and Tata will do that with compact sedans!

[AshBabu]

It has been ages since Indigo models were released by Tata. A replacement is definitely need of the hour. Hope Tata gets it right.

When Tata launched Indica , the design was refreshing and space was good with diesel heart. They need to replicate that kind of success again. Zest is a good step forward, but efforts needed to continue the success story

[i74js]

Originally Posted by rohanjf

Tata is taking the idea of exploiting the "Under 4 meter" rule a little too far. Why would they want to have two different compact sedans?

Looks like, Tata wants to provide prospective customers with an option in every possible price range. Maruti does that with hatchbacks and Tata will do that with compact sedans!

This could be possibly used for a notchback and a sub-4 meter SUV (ecosport) alternate. It's a new and omni-use design language which can be executed for a notchback with lower profile and a urban SUV (as they say or may be even a cross over) depending upon the market requirement and product placement.

It will look good in both avtars with say 15" wheel (170 mm clearance) - notchback and a 18" wheel with about 190-200 mm clearance for SUV / Cross

Good going Tata !

Cheers

[vivekz]

Originally Posted by AshBabu

When Tata launched Indica , the design was refreshing and space was good with diesel heart. They need to replicate that kind of success again. Zest is a good step forward, but efforts needed to continue the success story

I agree. The first generation of Indicas and Indigos were good looking, mature cars. Though its worth remembering that they got the Indica designed from IDeA in Italy.

Even the Safari and Sumo were distinctive when they were launched. Tata seemed to lose the plot in the second generation Indica (Vista) and futher went ahead and slapped the face on the Aria.

While I understand that "family-look" is the thing at the moment, the current design does not have the "look" to cut across multiple segments of vehicles.

Originally Posted by i74js

This could be possibly used for a notchback and a sub-4 meter SUV (ecosport) alternate. It's a new and omni-use design language which can be executed for a notchback with lower profile and a urban SUV (as they say or may be even a cross over) depending upon the market requirement and product placement.

Cheers

IMHO, Tata would be eyeing more than one segment with this platform and I assume they will need a urban SUV out of this more so because Mahindra is also in an advanced stage of development of their mini-SUV.

Asking the experts, any idea what all are planned on the KITE platform?

[JayPrashanth]

Originally Posted by arjab

Very interesting. Am intrigued by the profile.

Scrutineering the window line indicates the placement of a possible quarter - light glasshouse arrangement. And the "C" pillar gracefully arches over it.

Are we looking at a notchback silhouette in the making? If it is , and if it looks good, in the final iteration, it has the potential to breathe fresh life, stylistically, into the entry+ level segment.
The erstwhile Accent Viva was positioned a segment higher, and I am not considering the Verito Vibe as it looks kind of confused to me from the rear 3-quarter angle.

Yes, I can confirm that TML is considering doing a notchback with the Kite. Also, going by the BIW model, the Kite notchback will be one of the best looking cars that TML has designed in-house in a long time.

Cheers,

Jay

[itsashishsharma]

TML people followed the Zest official review thread. If somebody is following this thread too, I would like them to give a positive feedback to their designers (Like the bell we ring in some restaurants).
If Kite is launched in both, hatchback and notchback forms, it is going to be a success story as I am pretty sure they would launch this car as a VFM product too.

[zenren]

Finally some fresh air in the small car segment. One good looking and practical product is all we need to make the competitors think of getting rid of ugly contraptions like compact sedans. Tata started the journey to CS with the Indigo CS and others followed. I hope this marks Tata going out of the CS segment into a more cleaner design with others following Tata.

4m constraint would still be enough to design a good looking notchback. You should be able to get the same boot space by designing a good notchback instead of sedan. The ugly lines are primarily due to the minimum protruding boot you need to make it look like a sedan. With the Dzire being the highest selling car in India at least in a few months, sedan is no longer a premium vehicle and I hope people get bored with that craze.

[Sutripta]

Have they finally parted way with the designer of the Vista? If so, about time.

Regards
Sutripta