[Ironhide]

I have a feeling it will not be called Hexa when it is launched -just a gut instinct. Also, the car will sport a middle bench - at least as an option. I'd choose this any day over the XUV or Innova for the following:-

• Power(156 BHP) & torque(400NM) from a time tested and proven unit (2.2 VTT Varicor).
• Space - easily the maximum in its class. A veritable studio apartment on four wheels !
• Comfort and Safety (ABS, EBD, ESP, Airbags)
• Strong, light yet rugged chassis alongwith a RWD - for all types of roads that India has to offer and some no-roads too !
• Harman Infotainment system , specifically designed for the car.
• 4x4 with terrain response - for the intrepid adventurer !
• The GM 6 speed auto
• FE
• Clean, understated styling with a just hint of butch.

Now Tata just needs to price its variants right - maybe even a little less than the competition at launch, so as to capture people's imagination and get the car to sell in good numbers. Then, when the visibility of the car increases and people see more of it on the roads, they can consider a price correction, a la M&M.

But to keep the prices palatable, they will have to price it at par with the Aria at present, and, if they plan to sell it alongside Aria (like Safari and Storme), then they'll have to reduce Aria prices across the range. These are some of the hard decisions that the marketing mandarins and bean counters at TML will have to take, to get a great car to sell.

Another thing that Tata needs to do is to market it aggressively (they can learn a thing or two from M&M here - remember 'Live Young, Live Free' ?) And launch it quickly - before the competition comes in with another 'improved' and 'exclusive' version of their offerings with new decals and stickers

Cheers !

[swiftnfurious]

I for one, love this! It's so refreshing to see TATA doing away with the X-mas tail lights and it still looks premium too. I wonder how much difference can simple mods can make on an existing design. And even more that TATA has some good designers in house.

Hope they launch this as a face-lift at a worthy price and market it well. Yes, a 5 year warranty included as free (and later paid) during the intrductory time will help them.

[raghav135]

Well done Tata motors. Rebranding of Aria is inevitable.

They have borrowed many of the design elements in the front from Tata safari storme which is based on same platform.

I wonder if it would be too difficult to make Tata safari storme to have the safety features of Aria/Hexa. I would happily buy a suv with safari name on it than aria name on it (just mass opinion, no offence meant).

[4x4addict]

Originally Posted by Ironhide

I have a feeling it will not be called Hexa when it is launched -just a gut instinct. Also, the car will sport a middle bench - at least as an option. I'd choose this any day over the XUV or Innova for the following:-

Absolutely man. Finally you get a personal MUV and not a Taxi MUV. If Tata management boffins can get their act together, this vehicle has the potential to take on the Innova in the personal segment.

Originally Posted by Ironhide

Another thing that Tata needs to do is to market it aggressively (they can learn a thing or two from M&M here - remember 'Live Young, Live Free' ?) And launch it quickly - before the competition comes in with another 'improved' and 'exclusive' version of their offerings with new decals and stickers
Cheers !

The problem is that Tata is always a *Reaction* company than a *Pro-Action* Company. They goof up big time with their launches and then they do this slow laborious process of trying to react to market failures with two strategies:

1) Perpetual 1.5 lakh discounts.
2) *All New* tag and some body graphics

[himanshugoswami]

Little birdie update part 2. What we see is 99 percent final product in terms of design. The production version will have 17 inch wheels. Interior trim combos still being worked out. Top end will not feature beige.

[Ameya Janvekar]

After having purchased a new Aria Pleasure 4x2 recently & driven it for 3k kms in 2 months, I have to mentioned it is a vast improvement over the earlier Tata products & surely matches, if not betters, the Innova in nearly all aspects. Especially power & NVH which are a bane in a Innova.

This from a personal experience as my previous ride was a Type 3 Innova. ( Type 4 Innova is hideous to say the least & the Type 5 the less said the better. No offence to anybody )

[rajneeesh]

Originally Posted by himanshugoswami

Little birdie update part 2. What we see is 99 percent final product in terms of design. The production version will have 17 inch wheels. Interior trim combos still being worked out. Top end will not feature beige.

Any idea about the probable launch date? If it is in the next few months I can definitely postpone the replacement of my SX4.

[himanshugoswami]

Originally Posted by rajneeesh

Any idea about the probable launch date? If it is in the next few months I can definitely postpone the replacement of my SX4.

Launch not before end 2016. Still lot of testing and validation needed

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by himanshugoswami

Launch not before end 2016. Still lot of testing and validation needed

Assuming this is true, a vehicle that seems like a contender on paper at this point of time may well be completely out of place in the market next year.

Their competitors are large, and yet agile enough to bring in new and updated models in the time Tata takes to 'test and validate' the re-skinned version of an existing platform.

If they are going to take so long to test it, they might as well save themselves a ton of money by not launching it at all. Looks like they didn't learn their lesson from the Storme debacle where they took close to 4 years to reskin a Safari.

[himanshugoswami]

Originally Posted by Steeroid

Assuming this is true, a vehicle that seems like a contender on paper at this point of time may well be completely out of place in the market next year.

Their competitors are large, and yet agile enough to bring in new and updated models in the time Tata takes to 'test and validate' the re-skinned version of an existing platform.

If they are going to take so long to test it, they might as well save themselves a ton of money by not launching it at all. Looks like they didn't learn their lesson from the Storme debacle where they took close to 4 years to reskin a Safari.

Not condoning TML's strategy here but Storme is much more than a reskinned Safari. You of all people should know that buddy . In fact if anything, it's the ('re) skinning part that comes across as half baked. The mechanical transformation is pretty comprehensive

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by himanshugoswami

Not condoning TML's strategy here but Storme is much more than a reskinned Safari. You of all people should know that buddy . In fact if anything, it's the ('re) skinning part that comes across as half baked. The mechanical transformation is pretty comprehensive

What you and I think of it shouldn't matter - there is no obligation for the customer to wait forever for a vehicle that isn't really new, especially when other manufacturers can provide alternatives.

Its TML who should be worried about their future, not you and I. Showcasing vehicles that aren't likely to see the light of day anytime soon is not how a company should be going about it.

[rkg]

It will be launched with in this year only i.e 2015 as per a senior GM at a TATA dealership in Bangalore.


OT : My ARIA completed 16K in 9 months ( including a trip to Leh in September-October 2014) No breakdowns so far. Mileage was consistently 10.5-11kmpl in city and 14-15 kmpl on highways. In Leh-Ladakh the mileage was 10-11 kmpl in ghat sections, when it was driven mostly in 1st or 2nd gear.

[mobydick1983]

Siddharth Vinayak Patankar from the 'Car and Bike Show' says Tata Hexa is a production ready version and could hit the market before this year end.

[jaysmokesleaves]

From what i saw on the news reviews of the Geneva show, and the TML spokesperson talking, it seems to me that TML is once again going to aim a big hammer at their own foot by positioning this Hexa as a luxury crossover.
TML has to stop thinking of itself as Jaguar/ Rangerover.
Do with the Hexa what Mahindra did with the Xuv launch. Gain customer confidence, applause and sales by providing a good product with correct pricing and good after sales support and then think of premium/ luxury.

[himanshugoswami]

Originally Posted by rkg

It will be launched with in this year only i.e 2015 as per a senior GM at a TATA dealership in Bangalore.


.

If true, then this is good news, although I highly doubt this will be the case. whats launching this year is the refreshed Storme in the next couple of months.