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-   -   Tata Hexa : Official Review (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/official-new-car-reviews/181903-tata-hexa-official-review-29.html)

Actually, while collecting my wristband, when I saw the reception point anyone who was from the media to a specific person, I did ask if there was any specific track that Team BHPians could try. But the reply was in the negative. & I didn't insist further.

I guess quite a few non capable people would come & try their hand at the track. Those trained drivers were barely managing not to scrape bumpers in the entry & exit angles. Driving in that, even 1 mistake could ruin the car and seriously injure passengers & possibly even spectators (apart from the fact that the event timing & mood would get disturbed).

Btw, I definitely felt an ease in driving, IMO they've calibrated the electronic power steering well. Wish it was meatier though - I guess an additional steering cover would suffice.

I test drove the Hexa AT the other day. It was an absolute delight to drive. Felt smooth and refined, punchy - definitely felt much better than my recall of the Crysta TD which I took when it was launched. No comparison. The car felt VERY rich inside, the leather steering felt lovely to touch and hold, the seat quality felt excellent although I didn't get a chance to be driven in the rear. For people who want just a people mover with brilliant ride and that's also great to get behind the wheel. This is it.

Now for one negative which is probably unique to very few people like me.

If I ever buy a 6-7 seater, it is more to move either goods or a combination of people and goods. so for me, the way in which seats fold down or move around to accommodate luggage is critical. (I sometimes travel with multiple bicycles in the car, or with a bike packed in a bike bag).

1. The loading area just doesn't free up in either version like an innova. The last row folds down leaving a decline that's a bit inconvenient. The middle row in bench has an interrupted tumble down and in the captains chair simply slides forward marginally - no tumble down at all. In the Innova, the dual fact that the last row moves sideways and up (that too with just a tug of a lever) and the middle completely tumbles over means it liberates a LOT of space, vertically as well as longitudinally.

2. Moving the seats in the Hexa is not smooth. The operation requires a lot of effort. The Toyota just requires a tug of a lever and the seat goes flying in the required direction. It's a small point but if you do this frequently, its something you appreciate.

Conclusion:

For me personally (and I'm probably a 5% minority), the above limitations are deal breakers. For most they wouldn't be. But I note these with HUGE regret because in every other aspect, I would pick the Hexa any day over the Toyota. It's an absolutely beautiful vehicle.

If Tata can get SO MUCH of the difficult stuff right with the Hexa, I'm surprised it could not get the more straight forward stuff like this right.

Come on Tata - fix these smaller issues too.

A Hexa test mule was caught on camera by Thrust Zone spies.

I strongly suspect this is the XMA 4x4 being put through it's paces. Probably chalked up for a launch at a later date.

Took a test drive at Safdarjang Enclave Delhi. Top auto variant. Hexa in flesh well and truely exceeded my expectations. Tatas have done a wonderful job and deserve applauds.
The one thing that I found superlative was the ride quality. Phenomenal. Apart from the other good things like nice interiors, music system etc, this was the one defining characteristic of the vehicle for me.
I think Tata have a sure winner on their hands.

Came back from the Experience @BLR. Thoroughly impressed!

I honestly feel they have a winner here. It all boils down to how they price it now.

When asked for my feedback, it was a simple 2 pointer -
1. Price it sensibly. Remember you are competing against the desirability of the Creta and the presence of the XUV.
2. Don't skimp. Launch all guns blazing. Add the missing features - auto dimming irvm, push button start stop.

Drove the XT 4X4. It's a very competent machine. Would keep most of it's owners happy 100% of the times.

Behaves well on the road & brakes with confidence.

The engine sounded a little gruff, but then my benchmark was the Creta - not a fair comparison imo.

I'm 5'11 and interior space was plenty. The 6 seater is supremely comfortable. That's The Definitive layout to go for.

Also worth noting is the upto 100% on road finance option available with Tata Finance.

Eagerly waiting for the prices to be disclosed now.

Went to the Tata showroom earlier today to finalise the deal for our GenX Nano XT.

While I was waiting for the papers to be drawn out, I noticed a flyer lying on the manager's desk. It was possibly sent by Tata Motors to all dealerships and our very own Team-BHP finds a very prominent mention in it!

Tata Hexa XT 4x4 will be priced Rs.16,72,448 /- ex-showroom Delhi

Source - Facebook Hexa Un-limited Klub (HULK)

I just heard from Concorde motors, Chennai that the Tata Hexa is available for display at the Express Avenue mall. Has anyone checked it out? I am planning on heading out later today.

Vipul Kumar shares this on WhatsApp:

I was there on 23-Dec-16, they had a dedicated Hexa for persons from media to drive on rough tracks. We (public) are taxied over those tracks.

As long as you carried proof of media you'll get this. But a member of forum doesn't enjoy this.

Should have mentioned earlier, heard from one of the Hexa Experience Executives that the XTA would be priced at 17.7lakhs ex-showroom Bangalore, apparently that is the amount reflecting while they enter the booking details on their system. Not sure if that is to be taken at face value though.

Hexa Test Driven
I drove the XT 4x2 Manual for about 6 kms after a static demo of the car at TC Motors Rajarhat, Kolkata with fellow bhpian Avrendu Majumdar (handle: Avrendu)
Likes -

• Macho looks with great presence.
• NVH felt as good as my petrol car.
• Excellent suspension.
• Clutch was light, and got decent feedback too.
• Pickup felt good it starts from about 1500 RPM and gave a smooth surge till about 3500. I could not go beyond that due time constraints and road conditions. Engine had muted note, felt good all the way I could rev. There is a lag below 1500 RPM.
• Seats are excellent, the back rest support which was there in all 4 captain seats, 2 front and 2 middle was even appreciated by my Mom.
• 3rd row comfort was good.
• I liked the Instrument cluster design, details and the color tft with graphics. Wrap around LEDs at the back looked stunning.
• Steering felt good to hold, excellent leather wrapping, finish and perfect size. I was confident driving the car the moment it started to roll. Steering is a bit heavy at crawling speed then becomes light and starts weighing up again as you gain speed further.
• The alloys looked really attractive and sturdy.
• The under body was clean with no hanging parts, looked very neat!
• Over all the body claddings on the inside looked better put together and the quality of materials used was good. Zest, Tiago, and now Hexa the quality is moving up. A thumbs up for paint quality, panel gaps.
• 6 Airbags in top trims is peace of mind.
• That Harman ICE can be stolen from the car by one's neighbour 😉 Just Awesome! You won't be ever bored listening to it!

Dislikes-

• ICE display size and resolution needed an upgrade. Touch screen should have been capacitive. It would have given even better look to the centre console and made it more usable.
• Driver side arm rest is an eyesore and a big design let down.
• No dead pedal, a bad miss.
• Co driver foot well is a bit cramped.
• 'A' pillars both left and right had slight gaps on the top where it meets the roof lining - QA has to stop these misses, thumbs down for that!
• 3 charging ports but not a single place to keep a smartphone, a very bad miss.
• Gear shifts are a bit rubbery, but should not be a deal breaker a slicker one would have certainly added to the overall delivery of the car.
• One will need to climb into this vehicle, that is not much a negative but something to keep in mind if you need less agile people to board the car frequently.

Some nit pickings -

• The vehicle is heavy and has a lot of iron. That could make it slow off the blocks. I felt, at lower speeds it could be left behind by other lesser powered vehicles. But it can pull clean from pretty low RPM no judders! I was dead slow on the ramp to the showroom, pretty steep, in 2nd gear it pulled up cleanly!
• It's a hive of technology one may never know if half of them ever worked, it's so much loaded. For example brake prefill and hydraulic brake assist it will be tough to know if these are in working state by a layman like me. I don't want to sound negative but it's loaded with goodies that can go bad or can give a very enriched experience. Going by Zest experience hope these circuits will be stable!

Overall that VFM quotient will be there in all likelihood when it's finally launched....all the best to the Hexa team.

Some pictures below






A little X-Mas Gift from the big brother to Zest


The stunning LED tail lights those are made by LG


The leather seats are simply majestic.

Yes it was available and I had a look at it yesterday morning. I wouldn't dwell much on the looks and the rest of the aspects since there is a lot of feedback on them. I was looking for two aspects mainly: The third row comfort and the luggage space with the third row up. I am happy with the comfort aspect of the third row,especially when the second row has captain seats since one can stretch at least one of the legs.Even otherwise it is okay. The luggage space would be enough for a couple of soft travel bags. Again this also is okay with me.

I got different information on when the test rides will start.:Frustrati One person said that it will be available in a couple of days whereas another said it will be during the first week of Jan 2017. Only when I ride the manual and AT version I can decide whether to go ahead with the purchase. Of course clincher will be the price.

I think the event on 28th December is the launch of Kite 5 compact sedan.

I hope the launch is done with decent fanfare and a few days of full scape adverts before the D day.

Coming back to topic :
I wonder if Tata deliberately allowed Hexa's kerb weight to be heavy for a sensible reasons like :

a) Reinforced Chassis Crossbeams - this prevents any possible flex in the (LoF) Ladder on Frame chassis. Moreover they've improved the suspension, hence the increased sturdiness reduces bumpy ride. It could be thought of as old school, but if old school works well without complications, then I personally believe old school is best.

b) It would definitely outdo Innova Crysta on a Moose Test.

c) Crosswinds. It's often ignored, but MUVs are large vehicles. A heavier vehicle would be affected much less, thereby lending the feeling of driving a vehicle thats more planted when doing higher 3 digit speeds.

These may be the top 3 as far as I can guess. I'm not at all unimpressed with the product clap: Now waiting for my next test drive.

Also, a request to many members giving their insights, since things may be subjective it'll help greatly in terms of perspective if you'll could try finding a point of comparative reference with other MUVs. If possible, just saying.

Yea, my query to them was brief & straightforward and not at all as a request to accommodate for anything special on the basis of being a member here. :)

Tata is leaving no stones unturned to show case the Hexa Capabilities and handling. Enjoy this video of Hexa on two wheels.

https://youtu.be/iQ0M5dMSHl4