Team-BHP - Tata Hexa : Official Review

Awesome review as ever. Not in the market for a new car yet, but was looking at the Aria as a joint family vehicle earlier. Things have changed in the last 4 years (different job locations) that we no longer need a large vehicle.

The Vista is currently doing well at 98000 since 2012 with all the lugging I throw at it, moving packages up to 300 kilos without a squirm, on a regular basis. A clutch replacement and tyre change in the next 5000 kms, probably suspension bushes, it will be as good as new.

The Hexa is eye-catching, sadly not the one for me anymore. The Nexon might pull strings though, until then, the Vista carries on.

Brilliant as expected. Both the review and the Hexa!

I was grinning from ear to ear reading about insane race car mode of that PowerGlide transmission! Brake hard and the AT blips the throttle and can also downshift at 3400 rpm. All of this in a diesel people carrier. Sounds like a lot of fun and really cannot wait to drive it. And best of all, its not a dual clutch but a traditional torque converter. I guess we have found a pocket friendly companion for the ZF. And well, how can one expect anything less from a 6 speed AT shared with a Chevy Camaro. :D

I think Hexa is striking all the right notes. And hopefully, there is a bit of fortune on its side this time around. Cyrus Mistry aside, everything else is going well here. Crysta, Tucson and Fortuner is helping with their price and Tata couldn't have picked a better date for launch in 2017 with demonetization going full steam ahead. If Tata had launched the Hexa in November, the poor car would have been lost in all the noise without even been given a fighting chance.

Come 2017, people will think hard about spending money. Hmmm... A Fortuner @ 40 lakhs OTR! It just doesn't feel like a no brainier as it used to be, given the current economic climate. Tata just needs to fly that value flag at full mast to take advantage of the situation.

Let's consider the overall package here:

Impressive and totally fun A/T drive train
10/10 Ride quality + great crusing abilities
Loads of space and comfort
Reasonably loaded + Safe + Not so bad on road
Seats 6 at least. Those captain seats are gorgeous!
Brilliant 10 speaker system
Imposing presence
Should be able to do mild off-roading even without the drive modes

There are lot of people who are waiting to get such a car home without paying over the top. And this could well be another Tiago in the making if Tata play their cards well. They are sitting with a strong hand. And that's a very good start.

Well done Tata and all the best! :thumbs up

LED tail lamps from South Korea,
Brushed Aluminum surrounds on air vents from Germany,
Soft touch plastics from USA,
Seat covers from Germany

I'm assuming Tata gave a presentation to all journalists about where the interior components were sourced from. Did Tata mention why they opted for international suppliers for Hexa? I'm wondering about the cost benefit analysis of this move.

Critics of Hexa and Tata want this SUV to be priced at par with XUV 500 (model to model). Although Hexa definitely has better interiors (and a useable boot), I'm not sure if an average SUV customer appreciates interior quality finesse, and are willing to pay a premium for it.

Something like missing keyless entry and keyless engine start/stop stands out like a sore thumb - but the money spent on much better interiors (than XUV500) is generally missed out by critics / prospective customers.

How are the interiors of lower variants?

My goodness, this is the best T-Bhp review that I have seen. Filled with details. That's really a massive compliment, given how good normal T-Bhp reviews are.

"
4x4 sounds cooler, but 'AWD' badging would be more accurate
"
So it's NOT an offroader, then. Unlike the Thrill Of Driving review, which lauded its off-roading capabilities. I was certain that the variant to get on this would be the AT, but after watching the ToD video, I started shifting to MT 4x4. However, after reading this review, seems like the one to get now is the AT.

I worry that the folks over at Tata are reading these rave reviews, and will price this out of the market like they did with the Aria. If they try to take on the Crysta on pricing, they will have to remember that the resale on Tata vehicles is much lower, so if someone pays the same as a Toyota for a Tata, the cost-per-mile will be much higher on the Hexa. I think they can certainly take the XUV on - not the Crysta.

Oh mods, how you spoil us! The review was so wonderful, I almost felt like I owned the car for the minutes that I spent reading it! BHPians have credited your reviews in the past for saving them the 200-odd bucks of magazines, I should now credit this review for saving me the 20-odd lakhs of buying the car itself, :D getting to experience it so thoroughly on my phone! Hats off!

Of course, story itself also had to be worth telling so well. And the Hexa sure looks a promising story. Tata have played smartly, keeping the conventional Indian SUV-buyer's expectations intact (size, seven seats, features, diesel, chrome, etc) while executing the whole thing in a rather classy manner (that one may otherwise relate to Europeans), unlike say, Mahindra, who had gone a little overboard with their offering.

Apart from that, the review and the earlier reactions cover pretty much everything about the Hexa. However, there's one thing I noticed: the missing equipment. A start button, an auto-dimming IRVM, a larger touchscreen, built-in SatNav, reclining third row seats, sunroof, etc aren't bits that a manufacturer badly looking to make a mark would 'forget' to include in their flagship full-size crossover. Besides, except the Storme, all Tatas in recent memory have had class-leading equipment lists.
Are Tata holding back on the Hexa here? It is based off the Aria which has been around for a while, and hence cannot be expected to stay on forever to hold back features for facelifts.
However, they are expected to price the Hexa aggressively from the start, which may not play very well with their margins. So are they thinking of a top-end '+' trim in the near future, with taller pricing? Manufacturers have done that in the past, and if the Hexa gets strong demand, there's no reason Tata can't do it too.

Also, couldn't help but notice the fact that all media reviews and reports call the Hexa 'crossover', while the decidedly more car-like XUV (monocoque FWD) was blessed with the 'SUV' tag, following respective manufacturer speak. Reason?

Finally, hope the Hexa gets its share of sales too, and not just praises like the Zest and Bolt. However, the praises have already come by from everyone for the Hexa as well. This one looks like a hot contestant for the TBHPCOTY award this time.

Wow! Great review guys.

The car too looks wonderful. Really hope, Tata strikes it well this time round. Probably 1.5-2 years time is a good horizon to look out for this car as they would have ironed out major niggles by then. Thats when I will be in the market for a new car and boy does Hexa look good!!

However as has been repeated often here in this review and also other threads, we all know Aria was a great car too. Tata killed it with over enthusiastic pricing. I hope they get it right this time. Cant afford to see another sincere effort from them go to dust.

Also point to note is that XUV 500 is a successful model in the market and will be Hexa's chief competition. I dont know what should be the right price point for Hexa, but not sure if they could pull off a price much higher than XUV 500.

Great review as usual team. Kudos.

Being a XUV owner, I can say that the Hexa looks more matured and refined. Being a TATA, I am sure that the ride quality and comfort will be a notch above the XUV.

I am shocked that TATA is not offering the below features which are now available in the XUV W10 -

Sunroof
Powered driver's seat
Keyless entry and go (starter button)
Cornering headlamps

Also, I did not see any mention of TPMS in the review. I remember the Aria had it. What about the HEXA?

The performance being poor when compared to the XUV is a downer though. Also, the fact that you need to connect your phone via USB to access navigation is a huge disappointment. When the XUV is offering a big 7" integrated screen, this puny thing seems like an aftermarket fitment. When will TATA learn? The saving grace I guess is the good audio output.

Anyways, if the HEXA is priced on par with the XUV, I think its a no brainer even with all the above shortcomings. I simply looks a class above the over-styled XUV. But, if TATA decides to charge a premium of anything more than a Lac above the XUV, then it will mostly be a disaster again.

Just heard from Tata on the Brake Prefill (I remember there were some doubts on whether the Hexa has it or not).

Added to Other Points:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aditya (Post 4096465)

Other Points

• The Hexa offers 'Electronic Brake Prefill' on the ESP-equipped variants. The function is triggered after a sudden release of the accelerator pedal (may be due to an unexpected emergency situation). The system actively pre-fills the braking system to reduce the brake's response time. This might result in a shorter stopping distance.

One heck of a review guys....Kudos! IMHO THE most detailed review yet, which is all the more commendable given how little time you spent with the car. Rating 5 *

Hexa has the makings of a winner. Just hope TML is realistic with the launch price. Top end XTA at under 20L OTR and they have a winner! Anything more, and then doubts start creeping in the buyers mind because a few bucks more brings the endeavour within reach.

C'mon Tata....don't let us down this time. More importantly, don't let such a brilliant car down!

Quote:

Originally Posted by RavenAvi (Post 4096614)

I am glad I booked the XTA while overriding my temptation for those lovely multi-drive modes.

You are on a vehicle ownership bonanza Sir and I really envy you for that. 3rd-gen City -> 4th-gen City -> Creta -> Hexa (hopefully). Ritz -> Swift (for your dad).

Kudos to you Sir. I wish could be half as brave / decision taker as you.
Congrats for booking Hexa. clap:I hope Tata price it right and we witness another awesome ownership report from you.