Re: Tata Hexa : Official Review OK, so just had a test drive in the Tata Hexa (XTA) with Concorde Motors Mumbai. Am putting down my detailed views in this - though unfortunately, I have no images to share.
First the details:
1. It was an XTA (top-end AT) with no accessories attached
2. The TD started in Prabhadevi at their showroom, went around Worli, then over to the sea-face, over the sealink and back to the showroom
3. Didn't test the cruise control - but did test most other features
4. Could not test the app as I (and everyone in my family) have an iPhone
Exteriors:
We first saw the Safari Storme in the showroom and then the Hexa. Just no comparison. The Hexa owns this area. It looks stunning in physical form and has a very muscular feel. The XUV looks more masculine, but the Hexa oozes class and refinement even from the outside. The women in my family don't particularly fancy SUVs, but this one did interest them and earn approval.
The 19" wheels don't even look that large on the chassis, but the real wonder is that few believed me when I said the vehicle was bigger than the Crysta and the XUV. It's massive - but doesn't look it. Thumbs-up on design.
Negatives on the exterior are - as has been highlighted - the excessive use on chrome at the rear. I prefer dark / black and would have liked the smoked effect even if they did use chrome. Less chrome would have been appreciated, of course. Overall though, a winner among the competitors - Crysta and XUV don't measure up to this level
Interiors:
The interiors are plush and the cabin is very nice and comfortable. Get into the driver's seat and there's a massive sigh of relief at knowing that even a long drive would not tire you. The back and thigh support is excellent. I'm a short man (5'7) but prefer being closer to the wheels. Have knee issues from multiple surgeries and can't keep the seat far back. As such, I didn't assess the impact of the absence of telescopic steering. To me, the wheel felt very comfortable and easy to use. All 4 seats (we assessed only the front 2 rows of the 6-seater) were fantastic.
When alighting though, there was immediate discomfort with the fitting of the door knobs (for unlocking). Those felt loose. Not a deal-breaker, but a sign that the car is good enough for something like this to immediately stand out as a miss. The other major miss was the lack of support for iOS (what the eff?!? High-end vehicle with no support for iOS on the app? Genuine shocker and I hope they'll address this soon. Not much hope though given how much time they've already had before launch). My mother (she's short and has physical issues too) had a bit of a difficult time getting in (height), but nothing that a step wouldn't solve and no worse than any other UV.
Handling:
Superb. Within the main roads, the car moved with ease. People have commented about handling at low speeds, but this was not something I experienced. Having driven the Innova (old), Honda City and Corolla extensively (and all other competing UVs for a little bit), I felt this compared very well with the Corolla and far better than the City and Innova. On the sealink though was where the car really came into its own. I was already doing very high speed and cruising! Nobody realized how quickly the car accelerated and hit that mark.
Acceleration was a surprise. Given the weight, the fact that it's an AT and the diesel engine, I was expecting a lot less grunt. The torque really helps though and since I put the Hexa into "sports" mode, it really sprang forward. From 0-10, there was that lag that's typical of an AT+diesel, but beyond that, it was exceptional. Great experience.
Ride quality will be a key feature for this vehicle. It was far superior to anything I've experienced before - XUV, Crysta et al will struggle to match it. The transmission is genuinely great.
ICE:
Fantastic sound. Nothing more on the sound. The screen though...way too small for a vehicle this good. I'm big on ICE quality in a vehicle and this came close to making me reconsider my purchase decision - specially since there is no iOS app (yet, at least). I'd actually be willing to pay a lakh more if they'd add iOS support and in-built navigation.
Overall:
I liked the vehicle and will definitely purchase (booked it) at launch. The drive quality was exceptional. The niggles - and there are some - remain the absence of the iOS app, the small screen size and the door knob quality. The absence of space to keep a charging phone is a downer, but not a deal-breaker. If anything could stop me from buying, it would be the screen and navigation. For those that are really big on those, it may be better to wait or give the Hexa a miss. For those that don't bother about those as much, I can't think of any reason to not buy. I am - of course - banking on the quality to be as good as the Tiago, but based on internal inputs from TML, I am fairly certain I'm making the right choice.
Last edited by Eddy : 31st December 2016 at 20:57.
Reason: Removing reference to speeding on public roads
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