[nvldvr]

Originally Posted by Drlmtukkar

Hi guys. After a lot of hunting and praying, finally managed to get a Hexa XTA in Tungsten Silver with captain seats. By God's grace I'm getting a 2020 manufactured Hexa BS4 with a 1lakh discount + some referral discount from a friend. Thanks to all of you for your guidance.
One query-- as far as I know, dealers collecting handling charges is illegal. Can the experts shed light on this? They've put handling charges as Rs.7000/- in my quote.

I insisted that I will not pay any handling charges, and my dealer removed them without much of a fuss.

[krishnakarthik1]

Did a small 1000 kms trip to our hometown for Sankranti. Flawless as usual with at least 6 members on board all the time.

For a temple trip of about 20 kms we loaded the beast with 11 folks. Me driving, 1 adult and 2 kids in the front. 4 in the middle and 2 kids and an adult in the back.

Every time a respectable person would visit us our relatives would make him sit in the Hexa even though there was an Octavia available. It's like giving that person respect.

In some patches of bad road where Hexa glided, the Octavia bottomed out big time. Even though the Octavia owner is putting up a brave face, I can see some serious service center time and expense in his eyes because we bhpians have x-ray vision.

[destrukt]

Need help on footstep fitting.

I ordered 2019 model footstep from Chandru. Looks quite good in person, I must say.



But later I found myself in a soup when the mechanic at Poona Motors could not fit it after trying for more than an hour.
The fact that we were doing it in the dark and without a ramp didn't help either.
Now he simply refuses to work upon it saying it would waste his time and he is blaming it on the clamps.

Can anyone in Pune who has fitted this footstep recently share his mechanic/shop details ?

[NitinDev]

Enabled auto folding mirrors. 10min job. Two options to be enabled for mirror close/open.

[Maverick']

Did not know of auto folding ORVMs in my 6mths old Hexa till now. 2 days back discovered it when I saw the mirror folding once car is locked. What a shame

[Satshan]

Originally Posted by destrukt

Need help on footstep fitting.
I ordered 2019 model footstep from Chandru. Looks quite good in person, I must say. Can anyone in Pune who has fitted this footstep recently share his mechanic/shop details ?

Hi Destrukt, I have fitted my side steps from Genuine Accessories, Sadashiv Peth. Chose M-Tek Brand with Silverdrop design. Very sturdy, looks nice and fits the car perfectly.

Cost: Rs. 10000 including fitting.
Shop Address: 1691, Shankar Prasad, Tilak Road, Sadashiv Peth, Pune
Contact Name: Rahul Thanekar
Contact: 98228 60542

If you need assistance with fitting, you can contact them, hopefully they should be able to help you. If you have an option to return the side steps, please do so and buy it from the above shop. I have also done Seat covers, Floor Lamination from this shop and will be sharing the pictures soon. From my experience, Mr.Rahul is a very honest person, transparent with the work and pricing is economical too.

Attaching few pictures of my side steps.

[TROOPER]

Originally Posted by TROOPER

Finally! Took delivery of our Hexa XT 4X2 June 2019 Make last evening.

Dealer is Inderjit Cars, Mira Bhayandar....

So we've been having quite a roller coaster of an ownership for the past two weeks.

Grab your popcorn, it's going to be long.

Delivery evening: Had told the SA during PDI to iron out some issues. As expected he didn't bother. These were minor stuff only Bhpians would notice. So I didn't make a scene for that.

Later on D Day: Was excited. So went for a drive alone around 10.30 pm. Air con off and no music. Windows rolled down. Everything is great. Hit a patch of rough road and I hear some squeaks from the dashboard! You have to roll up the windows to hear it. I try to ignore. Thinking its a figment of my imagination. But no, it's there. Even on undulating roads, not just bad roads.

Day 3: Spray WD 40 on door handles and they smoothen out. On hinges too. They're smoother now.

Day 4: Go for a 70 km drive. Notice a heartbeat feeling while depressing the clutch. (Rogue flywheel?)

Day 5: Have a chat with the GM of Inderjit TASS. He asks to come over. Prepare to leave for TASS to fix the squeaking issue. Start the car and the drive mode selector lights up like a christmas tree. Check engine light is on! Drive over to TASS. No issues with the power delivery on the way. The GM says we just need to reflash the ECU. And it works. Then they check the suspension and find the right suspension bush to be rubbing against the chassis. That was the squeaking! They realign it. Squeaking gone. There's a rubber stopper on the concealed portion of the wiper cowl. The left one was missing. I pointed out the same and they had it in stock! I asked to update the ICE. It was Jan 2019 version. And the GM point blank says that's the latest. I wonder how's that possible considering the 7 inch ICE was introduced in March 2019. Have a chat with SA about the clutch and he says everything's fine. The service was 8/10. God knows where these guys were during PDI. Well, either no PDI was done (obviously) or the management and technicians changed overnight.

Day 8: We leave for Mangalore. Have planned a halt at Honnavar. Everything is fine till we reach Khambatki (Satara) Ghat. I start hearing a faint rattle. Now the problem is, the cabin is so silent, you could hear a dog fart from outside the car if the engine is running below 1700 rpm. So I try to ignore it. We stop for refreshments and I restart the car. Android auto is malfunctioning. I 'flick' the wiper stalk and only water jets come out and no wiper movement. Go ahead for a Km. Restart the car. NO. Wipers won't budge. Same with the rear wiper. They do move when you flick the stalk in the single swipe mode. The rattle is irritating in the meantime. I stop, get out and it sounds scary. Turn off the car. Wait for a couple of minutes. Restart, rattle gone. Now we drive another 500 kms without any sounds. Just some slight sound from the front right suspension. But you'd have to work your ears hard to hear it.

Day 9: Start off at around 6.20 am. Fill up the tank. Distance covered is 840 kms. Mileage is 15.4. We're content and impressed. Not bad for a 2.2 ton truck. Start the car post filling gas. And there's a faint screeching sound on start up. The rattle is back! Go a couple of metres ahead. Turn off the car. Wait for a minute. Start the car. No drama during or after cranking. We move on. Attend a function. Turn the ignition and nothing. I pray to the Gods. A couple of relatives are seated. Wait for a minute. Crank again, it starts without drama. We move on.

Day 10: Go to Kateel temple. Get pooja done. Move on to Tass here in Mangalore. Tell them about the wiper issue. And the SA pulls on the wiper and the wipers are in action! So I was flicking the stalk for a second or two and letting it go (like I used to in the Dzire). So the wipers wouldn't budge. Apparently you have to pull on the stalks for over 3 seconds and then the wipers spring in action. They update the ICE to the latest version. Nothing special. March 2019 version. Experience 10/10.

Day 11: Leave for our native village from Mangalore. Couple of relatives in tow. Halt at a spot to pick up a relative. Turn off the car. Relative comes after couple of minutes. Try starting the car. Won't budge! Starts in the 4th attempt. Uneventful day post that. Just relatives raving about the build and ride. Little did they or I know about the impending issue.

Day 12: Relatives are gone. We stay back at our ancestral home. I start discussing the starting issue with my dad. Our plan was to leave for Mumbai within 3 days from our native village. We try starting the car, hoping to hear that cameoing screech. Screech is heard and car doesn't start. Car finally starts in the 4th attempt. We decide to take the car back to Mangalore TASS the next day. Call them up and SA tells to have a chat with RSA. We call up RSA and 2 chaps turn up within 45 mins! They try starting the car. Their boss is on the phone. They immediately deduce that the starter motor has conked off. They also say there's a chance of the flywheel being a collateral damage. RSA service 10/10

Day 13: I pray while cranking and the engine fires up on first attempt. We go to Mangalore. Drop the car at TASS. SA tells the same. Starter motor has conked off. Gives us a heads up that don't expect the car for the next 5-6 days parts need to come from Pune.

Day 14: We revisit TASS. SA tells there's slight damage to the flywheel. Both would be replaced and they're awaiting approval from TATA.

So two weeks and the car has almost spent 2 full days at TASS. Will be there for the entirety of 3rd week too I guess.

It's just irritating. How can a starter motor fail so early? Or is it the flywheel which was rogue leading the starter motor to conk off? I don't know what the guys in the factory are upto. Our car is a June 2019 make and there's none of those speed limit chimes and indicators. As much as I don't want them, makes me wonder what else is missing. Our SA told he'll update the ECU to the latest version before delivery.

The whole experience has been a mixed ball. For all the flack TASS gets, its TASS and RSA that have stood out (until now) and the product (factory finish) which has faltered. For now, I would rate the factory work, QC & PDI a -10 and TASS & RSA a +8.

Product issues:
Suspension squeak : Resolved
Faint unknown noise from front right side of suspension on bad roads : Unresolved
Fitment issues - Instrument cowl, panel beneath steering rack, HMSL cover panel : Unresloved
Starter motor & Flywheel replacement : Underway

Product Pros:
Efficient highway cruiser
Solid build
Presence
Comfort
Ride quality (subject to tire pressure on extremely bad roads) You could discredit the Hexa's ride quality as overrated. Even I am guilty of that. But that is only till you notice how much other vehicles slow down over bad patches and you are flying over.


Would like to thank bhpian ram87pune, and the THOR groups in helping to hold on to my sanity in this roller coaster of an ownership period.

[padmrajravi]

Originally Posted by TROOPER

So we've been having quite a roller coaster of an ownership for the past two weeks.

Really feel sorry for your bad experience Trooper. You should make all kinds of noises to reach to TML higher management.

It is time Tata acknowledge this. There are some serious problems in their factory quality assurance process. It doesn't matter where it is a new product or an established product in case of Tata, you have to be really lucky to have a niggle free product. The number of cars with niggles per 100 cars is simply higher in case of a Tata when compared to peers. It is time they fire their quality control department head.

Designing is one thing; adhering to approved designs and creating a repeatable process to manufacture as per designs is a completely different thing. You can not succeed without getting both right.

[Satshan]

Here is the list of modifications for my Hexa XM+. Attaching detailed pictures along with the work description. This is going to be a bit long, kindly bear with me.

Shop Name: Bafna Cars Accessories & Decor
Accessories Fitted: Luggage Carrier, Damping sheets, Sun films & Door visors (more details below)
Shop Address: Ghole Road, ShivajiNagar, Pune.
Contact Number: 020 2553 9585, 9922948080

1. Luggage Carrier:
Hexa has a very small boot with all 3 rows up. Hence decided for a quality Lugguage carrier for those long highway trips. It has a complete aluminium construction, sturdy build and can carry weight upto 65 kgs. Installation time was around 45 minutes.
Brand: M-Tek
Cost: 9500/-



Installation process






Final look on the car. Looks stylish and serves the purpose.





2. Side Door Damping sheet (Sound Insulation)
These sheets cover 4 side doors. They had to remove each door panel, stick the damping sheets and ensured every small gap was covered. Took around 1 hour to complete the job. Work was done very professionally.

Results: Car feels much quieter after installation. Significant improvement in audio quality with very less traffic noise filtering into the cabin. Feels well worth the money spent.
Brand: STP
Cost: 7800/- (8 damping sheets)

STP damping sheet


Installation job


3. Sun Control Films
I have installed Sun Control Films on Front Windshield, side windows and tailgate window.
Brand: Lumar Air 80 (Front windshield)
Solar Shield Ruby 70 (Side windows and tailgate window)
Cost: 13000/-

Results: Post installation, cabin cools a lot quicker. Ensured lighter shade with higher transparency level and lesser tint. Great improvement in heat rejection. Visibility during night driving is evenly good.

4. Door Visors
Decent quality and very useful during Rainy season. Fits perfectly and looks nice covering the side windows.
Brand: Galio
Cost: 1300/- for 4 piece set.






Shop Name: Care IT Detailerz Pvt. Ltd.
Treatment: Ceramic Coating
Address:Shop no. 1,Deepak Dev CHS,Near Kotbagi Hospital, Aundh, Pune
Owner Name: Mr. Saurabh Kulkarni
Contact Number: 078756 92692

Few points to note:
1. Cost varies depending on your vehicle's existing paint condition.
2. I had to keep my vehicle overnight for the ceramic application to dry out properly.
3. Car wash on daily basis (especially by cleaners who splash water every morning and rub the car's surface heavily) should be avoided. This causes lot of minute scratches and circular marks on the exterior of the car.
4. Use a good quality Duster to remove the dust every 3-4 days.
5. Pressure wash can be done post 1 month of ceramic coating.



Following procedure was followed:
Step1: Pressure wash to remove dust particles and mud.
Step 2: Claying for decontamination of paint surface
Step 3: Rubbing process for paint correction
Step 4: Compounding
Step 5: Polishing for enhancing the gloss
Step 6: Precleaning or surface preparation which removes oil and waxes from surface and makes surface adhesive for coating application
Step 7: Ceramic coat application for sealing the gloss and protection layer.

My Experience:
Mr Saurabh, the owner is a very humble and friendly person. He was transparent in the whole process and explained each step in detail. They even shared pictures and video while the work was being done. Post completion, the surface had a mirror finish with ultimate gloss effect. Their team did an excellent job and I would definitely recommend them. Rest, the pictures will tell the story..
























Shop Name: Darshan Tyres
Accessories Fitted: Tyres Exchange
Shop Address: Balaji Infinity, Balewadi Rd, Prathamesh Park, Baner, Pune
Contact Name: Mr. Uday
Contact: 95525 62621
Exchange cost: Rs.10200 (set of 4 tyres)

I had pre-planned to get them exchanged at a tyre dealer in Pune. Right after next day of the delivery, I went to Darshan Tyres for getting the existing tyres exchanged. Hexa comes shod with 235/70 R16 Bridgestone Dueler H/T 689 tyres. Purchased Michelin LTX Force (same tyre profile). The manufacture encoding was Aug 2019.

Opted for Michelins due to following reasons:
1. Superior ride quality & more comfortable drive.
2. Braking distance especially under wet road conditions in much better.
3. Advance tyre tread design helps water channeling.
4. Tyre runs much quieter, hence lesser road noise.
5. Higher speed Rating. (T Rating compared to S Rating for Bridgestones)

The Shop


New set of tyres


Tyre specifications


Tread comparison (Left is Bridgestone Dueler vs Right side is Michelin). If you notice carefully, Michelin feels more wider than Bridgestones though they are of the same profile size.


Fitting process


Pic post installation. Those shoes definitely gives the beast, a more macho look.


Will be updating remaining modifications in next post..

[Palio_2005]

@Satshan - congrats on the purchase and mods. Isn't sun film illegal ?

[Reinhard]

Originally Posted by Palio_2005

@Satshan - congrats on the purchase and mods. Isn't sun film illegal ?

Shushh! Yes it is. However - he has installed a very transparent one. I doubt if anybody will ever notice that there is a film. Especially on a car in motion.

[TROOPER]

Originally Posted by padmrajravi

Really feel sorry for your bad experience Trooper. You should make all kinds of noises to reach to TML higher management.

I don't know how to do that. Sent a mail to customer care and Subhajit Roy, Head Customer Care(Service & Spare Parts). Neither have had the courtesy to revert.

Called customer care and all they are willing to do is push the issue on to the dealer and wash their hands off. Not willing to forward to higher ups.

All I can hope for is that the TASS in Mangalore does a neat job and no more issues crop up.

[Satshan]

Continuing further with the modification list.

Shop Name: Genuine Car Accessories
Accessories Fitted: Seat Covers, Floor Lamination, Side steps (Already mentioned in my last post)
Shop Address: 1691, Shankar Prasad, Tilak Road, Sadashiv Peth, Pune
Shop Owner: Mr Rahul Thanekar
Contact number: 98228 60542



1. Seat Covers:
They have a variety of seat covers like PU leather, Nappa Leather & Branded Leather. Chose Nappa Leather seat covers with Tan/Coffee Brown combination. They provide leather covers at wholesale rate. Stitching order was given 3 days prior and the dealer called me once the covers were ready. Workmanship was excellent and fitting was perfect.
Cost: Rs.10000 including fitting

Hexa's original fabric seats (Grey color)


Seat installation




Seat Look post installation










A closer look at the leather material..


2. Floor Lamination:
Chose CTrack NXT 3d Automotive flooring. Fits perfectly to the entire base floor of the car, has Full velcro fitting, easily mouldable, light-weight and super easy to clean.
Brand website: http://ctracknxt.in/product.html
Cost: Rs.4000 including fitting.

CTrack Branding Cover


Lamination installation:








Other Miscellaneous products:

1. Noodle matting: Got customized noodle mats for each row from a local Matting shop. Chose Maroon color. They took exact measurement according to the foot-well area, cut the mats and placed them in all three rows including boot.
Cost. Rs.2000 including fitting.





2. Diety Idol:
Bought Ganesha idol from shops nearby Dagdusheth Ganpati in Pune. The idol has splendid detailing and artistry.
Cost: Rs. 600/-



3. Driver Armrest:
Hexa's company fitted armrest is quite short in length and isnt useful for most drivers. Hence ordered this one from Amazon.in. This is extremely comfortable for long drives. It has 2 straps that can be fitted to the existing armrest. Resting the arm while changing the gears is a smooth operation now. Highly recommended.
Brand: Pegasus Premium 3D PU Leather Armrest
Cost: Rs.799/-









4. Car Seat pocket:
The center console area in the Hexa does not have any storage area for coins, mobile phones, wallet, etc. This one proves very useful and tucks right in between the passenger seat and center console. Its made of PU leather with Red stitching. Looks great and does the job well. Ordered it from Amazon too.
Brand: Defenna Car Seat Pocket
Cost: Rs.634/-





5. Blind spot Mirrors (set of 2)
I haven't installed these yet. These will surely help to get a good view of vehicles in blind spot, especially 2 wheelers. Ordered from amazon.
Brand: AutoMaze 2 pc Wide Angle convex mirrors
Shape: Oval
Cost: Rs. 425/-



6. Car Duster:
This duster has wax treated cotton threads that trap dust without leaving any scratchmarks. We need to use it only on dry area. Its easily washable too. This duster was recommended to me by the detailer guys. Available on Amazon.
Brand: Jopasu
Cost: 600/-



I hope this list will be useful for our fellow bhpians. Thanks

[Satshan]

Originally Posted by Palio_2005

@Satshan - congrats on the purchase and mods. Isn't sun film illegal ?

Yes it is. I was reluctant before the installation and hence requested the dealer to install only if they have sunfilms with maximum transparency level and lowest tint. In the daytime, its really unnoticeable unless you look very carefully. Quality-wise too, its really good.

[hexamaniac]

Originally Posted by Satshan

...

3. Driver Armrest:
Hexa's company fitted armrest is quite short in length and isnt useful for most drivers...

Fantastic tips @Satshan thanks! I just ordered 2 of these items, the arm rest was especially just what I was looking for, enjoy your drives!