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-   -   Our Big Boy: Tata Hexa XT 4x2 (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-drives-initial-ownership-reports/184562-our-big-boy-tata-hexa-xt-4x2-10.html)

After 2 months of test driving multiple Crossovers and SUV's and I had almost finalized the XUV, a fellow Bhp-ian suggested a HEXA test drive which I had skipped and had not considered. After the test drive there are no looking back, I was floored by the Ride Quality, its driving dynamics and the features available in the base model. HEXA XE is booked and eagerly waiting for the new Year. Quick Qs, the ECU update, should I ask my dealer to do that exercise before delivery, or being a newer manufactured model, the update would be dn already? Please advise.

You can speak out the name of the bhpian :D
Congratulations on booking the Hexa and wish you all the best!

It's a crime but I almost forgot ur Screen Name when writing the piece. Thanks a bunch for all the guidance. How are things down South?

Congratulations on your booking! XE is a real VFM package with good matte black RVMs and rear applique!
Regarding ECU, i understand that all new ones are coming with the updated one. You could still ask and verify the same. Am not sure if there's an update for XE by the way. Request other members to throw some light.

Update: Dampened the boot door to prevent woofer from rattling.

One of the owners had purchased a damping sheet and had installed it in the boot door panels and I thought of getting it done too at the same garage.

Placed an order for the damping sheet at 900Rs and received it on Friday:-
https://www.amazon.in/I-Copper-Dampi...+sheet+for+car

Drove to Paramount garage, JP Nagar and had the work completed in around 40 minutes.
Now the sound is just amazing with lower notes not loosing quality even at higher volumes and there are no rattles. No unwanted vibrations heard on the outside of the boot door either.

The woofer is actually very powerful and shakes up your innards when fed with the right beats and at the right volume (The MAX obviously!)
Its a shame TATA installed a powerful woofer back there and did not provide with any kind of damping at all and have just surrounded it with the sheet metal. I wish there was a way to show them the improvement in quality and have something done to the newer batches of Hexa!

Got confirmation from TATA, all the newer models come with the ECU updated. And from the VIN number found that the model is manufactured Nov 2017. Now the wait begins.

Nice to hear! Do post pics once you take delivery and will look forward to another ownership review!

After discussing with a few owners and also confirming from an SA at Prerana Motors, would like to put forward a fact that many owners of Hexa might have missed:-

In a regular car, slotting into reverse while moving forward is impossible and you will hear gears crushing against each other due to the opposite spins along with a huge vibration in the gear stick.
However, in the Hexa, no such thing happens. The gears easily slot into R irrespective of your speed!

Now why would someone engage R you might ask? Well, slotting into 6 from 5 is easy and you pull the knob straight down. However, few drivers tend to pause at the N and then slot into 6.

Now, going by Hexa's gear design, when you do this, R is right next to 6. If you overestimate the distance and slot into R, there is absolutely no resistance offered; you hear no sound. Only indication is that you hear a light beep and the camera comes on.

This could happen to any new driver who is not accustomed to Hexa. It already happened twice with me and a few friends and a couple of owners as well. It was the presence of mind that made us not release the clutch and immediately shift back to N, 5 or 6.

Now, is there a way to work around this problem? Else, i'll have to keep warning anyone who drives my car to watch out while shifting to 6!

Wow, now what sort of a design is that. I have an SCross 1.6 which is a 6speed. To engage the reverse, I need to lift the collar up which is present below the knob and shift to reverse. The 6 and R are side by side.

Hey Abhi, Were you at Japavathi Home stay, Sakleshpur for the new year's? I remember seeing a Hexa with LTD stickers on it. The photos in the last page look a lot like Japavathi.

Yes, i was at Japavathi home stay for the new year. Had been there with a few friends of mine. Were you there too?
The images in the previous page however are from another homestay in sirsi!

Yes, it would have helped if TATA had a similar mechanism for engaging R instead of having the regular design in place! Atleast a lock kinda thing would have been useful wherein the noise of grinding gears could alert the driver!

I was there too mate. I was witness to the splendid Harman sound system of the Hexa all through the night. You and your friends have some serious dancing skills though lol:. How did Hexa tackle the beaten up road leading to the home stay?

What? Lol! I was the one who was simply sitting and enjoying the moment, not dancing. Haha!
Yes, the car did great, specially on the loose gravelled hill road to the temple (cannot recall the name).
The road to the homestay too was okay but would have been fun if it was raining!
We should have met!

Yeah, we should have. Bettada Bhairaveshwara is the name of the temple I think. There were locals who were coming up that road in Alto's and 800's man. Crazy.

Yes we saw it too. But they generally park it near the temple. We decided to go all the way till the trail of the view point. But then, no one was in a mood to trek, so we came back down!