Tata showcased a close to production concept car at the Auto Expo 2020. Well, actually there were 2 but today we are going to talk about the HBX subcompact SUV. Although the Tata HBX was scheduled for launch by the end of 2020, the launch might get delayed due to COVID19. But that does not prevent us from gathering information about the upcoming Tata car. Let’s take a look at what all we know so far about the HBX.
Tata HBX is based on IMPACT 2.0-design
It is based on the same philosophy as that of the Tata Altroz which makes it the next offering from Tata with the same basis. It will have split LED headlamps, flat bonnet skid plates and bumper-mounted indicators. Moreover, the HBX mini SUV is based on the same ALFA platform as the Tata Altroz. That translates to more cabin space, more headroom, more legroom and overall more comfort. And very similar to the Altroz, the HBX will have doors which will open to up to 90 degrees.
Petrol-only engine option
Tata might opt-out from the diesel engine on this one. We can expect Tata HBX to get the same 1.2-litre Revotron petrol engine that powers the Altroz, Tiago and Tigor. The 3-cylinder MPFI engine is capable of producing 85hp of power and a peak torque of 113Nm which is pretty decent for a subcompact SUV.
The Interiors of Tata HBX
Expected to be similar to Tata Altroz, HBX will get a semi-digital instrument cluster. As is visible in the image the speedometer is analogue while the rest of the data will be showcased in a digital manner.
The HBX will also get a touchscreen infotainment system which will be mounted on top of the dashboard. it will be a 7-inch screen and will support Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
We can expect the Tata HBX to have dual-tone interiors. Being a mini-SUV segment car, we can expect it to have a flatbed steering to add to the sporty look.
It will also be getting the Harmon Kardon music system that is known to be famous amongst the Tata cars. Given the segment, the most probable configuration will be a four-speakers with two or four tweeters making it a 6 speaker or 8 speaker system. This is not yet confirmed.
Cruise Control
The HBX will have a cruise control system making long distant and highway drives less taxing on the mind and body. Cruise control automatically controls the speed of the car. This will be a first-in-class feature for this segment.
Tata HBX, when launched, will rival against the Maruti Suzuki SPresso, Mahindra KUV100 and Maruti Ignis. We can expect to land a starting price of around ₹7lakhs although there is nothing official on it at present. We can also expect it to get an EV treatment like the Tata Nexon and the Altroz.
