- Tata’s new premium hatchback will take on the Honda Jazz, Maruti Baleno and Hyundai Elite i20.
- Codenamed the 45X, it was showcased at the 2018 Auto Expo in the concept guise.
- To be underpinned by the new Alpha platform.
Tata showcased the 45X Concept at the 2018 Auto Expo along with the H5X SUV concept. The latter has been christened as the Harrier and is expected to be launched early next year. However, the 45X based premium hatchback will arrive by the middle of next year.
The 45X based hatchback will be Tata’s take on the premium hatchback segment dominated by the Hyundai Elite i20, Maruti Suzuki Baleno and Honda Jazz. It will make use of Tata's new Impact Design 2.0 language which will be first seen on the Harrier. Judging by the concept and test mules spotted already, we can guess that the hatchback will get a modern design with large wheels and prominent wheel arches. There will be the honey-mesh grille up front and we can expect a Tiago-like fascia rather than a Nexon-like one. We expect the 45X to have a good looking design akin to the new crop of Tatas.
The cabin will be spacious and feature loaded. There will be a floating touchscreen scrounged from the Nexon as confirmed by recent spy shots. Similar to the compact crossover, the infotainment screen will also be used as a reverse parking camera and might also be one of the biggest in its class. Most of the other elements inside the cabin will be shared with the upcoming Harrier.
Under the skin, the 45X hatchback will make use of the newly-developed Alpha platform. Powering it will be the same 1.2-litre turbo-petrol or the 1.5-litre turbo-diesel. It will be the same motor that does duty under the hood of the Nexon, sending power to the front wheels with the options of manual as well as automatic gearboxes.
When launched, the 45X-based hatch will be slotted into the demanding B+ segment. It is a highly competitive segment in the country at the moment owing to the recent segment shift. So Tata needs to burn the midnight oil if it wants to corner a large piece of this market. The new hatchback will be produced at carmaker’s Sanand facility in Gujarat.
