[sourabhzen]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

That is absolutely true. I agree to your point where we often compare ourselves to others to feel better. What I am saying is that we should not be policed on what we drive when there are much MUCH greater offenses being committed on the environment on a much larger scale. I am against the whole diesel ban and restrictions imposed on older cars. Truth is I am a die-hard car guy so I will defend the ICE to death even if I may be wrong

Same here, I am waiting for this ban to get over to get my Storme. At the same time I want policing not only for us but also for the larger corporations and state run organisations.

[ksameer1234]

Originally Posted by hillsnrains

As per my resources in TATA ERC(engineering research center) launch will not happen in July and most likely in August. As per them, higher ups are tight lipped on launch dates.

Hope this will help.

From what I have heard from people in these departments, the release of Hexa is now just a "business decision". What I feel this indicates is that Hexa is ready for launch and is only being delayed because of other issues such as marketing etc.

Originally Posted by CARDEEP

I believe it's the ban over 2000cc diesel engines that taken Tata to drawing board... they are prepping 2000cc engine which is dependable like the current lot of Tata (than older ones).

I don't think there is any doubt that Varicor 400 is what Hexa will launch with. To counter the diesel ban, there are some exciting developments but won't come up in the next 6-9 months.

[2000rpm]

I think the Launch of BRV on one end and Cresta on the other must have got the management thinking about the positioning of the car.

XUV, Duster, Creta had already posed enough challenges to Hexa.

[hillsnrains]

Originally Posted by VeluM

If the higher ups are tight lipped about the launch dates then how do they know it is delayed, and what is the source of their information? Sounds more like conjecture to me.

All I wanted to say is, getting information related to HEXA is difficult. My source inputs are from cafeteria/personal chats.

On a side note, I was with TML ERC between 2004-07 and some of my colleagues are Assistant General Manager's in ERC at present.

[RavenAvi]

Originally Posted by Black_Beast

Did launch date slip another 2 months?

Originally Posted by tifosikrishna

As it stands, earliest we can expect is August.

Originally Posted by asr245

I have now seen this vehicle so many times that I am now bored even before it's launched.

Originally Posted by VeluM

I meant what is to say that the car will be launched in August at all? Might even be delayed further to Diwali?

Called up my Tata birdie and got this info:

"They are testing a newly-developed and re-engineered VariCor engine for the Hexa for the past one month or so, which can be sold in the Delhi market. All Hexa prototypes currently being tested are with this new engine. Team is trying to extract maximum power figures from it without significant drop in fuel economy, and also working on keeping NVH levels down. Scheduled launch was for last week of July 2016, but now you can expect a delay of around a month. I would say that the Hexa will be in showrooms by August-end or early-September. It is definitely the next big launch from Tata Motors."

[nkrishnap]

Originally Posted by 2000rpm

I think the Launch of BRV on one end and Cresta on the other must have got the management thinking about the positioning of the car.

XUV, Duster, Creta had already posed enough challenges to Hexa.

Of all the vehicles you have mentioned only XUV is comparable in the segment where HEXA would be launched. Duster, Creta BRV are all pretending to be SUVs. They are neighter a proper car nor a proper SUV/MUV. They are pseudo at best.

HEXA must be launched with a killer price tag to grab attention, then go on to increase the price in small installments just like how Toyota and Mahindra do with their cash cow products.

[Latheesh]

Why don't they launch the Hexa with current Varicor engine and launch redesigned engine for Delhi later? I do not think people worry much about diesel engine ban unless they are in the market for a used vehicle. Just look at the Innova Crysta sales figure, and we can see ban/related issues do not have much impact on sales.

[nkrishnap]

Originally Posted by Latheesh

Why don't they launch the Hexa with current Varicor engine and launch redesigned engine for Delhi later? I do not think people worry much about diesel engine ban unless they are in the market for a used vehicle. Just look at the Innova Crysta sales figure, and we can see ban/related issues do not have much impact on sales.

Exactly. They should launch the 2.2 Litre one nation wide and introduce the sub 2000cc in Delhi and Kerala a couple of months later.

On another note, I would not mind if the engine is a 2.0 MJD II that they are testing.

[tifosikrishna]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

Called up my Tata birdie and got this info:

Thanks.

They are testing a newly-developed and re-engineered VariCor engine for the Hexa for the past one month or so,..

But this plan to launch an under tested engine goes against the very grain of what TATA aims to achieve with Horizonext strategy right, i.e. reliability & trust. Any issue with new (under tested) product will not only be suicidal for Hexa but for other releases as well. Whatever momentum/customer confidence achieved with Tiago will also be nullified.

Would be wise to launch tested 2.2 & later launch 'well tested' sub 2 engine.

My 2 cents.

[RavenAvi]

Originally Posted by Latheesh

Why don't they launch the Hexa with current Varicor engine and launch redesigned engine for Delhi later?

Originally Posted by nkrishnap

Exactly. They should launch the 2.2 Litre one nation wide and introduce the sub 2000cc in Delhi and Kerala a couple of months later.

Originally Posted by tifosikrishna

Would be wise to launch tested 2.2 & later launch 'well tested' sub 2 engine.

I am told that the Hexa is fully ready for launch with the 2.2L heart since April.

Maybe this is the reason why they postponed the launch and proceeded to re-engineer the 2.2L, 400Nm VariCor for fresh testing in the Hexa since May 2016.

The hearing and final decision by the NGT on extending the diesel ban to 15 more cities (practically half of India) is scheduled for July, and it would be unwise to launch the 2.2L Hexa in the same month when/if the diesel ban is extended.

Could be a case of "wait, watch and decide" by Tata.

[kalleo4]

Tata HEXA- Base variant without foglights / DRLs spied

Source: http://www.rushlane.com/tata-hexa-ba...-12199885.html

[mrbaddy]

Base Variant of Tata Hexa spied.

A camouflaged prototype of the Tata Hexa base variant has been spotted by one of our readers, Rushikesh Jagtap. This particular variant makes do without the fog lamps and bumper mounted LED strips.

The test mule appears to be sporting the finalized aesthetic package. Compared to the top-end variant showcased at the Expo, this one lacks glossy finish for the grill and secondary air dam.

Source: Rushlane

[tifosikrishna]

Tata Motors Hexa launch to be delayed - source Overdrive.

"Tata Motors has or had two big launches slated for 2016.

The first was the Tiago whose launch date kept getting deferred since 2015. The second is the Hexa whose expected launch, as indicated to us by Mayank Pareek, MD, Tata Motors, was supposed to have been the second half of 2016. We have recently learnt that the Hexa launch is also deferred indefinitely. While the Tiago was plagued by the Zica virus, a name it shared before being changed to Tiago, the Hexa is being plagued by the National Green Tribunal’s call to ban diesel engines above 2-litre capacity in the National Capital Region and Kerala. OVERDRIVE has now learnt that there are strong indicators the ban may extend to a few more cities and that is raising doubts whether the Hexa will make it to showroom floors or not.

The problem is that the Hexa is powered by the Tata Varicor diesel engine, a direct injection variable geometry turbocharged diesel motor displacing 2,179cc. That is a 179cc more than the hotly debated 2,000cc engine displacement mark that is attracting the ire of the National Green Tribunal. Tata Motors does not have an engine in its line-up under 2.0 litres that is capable of powering the Hexa comfortably. A similar problem also affected Mahindra but it was quick to respond and drop engine capacity from 2.2 litres to 1.99 litres or just a shade under 2.0 litres. Tata Motors, however, hasn’t been able to respond quickly enough to the NGT’s demand, as a result the Hexa may suffer. It would seem prudent at this time for Tata Motors to defer the launch of the Hexa. Even if the NGT levies an environment cess on vehicles powered by engines larger than 2.0 litres, word on the street is that the percentage increase in cost may ruin the Hexa’s chance to succeed in the market.

The Hexa is based on the same platform as the Aria, but it’s slated to be the flagship premium SUV in the Tata Motors stable. Tata Motors has been betting heavily on the Hexa, which made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in 2015 followed by a showcase at the 2016 Auto Expo in India. The Tata Hexa would be positioned above the Tata Safari Storme. In addition, the Hexa will offer a variety of off-road driving modes similar to sister concern Land Rover. In fact, the selector panel on the centre stack seems to be a direct lift-off from Land Rover. It offers driving abilities on grass, gravel, snow and other harsh conditions where no 2WD SUV would be able to go. That, of course, increases the appeal of the Hexa. It would have also helped the manufacturer gain a lot of confidence before it comes out with a slew of new products aimed at the SUV segment in 2017 through 2018.

Worse, Tata Motors may be unable to sell the Aria, Safari Storme and even the Xenon in these markets. All these three vehicles are also powered by the same 2.2-litre Varicor diesel engine. Tata Motors is having a tremendous run of bad luck — all of it from various market factors but not from its own making.

Tata Motors has been working on re-engineering its existing engines to reduce their displacement to below 2 litres, confirmed by Girish Wagh, senior vice president of programme planning and project management, passenger vehicle operation. The same would be the powertrain choice for the Hexa and the company’s upcoming heavier and larger offerings. However, considering that the development of these engines will take time and won’t appear in the company’s portfolio anytime soon, there is no certainty on the same appearing on the Hexa.

We did try reaching out to Tata Motors for an official comment on the same. However, the only response we received was that there is no timeline finalised for the commercial launch of the Hexa. Safe to say that as soon as the whole diesel engine ban issue is cleared up, we would hear more from Tata Motors on the Hexa."


http://overdrive.in/news/tata-motors...to-be-delayed/

[Latheesh]

To all those marketing brains at TATA Motors

May 2016 Sales Numbers
Innova Crysta - 7269
Mahindra XUV - 2264

And take a next flight to Kerala and take a road trip to see the number of Innova Crysta on Kerala roads. I spotted more number of Crysta on Kerala roads than Bangalore.

Looks like Hexa has some serious issue which is holding them from launching it. These reasons and explanations do not hold water.

[VeluM]

Originally Posted by tifosikrishna

We did try reaching out to Tata Motors for an official comment on the same. However, the only response we received was that there is no timeline finalised for the commercial launch of the Hexa. Safe to say that as soon as the whole diesel engine ban issue is cleared up, we would hear more from Tata Motors on the Hexa."

Sounds a story made up to fill some news space/column inches. They reached out to Tata, Tata said "no comment" or something to that effect, and cue conjecture to fill in the blanks. This train of thought has already been discussed on this very thread.

Also, Take Toyota as an example. Their highest grossers are the Innova and Fortuner, neither of which have an engine below 2L, and one can safely assume that a 2.7L petrol powering either of them will NOT see many takers.

On the other hand, Toyota does sell the same vehicles in other markets, so it may be that they are indifferent to the risk at this time.

Tata, just go ahead and launch it with the current (heavily tested) engine, and keep developing another on the side.