Team-BHP - Tata Hexa : Official Review
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Quote:

Originally Posted by JoshMachine (Post 4494303)
In my view, Tata will probably NOT want to cannibalize the Hexa so early in its product lifecycle with Harrier, given that Hexa enjoys the AT + 7-seater combination (among other things of interest) at a VFM price point as compared to competition. Obviously, the pricing will overlap for some or the other variant but largely the product differentiation between the two will be there for all to see.

Agree with this. I do not think Tata is going to position the Harrier top spec AT variant within touching distance of the Hexa top variant. They should much rather pit the yet to be launched, H7X against the top spec, yet to be launched face lift Hexa AT+AWD. And while pricing this yet to be launched H7X, they should put it above the Hexa face lift at close to 25 Lakh OTR or thereabouts.

Just speculating though. Aren't we all ..

I have been following this tread on Hexa keenly eyeing a purchase in next 3-6 months. I plan to keep the car for 7-10 years, all self driven.

While a Five-seater Sturdy built SUV (Creta, Ecosports etc)will meet my requirements, I figured that a 7 seater would provide more comfort on highway trips, mostly because I like to travel in groups (2 -3) families together, having all in one Car can make the trip more interesting. HEXA XTA seems to fit the bill perfectly and so I recently visited KHT Whitefield for a Test Drive.

While the Test drive was short, HEXA XTA appeared easy to drive, solid built quality and very spacious. However, some points that nudged me to put the decision on hold :-

1. 2.2 Tons of Weight, it is too much for me to take around Bangalore on a daily basis, I would feel guilty of the extra 400 kgs weight that I will carry and thus more fuel and more maintenance due to wear and tear. I sincerely hope that Tata Motors will do something about reducing the weight of the CAR - even by 10-15% will add more agility and life to the vehicle in long run.

2. Secondly, while at Showroom, I also happen to sit in the Nexon, the interiors of the Nexon look far ahead of HEXA. I am hoping that TML should be launching a refreshed HEXA with new updated interiors sooner to arrest the falling sales of HEXA.

3. The Staff at Showroom also recommended me to wait for the Harrier to launch, a wise suggestion as it was rumored then that a 7 seater Harrier may meet all my expectations, including a AT with new interiors and slightly lower weight.

With recent news on No AT and No 7 seater for Harrier, I am keeping my fingers crossed. I guess now the wait is for H7X and Creta 7 Seater. https://www.indiacarnews.com/news/up...s-india-20402/

The wait for ideal Car is unending!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaNishi (Post 4495015)
I have been following this tread on Hexa keenly eyeing a purchase in next 3-6 months. I plan to keep the car for 7-10 years, all self driven.

The wait for ideal Car is unending!!

If your intent is to own the car for 10 years+, an Innnova is a far better buy. It's lighter, has very reliable engines, and has enormous resale value. I will illustrate the resale value with this- the top end Marazzo is priced at Rs 15.83 lakhs and the entry level Innova Automatic is priced at Rs 21 lakhs OTR Gurugram. However, lease cost for Innova is only 3% higher, because of Resale Value difference

I bought a Marazzo because I did not find the Innova as spacious in all rows (my family has many tall people) and because I want high mileage in highway drives. But if the constraint of very tall people does not apply to your family, and you intend to own the car long term, Innova is a better investment. You can buy a GX Automatic and fit a stereo from outside, since the stereo is the only difference between the Hexa and the Innova

There would always be something new on the horizon, so it's a never ending dichotomy.. To buy or wait. I have been driving around hexa for 6 months now in chandigarh. It is easy to manoeuvre in the city and never feels bulky. Giving me a fuel economy of 12.8 in the city which I consider quite good. Trust me if your need is primarily for moving around with 2-3 families, it is an ideal vehicle...

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaNishi (Post 4495015)
With recent news on No AT and No 7 seater for Harrier, I am keeping my fingers crossed. I guess now the wait is for H7X and Creta 7 Seater. https://www.indiacarnews.com/news/up...s-india-20402/

The wait for ideal Car is unending!!

You're like my mirror image. I am at the exact same stage and waiting patiently for the exact same thing. I wonder how many others are as well. :ZZZ:

There will always be things that we do not like in ANY car that we check out.

Either it is too small for my needs or too big. If I do need a big car, then it is too bulky to move around in the city with less fuel economy! If it is not too bulky and the fuel economy is decent, the resale value is not very promising.

Somehow if we manage to fix all of the above (at least in our heads), the service network is not expansive :Frustrati.

OK, never mind...

As the saying goes- Opinions are like belly buttons. Everyone has one lol:.

The Hexa is a fantastic car as we have seen in most of the owner reviews and satisfies most!

Quote:

Originally Posted by HighwayofLife (Post 4495046)
You can buy a GX Automatic and fit a stereo from outside, since the stereo is the only difference between the Hexa and the Innova

As far as I can remember, Toyota recently updated the Innova Crystal giving a Touchscreen Infotainment System as a standard fitment in all the models. So, I believe that Crystal now trump's the Hexa with a Touchscreen ICE instead of the 2 DIN setup of Hexa. I may be wrong, correct me if I am...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nalin1 (Post 4495066)
As the saying goes- Opinions are like belly buttons. Everyone has one lol:.

Come on!! Stop nudging us fence sitters. lol:

But, seriously though, I'm unable to convince myself that I should buy and own a car that will not have these things for another 7-8 years: push button start/stop, keyless entry, electrical seat adjustments, cornering lights, Android auto, tyre pressure monitor AND AWD. Especially because, I currently do not have these in my car and not having them in the next car will not make it an UPGRADE.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdityaDeane (Post 4495076)
As far as I can remember, Toyota recently updated the Innova Crystal giving a Touchscreen Infotainment System as a standard fitment in all the models. So, I believe that Crystal now trump's the Hexa with a Touchscreen ICE instead of the 2 DIN setup of Hexa. I may be wrong, correct me if I am...

Not in the GX variants. They give some low quality speakers, but no head unit. It's better to buy this outside

Quote:

Originally Posted by HighwayofLife (Post 4495084)
Not in the GX variants. They give some low quality speakers, but no head unit. It's better to buy this outside

They have updated the GX variant recently. It now comes with a Touchscreen Infotainment system, Steering mounted controls and power folding ORVMs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HappyRoadie (Post 4495119)
They have updated the GX variant recently. It now comes with a Touchscreen Infotainment system, Steering mounted controls and power folding ORVMs.

I'm not aware of this upgrade. I tested the GX variant just 1 month ago, when finalizing my vehicle

Quote:

Originally Posted by HighwayofLife (Post 4495151)
I'm not aware of this upgrade. I tested the GX variant just 1 month ago, when finalizing my vehicle

Here is the related discussion thread
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...-features.html

Quote:

Originally Posted by HappyRoadie (Post 4495119)
They have updated the GX variant recently. It now comes with a Touchscreen Infotainment system, Steering mounted controls and power folding ORVMs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by anthusiast (Post 4495179)
Here is the related discussion thread
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...-features.html

So, I stand corrected! Thanks for the support fellow BHP-ians... :thumbs up

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaNishi (Post 4495015)
I have been following this tread on Hexa keenly eyeing a purchase in next 3-6 months. I plan to keep the car for 7-10 years, all self driven.

In my personal opinion Hexa, Innova, XUV - all of them can easily do 7-10 years unless abused like commercial car vehicle owners. Even though Hexa, the latest entrant in this list, has been in market for only about 2 years, it has easily proven to be reliable both mechanically and electrically - suggesting it's a long run workhorse. You really can't go wrong with any of these in the 20-26 lacs approx OTR budget.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaNishi (Post 4495015)
2.2 Tons of Weight, it is too much for me to take around Bangalore on a daily basis, I would feel guilty of the extra 400 kgs weight that I will carry and thus more fuel and more maintenance due to wear and tear.

I'm owning a Hexa in Bangalore for the last 6 months and I really don't think once getting adjusted inside any car, you really feel the heft of the car. I owned a XUV before Hexa and while that was also by no means too light for that size of a monocoque crossover, once you get adjusted to that size in a week's time, it doesn't bother you afterwards. Yes the Hexa steering is heavier than XUV (still lighter than Innova I think) as a hydraulic unit, it's again something you will get adjusted to easily without much bother. And in the longer run appreciate it as well vs some super light EPAS that don't weigh up enough at higher speeds.

Now regarding wear and tear - I think it's unfair to say the weight of the car will have a bearing on it. Otherwise The Rolls Royce should have had been the most quickly deteriorating car (they are almost always 2.5+ tonnes). Mileage - yes, will be affected if you have a heavier right foot than most but honestly the gap between Hexa and any other lighter 7 seater with 2.0 liters or bigger engine will be around 1-3 kmpl at the most if driven in a balanced way. Do note Hexa's ARAI figures state 17 so don't compare real world mileage of Hexa with another cars ARAI figures. In real world it will come down to very closely contested situation.

What can be appreciated is the weight helps immensely in a planted straight line manners on the highway and probably the best ride quality in any car under 40 lacs OTR bracket today in India. And while there is body roll, the Hexa is almost always surefooted with a predictable handling unlike the XUV - which sometimes will give you too much confidence to push harder and in the very next moment rob you of all of that. While I never had an untoward incident with the XUV, I could never really define what it's limits are, as they would always create doubts in my head.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaNishi (Post 4495015)
Secondly, while at Showroom, I also happen to sit in the Nexon, the interiors of the Nexon look far ahead of HEXA. I am hoping that TML should be launching a refreshed HEXA with new updated interiors sooner to arrest the falling sales of HEXA.

My family felt that way as well, at the first time in the showroom when they saw the Nexon. However design wise I prefer the boxy Range Roverish / Ford styled dash of the Hexa complimenting it's gearth as a rugged machine than the floating one in Nexon which screams soft roading crossover all over the place. You are free to call me old school that way. Yes the small 5" touchscreen missing AA & ACP is a downer, but other than that the Hexa has much better quality, deisgn and materials than the Nexon (which has several rough edges if you look closely). There are hard plastics no doubt in the lower section of the dash, but they are properly screwed and built to last. No issues of rattles. Plus while the higher set toughscreen (like in Nexon) aids navigation, etc, due to that setup, the AC vents getting pushed down is a design I personally don't quite like. Especially in a car with low set dash. The AC vents will almost always freeze your left hand while driving if you turn the vents towards yourself. I faced this issue while driving the Nexon once (but not much since it was a manual and most times I was using that hand to shift gears). But remember the Harrier uses the same setup so it can get annoying for some drivers like me who in an automatic car, prefer to keep both their hands on the steering when driving at higher speeds.

I did contemplate waiting for the H7X (Harrier's 7 seat avatar) before buying the Hexa. But I sorely needed to move away from a manual in Bangalore traffic (my 2014 XUV) and Hexa's these qualities eventually sealed my purse strings -
1.) Seating position - I can see more of my surroundings both front and sides than any other SUV I drove (except Endeavor). No car has such a low positioned dash in that segment and considering Harrier is low slung like Nexon, it will also concede to Hexa and Endy.
2.) Ride quaity - enough said about those amazing frequency sensitive dampers
3.) NVH levels - Massive upgrade from the XUV (even the new gen as well) and Innova
4.) Automatic gearbox - That one from Punch Powerglide is just amazing hauling that 2.2 ton beast with an engine that has a pronounced turbo lag in manual but masked completely in the automatic avatar. Sports mode is cherry on the cake. I will say this 6 speed auto is better than any SUV upto 40 lacs range (I think new 2018 CRV and Kodiaq are better but they are north of 40 OTR range)
5.) Audio system - As an OEM system it's fantastic and I appreciate it everyday whether I drive alone or with friends and family

And lastly - A bird in hand is better than 2 in the bush !! H7X is expected to be promising and carry a lucrative price tag. I don't get swayed too much by that marketing mumbo jumbo of JLR pedigree, and would rather test drive myself to validate the claims. And without the H7X in flesh, here there was Hexa with clean europeanish design and with no major / significant issues reported in it's last 1 & 1/2 years of existence.

Hope this helps !! All the best for your hunt.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TORQUE_AANJANEY (Post 4495387)
I'm owning a Hexa in Bangalore for the last 6 months and I really don't think once getting adjusted inside any car, you really feel the heft of the car.

Hope this helps !! All the best for your hunt.

Nothing like a car review from an actual user :thumbs up
We've had the Hexa in the family for a little over a year now and there have been literally no troubles during the entire ownership and driving one has always been a pleasure. So for those on the fence and whose requirements are aptly fulfilled by the Hexa - you can jump over to this side.


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