Team-BHP - Tata Hexa : Official Review
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Quote:

Originally Posted by RavenAvi (Post 4118542)
The latest version (ver 12) of the Tata Hexa's official 30-second TVC.

Plenty of changes can be noted.

Can you please elaborate on changes? It will be really helpful.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Konkrilla (Post 4118393)

Through the 2 day journey the Hexa managed...cherry on the cake…

Great Report sir! Where are the pics? :D
Your praise sums up the great effort by Tata Motors and explains why this car got a pre-review from Team-BHP. clap:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turbanator (Post 4118431)
Yes, Apple Car play does not support Maps in India yet. Perhaps something to do with turn-by-turn navigation which is not available either.

http://www.apple.com/in/ios/feature-...y-applecarplay

If Hexa has an android auto, then google maps will be supported. But Does Hexa support Car Play / Android Auto at first place?

The head unit in Hexa doesn't support Android Auto or Apple car play. It is only capable of mirroring MMI navigation app specially developed for Tata Motors on your android phone.

Quote:

Originally Posted by roby_dk (Post 4118575)
Can you please elaborate on changes? It will be really helpful.

Changes in the video, not in the car.

For instance, some images in the first sequence in version 12 - of the concept drawn on board, clay image, etc., weren't there in version 04 of the TVC.

Had a short test drive of the automatic today. Power delivery is linear and very good compared to ARIA. Concorde do not have manual version for test drive. It seems Concorde has got 70 bookings as on today across all their branches in Bangalore

IMHO Hexa has been the best effort from Tata Motors and it deserves to be priced realistically, say on par or even at a slight premium over XUV, since this is a new vehicle compared to now familiar XUV. 70 bookings all over Concorde Bangalore? How many dealerships have they got?

The few grudges (19 inch wheels, Not perfect flat folding 3rd row, Mini touch screen) could have been addressed. But again, no car is perfect. My guess on pricing would be around 15 Lakhs to 18 Lakhs ex showroom. Eagerly waiting for the D day.

OK, so just had a test drive in the Tata Hexa (XTA) with Concorde Motors Mumbai. Am putting down my detailed views in this - though unfortunately, I have no images to share.

First the details:
1. It was an XTA (top-end AT) with no accessories attached
2. The TD started in Prabhadevi at their showroom, went around Worli, then over to the sea-face, over the sealink and back to the showroom
3. Didn't test the cruise control - but did test most other features
4. Could not test the app as I (and everyone in my family) have an iPhone

Exteriors:
We first saw the Safari Storme in the showroom and then the Hexa. Just no comparison. The Hexa owns this area. It looks stunning in physical form and has a very muscular feel. The XUV looks more masculine, but the Hexa oozes class and refinement even from the outside. The women in my family don't particularly fancy SUVs, but this one did interest them and earn approval.

The 19" wheels don't even look that large on the chassis, but the real wonder is that few believed me when I said the vehicle was bigger than the Crysta and the XUV. It's massive - but doesn't look it. Thumbs-up on design.

Negatives on the exterior are - as has been highlighted - the excessive use on chrome at the rear. I prefer dark / black and would have liked the smoked effect even if they did use chrome. Less chrome would have been appreciated, of course. Overall though, a winner among the competitors - Crysta and XUV don't measure up to this level

Interiors:
The interiors are plush and the cabin is very nice and comfortable. Get into the driver's seat and there's a massive sigh of relief at knowing that even a long drive would not tire you. The back and thigh support is excellent. I'm a short man (5'7) but prefer being closer to the wheels. Have knee issues from multiple surgeries and can't keep the seat far back. As such, I didn't assess the impact of the absence of telescopic steering. To me, the wheel felt very comfortable and easy to use. All 4 seats (we assessed only the front 2 rows of the 6-seater) were fantastic.

When alighting though, there was immediate discomfort with the fitting of the door knobs (for unlocking). Those felt loose. Not a deal-breaker, but a sign that the car is good enough for something like this to immediately stand out as a miss. The other major miss was the lack of support for iOS (what the eff?!? High-end vehicle with no support for iOS on the app? Genuine shocker and I hope they'll address this soon. Not much hope though given how much time they've already had before launch). My mother (she's short and has physical issues too) had a bit of a difficult time getting in (height), but nothing that a step wouldn't solve and no worse than any other UV.

Handling:
Superb. Within the main roads, the car moved with ease. People have commented about handling at low speeds, but this was not something I experienced. Having driven the Innova (old), Honda City and Corolla extensively (and all other competing UVs for a little bit), I felt this compared very well with the Corolla and far better than the City and Innova. On the sealink though was where the car really came into its own. I was already doing very high speed and cruising! Nobody realized how quickly the car accelerated and hit that mark.

Acceleration was a surprise. Given the weight, the fact that it's an AT and the diesel engine, I was expecting a lot less grunt. The torque really helps though and since I put the Hexa into "sports" mode, it really sprang forward. From 0-10, there was that lag that's typical of an AT+diesel, but beyond that, it was exceptional. Great experience.

Ride quality will be a key feature for this vehicle. It was far superior to anything I've experienced before - XUV, Crysta et al will struggle to match it. The transmission is genuinely great.

ICE:
Fantastic sound. Nothing more on the sound. The screen though...way too small for a vehicle this good. I'm big on ICE quality in a vehicle and this came close to making me reconsider my purchase decision - specially since there is no iOS app (yet, at least). I'd actually be willing to pay a lakh more if they'd add iOS support and in-built navigation.

Overall:
I liked the vehicle and will definitely purchase (booked it) at launch. The drive quality was exceptional. The niggles - and there are some - remain the absence of the iOS app, the small screen size and the door knob quality. The absence of space to keep a charging phone is a downer, but not a deal-breaker. If anything could stop me from buying, it would be the screen and navigation. For those that are really big on those, it may be better to wait or give the Hexa a miss. For those that don't bother about those as much, I can't think of any reason to not buy. I am - of course - banking on the quality to be as good as the Tiago, but based on internal inputs from TML, I am fairly certain I'm making the right choice.

An online Hexa experiance from TATA motors
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3HqWCC0_RM. And a screenshot from that video of the XM/XMA variant.

We went to Active motors in Ahmedabad to look at the Hexa. It was a manual variant and we did not get a test drive because the car had just arrived and wasn't registered yet.
Quality is as good as the Mercedes A class. Seats are superb. I haven't driven anything more expensive than the A class so I do not know if it is a fair comparison (in terms of the materials used) but it is definitely leagues ahead of the XUV or Crysta.
Vibrations were a bit high at idle but that's probably because it was inside the showroom.
Everything in the car feels solid. I hope it earns the success it deserves.

I drive XUV and today i test drove HEXA at KHT Whitefield.
This is the top end 4X2 AT.

Since i drive XUV, from this perspective HEXA definitely has better interior fit and feel. though i feel XUV is of different segment and not wise comparing XUV with HEXA or vice versa.

Design - Even after few years, XUV design still feels fresh. somehow i am unable to take out ARIA from my mind when i look at HEXA even though HEXA is way head but design is more of individual liking. I feel HEXA design will grow on each day we drive.


Seat: The feel of the seat i feel XUV has better ergonomics than HEXA, i felt the seats are bit more soft in HEXA.

NVH: The engine noise/road noise of HEXA is definitely less compare to XUV, NVH is better in HEXA and engine refinement is better.

Ingress/egress - Its definitely not a cake walk to climb inside HEXA, needs some effort. whereas in XUV its better than HEXA comparing both. i feel senior citizens might feel uncomfortable climbing HEXA.

Pickup - I drove AT version hence it does not make sense comparing XUV MT and HEXA AT but i felt HEXA AT needs bit more punch though its not inadequate , the right judgement will come only after i drive HEXA MT.

Drive comfort in bad roads - Definitely HEXA, it just glides and does not role,pitch much unlike XUV in slow speed, the suspension setting and along with 19" wheel is best integrated in HEXA. with XUV on bad roads and slow speed is a pain.

Middle row comfort - HEXA's middle row captain seats are the best however i felt XUV has bit more middle row space and felt more roomy /airy inside XUV.
The HEXA visibility for passengers from middle row is hampered by a huge front seats restraint, it looks larger than standard size.

Last row - I felt XUV seats are better and roomy and comfortable.

Steering Feel - I felt HEXA steering feel is better than XUV.

overall, HEXA is a way ahead of other TATA cars, i feel the choice is not between XUV and HEXA but HEXA and Crysta. XUV is definitely a different segment.

I find XUV is more for people who wants that SUV stance and HEXA is more for people who likes to go for MUV.

These are just my personal views..

-AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by muke31 (Post 4119274)
I drive XUV and today i test drove HEXA at KHT Whitefield.
This is the top end 4X2 AT.

Since i drive XUV, from this perspective HEXA definitely has better interior fit and feel. though i feel XUV is of different segment and not wise comparing XUV with HEXA or vice versa.

Heres to hoping that Tata doesn't read too much into the above & therfore, prices the Hexa comparable to XUV rather than Crysta. Because the interior fit & feel in a 15-20L car is expected to be better than most & it's not Hexa that's exceeding the benchmark, rather it's XUV that's failing to meet it.
And whether one likes it or not - XUV & Hexa may or may not be from the same segment but they are targeting a consumer base with more or less similar requirements & hence direct competitors (May the force be with the consumers post the launch of Hexa :D)

Test drove Hexa XTA today. Dealer- Deogiri Motors, Mumbai

Out of Concorde and Deogiri, I found the latter to be more responsive. Online query was finally taken forward by Deogiri. RM had good knowledge about Hexa and cars in general.

Coming to Hexa, looks substantial and the 19" rims look awesome. Overall quality is superb and I found it much ahead of the XUV, however, I still find XUV to be more attractive from outside but interiors of XUV are no match to that of Hexa. The quality of the materials used is very good and NVH levels were much better than XUV. Though, Hexa does lack some features and those that I really missed were: Navigation and no support for iPhone mirroring, reach adjustment (for me it's a minor negative as I am only 5'6") of the steering, entry and exit - Hexa is high and a footrest will be a must have accessory (XUV is better in this regard), access to third row - would have loved BRV like ease here, storage spaces at front could have been mor especially place to keep a mobile phone, loading bay also felt higher and lastly the size, it feels really big.

Coming to driving , it felt good to drive and sports mode made it lighter & faster. Ride quality was awesome and would really love my next car to have such a ride. Brakes could have been better.

Overall, I would pick it any day over XUV only based on the quality that I would get for my money. So, I have changed my opinion about Tata cars. I remember, Smartcat asking me to consider Hexa but I was sceptical of Tata. After driving it, I have had to change my opinion. Taking wifey to the showroom tomorrow and will most probably book it. On the price, the RM said that the on road price for the XTA variant would be around 18 lakhs. If that is the case and wife likes the car, then the car will be in my parking in Feb. Pricing of near 20 lakhs OTR will make me cancel my booking (much higher than a self imposed budget of 15 lakhs).

Finally, I feel that Hexa is poor man's Q7.

On Thursday a sales person from OMR called me introduced himself and said that he will be the single point of contact until the deal is closed oneway or another.(I have done my booking by paying 11K with them). He said I can do the test ride on Friday morning at the Velachery Concorde motors. The timing was fixed at 9.30. He also called me at 8.30 to confirm the same. My wife, a friend of mine also joined me.
It was a Tungsten Silver XTA, 6 seater vehicle that had just 210 Km on the odometer.
The ride was not a long one just around the MRC, it was about 4 Km. Being a Friday morning couldn't do a full fledged ride. My main purpose was to check the following:
1) The comfort of the third row: I am happy with this. But this was a 6 seater and one could stretch one leg between the second row captain seats. I need to check this out once the bench seater is available. I am happy with the thigh rest and the head room it has. I am 173 Cm and weigh 82 Kgs.
2) The luggage space with the third row up: It can accommodate only smaller suitcases or soft luggages. But is fine since the third row has a 50:50 split
3) The driver position which some were complaining about: The comment by a few had me worried and I didn't have to. I brought the seat to the lowest height, that I always prefer because of the excellent thigh support it gives, and adjusted the reach so that when I depress the brake pedal fully my leg is just slightly bent, and I keep the back rest near vertical with very slight tilt. Then I adjusted the steering angle so that my arms are slightly bent at 3 and 9 O clock position. It was perfect for me.
4)The gear reach: Another concern I was worried about. There were a couple of 4X4 that had come for the next week's Hex experience. But not allowed for test ride. I sat in it to test the gear position. Having done 2.15 lakhs in my Grande MK II, I found it be better and I am happy.

So I will wait to test drive the manual when it comes. Check out the third row comfort of a 7 seater. Wait for the pricing to be announced and the take the final call...

Had a short 15 minute test drive of the XTA variant at Venkataramana Motors, Gachi Bowli.
Seeing it in the flesh, I feel it definitely is more MUV than SUV. Therefore its direct competitor is the Innova.
The XUV500 looks SUVish from most angles, so people who diddn't like the MUV look went to the XUV.
If Hexa goes on to become a success, I believe it would affect the Innova sales rather than the XUV sales.

I am 5' 11" and my wife is 5' 3"; both of us found it very easy to get in and get out. I had absolutely no issues finding a very comfortable driving position. I just had to push back the seat once and lift the steering once. I agree with all that is said about the, Interior quality, ICE, Seating comfort, ride quality and handling. I found the steering wheel is just the right size.

I drive a Zest and I thought I will have to get used to the size of the vehicle. But I found that it is surprisingly easy to drive even in heavy traffic.
I even jockeyed for position at the red light, and I could do it just as easily as with the Zest.
I agree the foot well is not too big; it is just a little bigger than the one in the Zest. I don't think it will be a major deal breaker for most.
Overall, it can be a fantastic package if priced right.

I am not in the market for an MUV, but both I and my wife were tempted. I went ahead and booked it. I will buy it if it comes with a killer price.

Quote:

Originally Posted by muke31 (Post 4119274)
Last row - I felt XUV seats are better and roomy and comfortable.

-AM

First comment I am reading on bad third-row seats of Hexa comparing to XUV, definitely proves taste differs from person to person.
Thanks for you honest feedback on your observations.

Quote:

Originally Posted by damodar (Post 4119159)
An online Hexa experiance from TATA motors

Sharing a few exquisite screenshots from the latest official video:

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