Team-BHP - Tata Hexa : Official Review

Quote:

Originally Posted by busydrive (Post 4727531)

Anyone knows if Tata is still manufacturing BS4 Hexa? Here the service advisor is telling most probably it has stopped as they got a mail from Tata informing zero stock and not to proceed with booking.

Yes, still manufacturing BS4 Hexa. I am getting delivery next week of my XTA.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NitinDev (Post 4720768)

The biggest dilemma: Manual or Auto? :Frustrati I haven't TD the auto yet. SA would bring one tomorrow for TD.

Manual and auto owners, kindly advice.

Depends on your usage conditions, how many kms you drive daily, your age and the condition of your left knee

After owning 2 Safaris and having driven a succession of Mahindras in Mumbai and with age creeping towards the half-century mark, my left knee aches. this is even though clutch action on my Safari isn't bad but the crowded streets on the few days every month I drive myself are bad enough. Today the Safari and the Driver are at Her Majesty's Service (with the Missus. that is) so I drove the Nano AMT to work.

That is why I am replacing the Safari with a Hexa XTA. My driver also implored me to buy an Auto. My Driver is also only a few years younger to me and over the years become practically a family member, so it matters.

While the AT is delicious, the MT isn't as bad as it is vilified to be. I have the same MT on my 400 Nm Safari Storme and in 3 months of usage, the rough edges rounded off and it was no longer as clunky as during the honeymoon period.

To be honest it doesn't get butter smooth like the Toyotas and Hondas that I've owned. But you stop 'noticing' the clunkiness and that is not because you have got used to it.

If you have the money definitely the AT though!

Quote:

Originally Posted by sandeepsc (Post 4714762)

Is it really necessary to have Ceramic coating or PPF for new car. I read in Seltos thread where one of the member straight went for various color and other protection treatments for his new Seltos from 3M.

I saw a Seltos at 3M Chembur, Mumbai getting PPF while getting my beloved Storme detailed before a goodbye. They quoted Rs. 1.3 Lakhs for my Hexa (yet to be built and delivered) :Shockked:

Anyone else on the forum has an experience of the PPF? I mean the choice is between getting a PPF or an Ather 450X lol:

Quote:

Originally Posted by NitinDev (Post 4720768)

Manual and auto owners, kindly advice.

Thanks!

I was a manual guy until my late twenties. Got introduced to an automatic and have never regretted it . I haven’t driven a manual since 2017 , frankly I would like to drive it occasionally but I still prefer my automatic .

Try the automatic in a stop n go situation for 30 minutes. Even if the automatic is lower on fuel efficiency it is still better for our health sake. And the vehicle also runs cheaper since they don’t need maintenance as often as manual transmission does.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NitinDev (Post 4731887)

Hey thanks, but I did check the info-system. No option available. :confused:

Just checked the online manual for Hexa. It says that - :

Mood lights turn on in white colour whenever parking light switch is ON. Mood light turns OFF whenever Parking light switch OFF.

So this is how it is activated in 2019 models I guess. Mine is 2018 model so the option for Mood Lighting is present on the home screen. Plus I have multiple colours to choose from.

Hope it helped.

Regards

Guys, I have completed close to 2000 kms in my Hexa in the last 2 months of purchase. Here are my some of my initial observations with the car:

Pros:
1. Car offers Commanding driving position and all round visibility is superb.
2. Light clutch is a boon in heavy traffic.
3. 8 speaker Audio system has a lovely bass and overall sound output is very much satisfying.
4. Very comfortable seats with excellent knee room, head room and under thigh support. (3rd row alright for shorter adults).
5. Beautiful suspension setup makes the car glide over potholes. Just a mild thud is heard inside the car with no shocks entering the cabin.
6. 16 inch wheels ensure cushier ride quality.
7. Sufficient Ground clearance ensures the car doesn't scrap the belly at any point.
8. With a kerb weight over 2 tonnes, the car feels solidly built. (Doors, Bonnet, Tailgate, etc.)
8. Well-controlled Body Roll in such a tall car. Much lesser than a Scorpio or a Xylo.
9. Cruise Control is extremely convenient and aids in relax mile munching.
10. Achieved stupendous mileage during my Mumbai-Pune Expressway cruising. Speed was hovering between 80-100 kmph with AC On, resulted in 20 kmpl. Pic below. clap:

Cons:
1. Manoeuvring the car in city especially during peak hour traffic is a bit cumbersome, thick A-pillar causes blind spot at certain times.
2. Initial response from the Gearbox is very rubbery and hard, specifically 1st and 2nd Gears. Smoothen gradually as you drive though. Feels as if the Gears take some time to warm-up stupid:
3. Headlight throw is ordinary especially the Dipper light. Looking for an upgrade to a better set of bulbs.
4. Immovable armrest doesn't help the driver, specifically for shorter people.
5. No storage space around the Gear lever area, with only 1 cup holder in the center.
6. Steering response seems fine overall however there are slight vibrations at higher speeds.
7. Rear view camera quality is mediocre. A higher resolution is expected in such a premium car.
8. AC with blower speed 1 feels quite noisy, never experienced this in my previous cars from Maruti Suzuki or Hyundai. Cooling is effective though. Maybe this is commonly seen in Tata cars.
9. Its better to keep the car in gear when parking on steep inclines. Handbrake alone is not effective.

Overall I am very happy with the purchase and honestly, this beast puts a smile on my face every time I take it on the road. Moreover, features offered with XM+ is a complete VFM package. Every car has certain shortcomings/limitations, but the positives in this car definitely outweigh the negative ones.

Update:
There was a squeak coming from rear end of the car and a fellow THOR member suggested to check the exhaust for cracks. Took the car on Sunday (without any appointment) to TAFE Chennai and got the cracked part of exhaust manifold changed under warranty in just under an hour.

Went on 1200km drive (Chennai - Munnar - Chennai) and car was flawless. Ghat road from Bodimettu to Munnar is quite bad, full of gravel/dusty in some stretches due to renovation work and road non existent in other stretches. Though the drive wasn't a enjoyable one, we were able to proceed at decent pace.
Next day, another friend of mine passed the same stretch in Baleno and was literally ranting about it for a while and he was so frustrated to the extent he was even fine to return to Chennai even via Cochin (to avoid the bad stretch), he also kept mentioning that his car is battered and is going to incur some maintenance.
Odo reading ~440xx Kms

Quote:

Originally Posted by Satshan (Post 4732745)

.
10. Achieved stupendous mileage during my Mumbai-Pune Expressway cruising. Speed was hovering between 80-100 kmph with AC On, resulted in 20 kmpl. Pic below. clap:
.

This is the mileage acheived in driving the car for only 66 KMs as indicated by the display. It happened with me once, I drove on the Yamuna Expressway for 50 KMs in nil traffic, and the display showed an average of 20 KMs, which is the highest that can be showed on screen. This should not be considered as eventual mileage.

Quote:

Originally Posted by shivathedude (Post 4732894)

It happened with me once, I drove on the Yamuna Expressway for 50 KMs in nil traffic, and the display showed an average of 20 KMs, which is the highest that can be showed on screen. This should not be considered as eventual mileage.

I happened to accompany a friend from Pune to Bangalore and back in his Hexa XTA, that was the time when parts of Kolhapur, Sangli, and Belgavi district were flooded, and we had to take the Pune Pandharpur Bijapur Chitradurg Bangalore route. The entire 1800km round trip was done in just under 100 Lit of diesel. Both of us drove for 2 to 3 Hrs alternately, and most of the time speed was in 80-90 range with engine ticking over at 1300-1400 rpm. So if you do keep the engine speed slow you can get good efficiency.

Rahul

Quote:

Originally Posted by shivathedude (Post 4732894)

This is the mileage acheived in driving the car for only 66 KMs as indicated by the display. This should not be considered as eventual mileage.

Of course, its not the eventual mileage and I never mentioned about it. My objective was just to show that Hexa can deliver Average Fuel Economy around 20 kmpl. I would also like to add that I had travelled a total distance of 145 kms which includes Mumbai city traffic too. When I reached my Andheri home in Mumbai, the Average Fuel Economy dropped to 16.7 kmpl overall. :)