If there’s one carmaker who has managed to attract all the excitement about upcoming products, it has to be Tata Motors. Known as a maker who specialised in SUVs before it moved into the passenger car space, Tata Motors is now focusing on the SUV space again as it’s the preferred body type these days.
The latest buzz surrounds an all-new product said to be under development – the Tata Blackbird. A C-SUV which will rival the likes of the Creta and the Seltos, this new product will be positioned above the Nexon and below the Harrier in the carmaker’s portfolio as the price gap between these two can comfortably accommodate a new product.
There’s the Hexa which will be introduced with a BS6 engine soon, however, to take on the likes of the Creta, Tata Motors will need something more modern, compact and feature-loaded rather than old school. The Blackbird project started life as codename H4 “(the Harrier was called H5), underpinned by the same Omega platform as the flagship. However, for reasons related to cost, the manufacturer is said to have decided to stretch the ‘ALFA’ platform (upon which the Altroz is based), which will now form the base for this vehicle.
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In terms of styling, expect this all-new Tata, penned by Mr Bose and his team, to glow with the same visual brilliance which is beamed by the new Nexon, the Harrier and the upcoming HBX micro SUV. These three should give us a fair idea of what this new Tata SUV could look like. Under the maker’s ‘IMPACT 2.0’ design philosophy, expect a smooth amalgamation of cuts and creases with curves. In terms of dimensions, it could be the same size as its rivals, but will definitely aim for a visual upper hand.
Also Read: Is This Really The Tata Blackbird SUV?
For firepower, this new SUV will most probably make use of the maker’s 1.5-litre turbo diesel and 1.2-litre turbo petrol engines. Although these very motors power the Nexon, for this new SUV, Tata Motors could extract a few more horses to bring the numbers at par with the competition. Both these engines are available with a 6-speed manual and AMT gearboxes as of now. However, AMTs won’t do justice for this segment and they will need to find a torque converted or a dual-clutch box to be paired with either of these engines. By the time it comes out though, electric mobility would’ve found more traction and like the Nexon, this new SUV could be offered as an all-electric too!
Inside the cabin, expect the new flat-bottom wheel which featured on the Altroz to be a part of the package. Alongside, the connected car tech which debuted with the Nexon electric will most likely be offered as well. The Blackbird could borrow the instrument console and the infotainment screen from the Harrier and there could be an air of familiarity of how things appear inside the cabin due to parts sharing. We wouldn’t be surprised to see some new bits though. Driving modes and a sunroof will most likely be offered too.