Recently Indiblogger in collaboration with Tata Motors invited 60 bloggers from all over the country to experience the Tata’s new, yet to be launched, premium SUV- the Tata Hexa at Hyderabad.I was lucky enough to be among the 60 chosen bloggers for the #HexaExperience !
I was happy to find myself in the company of many popular faces Maitreni ,Ruby,Murali Karthik ,Shrinidhi and Passey Sir to name a few.
We reached the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad and were quickly frisked off to the Novotel Airport Hotel .A sumptuous lunch awaited us though I satisfied my hunger pangs with fresh fruits as I was observing a fast (The Ahoi Asthami ) that day .
Refreshed and recharged we were then treated to a power point presentation by the Quad of of Ashish Sahni(Digital Marketing head , Tata Motors ) ,Vivek Srivatsa( Head Marketing for Passenger Vehicle Business Unit,Tata Motors) and — Mr.Ravindra Jain (Head of product Marketing ,Tata Motors) and Mr. Richard Winsor (Chief Designer Exteriors, Tata Motors ).
Richard Winsor and Vivek Srivatsa introducing the Tata Hexa
Buoyed by the good market response to their previous launch Tata Tiago , they are now targeting the premium SUV sector dominated by The Mahindra XUV 500 and the Toyota Innova Crysta .
At first look The Tata Hexa is very impressive and may I say a “Sexy Hunk ” of a car !
Its external dimensions are slightly wider and longer than Mahindra XUV 500 .
The Tata Hexa ( Six + one seater , six gears ,six airbags … hence the Hexa !) is basically designed as a “lifestyle vehicle for the young and dynamic professional of today who has an active lifestyle,who needs to commute intercity on a daily basis but also wants to break away and move to distant locations to recharge on weekends .
Exteriors
It has the Tata signature grille, accentuated with Chrome humanity line giving it a smiling face .The dynamic floating roof and wraparound chrome feature line with Hexa embossing give it a very contemporary and confident SUV silhouette .
The 19-Inch diamond cut finish alloy wheels nestled in muscular wheel arches are not only functional for its off road capabilities but also create a visual impact .
Interiors
It has a bold and impactful exterior with inviting all black sporty interiors and soft touch Benecke Kaliko leather -feel upholstery with double stitch detailing .
Mood Lighting – It has customizable mood lighting with 8 colour options , so the cabin space can be illuminated as per your convenience and mood .
Engine
It boasts of an advanced gen-next 2.2 L VARICOR 400 diesel engine that delivers 400 Nm torque and 145 PS power and also has the Torque on demand feature for rougher conditions . The Hexa Manual Transmission (MT ) variant comes with 4 super drive modes – Auto ,Comfort , Dynamic and Rough Road .
The TATA Hexa is loaded with the following Safety features 1. Six airbags – Dual , front ,side and curtain airbags . 2. ESP – Electronic Stability programme for better driving stability and traction . 3. Hill Hold Control (HHC) to prevent the vehicle form rolling backwards on uphill drives and Hill Descent Control (HDC) to control the descent on inclined surfaces . 4.Traction Control System -This controls and prevents excessive wheel slip in adverse conditions like slippery roads or ice .
Infotainment It is equipped with New-gen CONNECTNEXT infotainment system with a 5″touchscreen with voice recognition and smartphone integration .The connectnext suite includes NAVIMAPS App, Juke -Car App, Tat Smart Remote App and Tata Smart Manual App .
It has 10 JBL branded speaker system which help in a surround sound experience into all the corners.The music system was really amazing – clear and loud in all corners .
They have also added 29 utility spaces, power outlets ,Cooled glove box,Illuminated vanity mirrors (of how so useful)and rear sun blinds which will appeal a lot to many potential family buyers .
The presentation was very concise and impactful and after that the experts also answered the queries that were posed by the bloggers .
The powerpoint presentation piqued our curiosity further and we could not wait to be at the steering wheel for the test drive scheduled the next day .
The Test Drive The next morning ,we set out in groups of three and took The Tata Hexa Manual Variant (MT) for a not so short 80 km spin which is enough to get a fair idea about a vehicle’s capabilities .
In love with the bold #TataHexa
I was very impressed with the super comfortable 8 -way adjustable driver seat which allowed for a very commanding position at the steering something that a vertically challenged person like me found to be of great use . The second row has a flexi seat configuration where you can opt for a captain seat or a bench seats.The multiple folding options in the second row and third row allow for up to 671 litres of free space !
The Connectnext infotainment unit used smartphone integration to help navigate us through the screen and I can say we reached our destination easily even though we were strangers to this place .
Coming to the drive itself, we started off with the auto mode in the MT version of the Hexa and it was smooth sailing even at high speeds .The Comfort mode gave us enhanced comfort and stability over potholes and uneven terrains .
The pick up was very good and we reached a speed of 130 kmph within seconds .
We had to reach the Hills and Valley Resort where we and our rides took a small but refreshing breaks and then we switched cars ,the drive back to the hotel was to be in a Tata Hexa AT.
Refreshing at The Hills and Valley Resort
The AT has 2 drive modes – Auto-sensing race car mode and Sports mode .The sports mode adds a bit of thrill and power to the experience .
It was easier for women drivers like me to navigate the AMT variant though they tell me the fuel efficiency is about 15% less.
Back to the hotel , we tucked into the wonderful lunch spread out for us courtesy the Novotel Hospitality and had loud and animated discussions about our experience with the fellow bloggers .
It was then time for the most awaited and exciting part of the tour – The Off road HexaExperience.
Here an expert drove the Hexa and demonstrated the following features to us on a rough specially designed terrain.In the Rough Road (RR) mode the Hexa’s electronically controlled 4×4 wheel drive system takes over .We witnessed the Torque on Demand ,Water Wading system ,Hill Descent Control (HDC )and Hill Hold Control (HHC) .
Electronic Brake Force distribution to optimize braking distance was quite effective but not something we have not seen before .
It can negotiate banking up to 22 degrees on a sloping surface which was quite amazing to witness .
Mileage – Although it was not disclosed to us but we calculated it to be around 12-13 kmpl in the Manual Variant .
FINAL VERDICT – After driving the Tata Hexa and seeing the Demo of the Off road Capacities on a rough terrain , I feel that it is a vehicle made for those adventurous out of the city getaways .It scores all the brownie points when it comes to looks, comfort and space utility even for the urban drives .If the Tatas price it sensibly , they could have a winner on their hands .
I rate it a 4.5/5 , a bold and power packed SUV to look out for .
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