7 upcoming Tata Cars & SUVs: Harrier to Nexon JTP

Indian automotive giant Tata Motors has been on a roll recently with a host of launches including special edition and the JTP versions of the Tiago hatchback and the Tigor compact sedan. However, Tata is not done yet and has quite a few cars still in development that are expected to arrive on Indian roads in the next few years. In this post, we take a look at these upcoming SUVs and cars from Tata Motors.

Tiago EV
Expected Launch: End 2018

Tata Motors showcased the electric version of the Tiago at Auto Expo 2018 in February. Reports from later in the year have suggested a launch as early as this very month (November).

The Tiago EV showcased at Auto Expo 2018 featured a powertrain from Electra EV. The electric hatchback is powered by a three-phase AC induction motor which is good enough for 40 bhp. No cosmetic changes are seen in the car except for the addition of the blue EV badges on the front and the rear.

Tigor EV
Expected Launch: End 2018

The EV version of the Tigor sedan like the electric Tiago was showcased at Auto Expo 2018. Tata has already started deliveries of the Tigor EV to the government and the civilian version of the car is expected to go on sale soon as well with reports suggesting a launch as early as November 2018.

Like the Tiago EV, the electric Tigor is being built at Tata’s Sanand factory and is powered by the same 40 Bhp three-phase AC electric induction motor. While the government is said to have been charged Rs 10.16 lakh for each of the 250 Tigor EVs ordered, the civilian version of the car is expected to rival the Mahindra e-Verito in terms of price when it hits the roads soon.

Harrier
Launch: January 2019

Tata Motors recently revealed that the first Harrier had rolled off its production line and the carmaker’s new premium SUV has been confirmed for a January 2019 launch. Prices for the new Harrier are expected to range between Rs 16 and 21 lakhs on-road (inclusive of registration, insurance etc).

The upcoming Tata Motors Harrier will rival the likes of the Hyundai Creta and the Jeep Compass among others and is based on Tata’s OMEGA architecture, which itself is a reworked version of Land Rover’s D8 platform. The Harrier will draw power from a reworked version of the 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine that is found under the hood of the Jeep Compass. The engine will be paired to either a 6-speed manual gearbox or an automatic unit borrowed from Hyundai.

45X
Expected Launch: Dusshera-Diwali 2019

The Tata 45X was unveiled in concept guise alongside the H5X (Harrier) in February at Auto Expo 2018. The production-spec 45X is expected to stay quite true to its concept design layout in a manner similar to the way the Harrier has also retained most of the H5X concept’s styling cues.

The new Tata 45X will rival the likes of the Maruti Baleno and Hyundai i20 when it arrives in India at around the time of the Dusshera-Diwali festive period in 2019. We expect the production 45X to feature reworked versions of Tata’s 1.2-litre turbo petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engines found on the Nexon when it finally arrives in showrooms next year.

H7X
Expected Launch: Late 2019-Early 2020

Tata Motors is working on a 7 seater version of the Harrier which is expected to launch in India by the end of 2019 or in early 2019. The large SUV codenamed H7X is, in essence, a 7-seater version of the Harrier and is based on the same OMEGA platform that underpins the 5-seater car.

The H7X will compete with the likes of the Toyota Fortuner, Ford Endeavour and Mahindra’s re-badged version of the Ssangyong Rexton when it arrives in India. The H7X will use the same 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine from Fiat that powers the Harrier, though we expect it to produce more power under the hood of the larger SUV.

Nexon JTP
Expected Launch: Early 2020

Tata Motors confirmed the news at the launch of the Tiago & Tigor JTP models that the next car in its lineup to get the performance treatment would be the popular Nexon sub-4-metre compact SUV. Like the Tigor and Tiago JTP, the performance Nexon will be produced by JT Special Vehicles Pvt. Ltd., a 50:50 joint venture between Tata Motors and Jayem Automotive at Coimbatore.

We expect the Nexon JTP to be powered by a tuned version of the 1.2-litre petrol engine that powers the SUV. Considering that the JTP versions of the Tiago and Tigor got an upgrade of around 30 Bhp in comparison to their regular version, the Nexon JTP could come with around 140 Bhp on tap when it arrives in around early 2019. Also, expect an upgraded suspension setup and a few cosmetic upgrades on the Nexon JTP.

Hornbill Micro SUV
Expected Launch: post-2020

Tata is said to be working on a micro SUV to rival the likes of the Mahindra KUV100 and Maruti’s upcoming Zen name reviving SUV. The SUV which could bear the Hornbill name was teased in a video shown by Tata at the unveiling of the H5X and 45X concepts at Auto Expo 2018 by Tata Motors.

The Hornbill micro SUV will be underpinned by the Alpha platform that also is the basis for the upcoming 45X-based premium SUV. The Hornbill will be compliant with new BNVSAP safety and BS-VI emission norms when it arrives sometime in the early part of the next decade.