Maruti Baleno-rivaling Tata 45X spied testing

At Auto Expo 2018, Tata Motors unveiled the 45X premium hatchback concept. Now, the production car based on the Tata 45X concept, which will rival the Maruti Baleno, has been spotted testing once again by Cartoq, this time in the rarefied air of Ladakh.

The Tata Motors 45X-based production premium hatchback is expected to launch in the second half of 2019 and the car spotted by Cartoq in Ladakh seems to be the base version of the upcoming premium hatchback. The 45X test mule is heavily camouflaged and sports circular headlamps and rectangular tail lamps that have been bolted onto the hatchback’s body.

The test mule spotted in Ladakh looks somewhat similar to the concept car with its low and sleek profile. The test car sports steel wheels with no wheel caps, which tells us this is the base variant of the upcoming premium hatchback.

A peek at the interiors confirms this as the 45X test mule does not sport a touchscreen infotainment setup, seen in cars at the Maruti Baleno’s price point. However, the instrumentation on the premium hatchback test mule hints that the 45X will be a sporty competitor to the Maruti Baleno when it arrives in the second half of 2019.

The 45X hatchback test mule’s speedometer runs all the way to 220 km/h, while the rev counter tops out at 8,000 rpm. Tata’s 45X had earlier been spotted testing at the Kari Motor Speedway race track, where it was being put through its paces as testers fine-tuned its suspension setup and driving dynamics.

Tata Motors did not give any details about the 45X’s powertrain options when it unveiled the concept car earlier this year. However, the 45X is expected to borrow its engine and gearbox options from the Nexon compact SUV. The Tata Nexon is available with two engine options – a 1.2-litre turbo petrol and a turbocharged 1.5-litre diesel.

The petrol engine produces 108 Bhp and 170 Nm of torque while the diesel cranks out the same amount of power but ups the torque to 260 Nm of torque. Both engines are paired to 6-speed manuals, and Tata Motors is working on a dual-clutch automatic gearbox for the car.

The production-spec Tata 45X will rival the likes of the Maruti Baleno and its Toyota-badged twin along with the Hyundai i20 and Honda Jazz when it arrives in India in the second half of 2019.