New teaser of Tata 45X premium hatchback released ahead of production version’s reveal at Geneva

The Tata 45X premium hatchback’s production version is just days away from being officially revealed at the Geneva  Motor Show. The car was first showcased in concept form at the 2018 Indian Auto Expo. The official launch of the 45X is slated for later this year, during the festive season. The Tata 45X will rival the likes of the Maruti Baleno, the  Volkswagen Polo GT twins and the Hyundai Elite i20. Here’s another teaser of the car ahead of its Geneva showcase.

It will be Tata Motors’ largest and priciest hatchback on sale. As for styling, it will be inspired by the Impact 2.0  design philosophy that Tata Motors now uses for all its new cars. The Tata 45X hatchback will be built on the  Advanced Modular Platform (AMP) architecture, which Tata Motors has now named as ALPHA. It’ll be the first car to use the ALPHA platform.

As for mechanicals, Tata Motors is yet to announce the exact engines that the 45X will be powered by, although we do know that both petrol and diesel motors will be on offer with the car. Some reports suggest that the engines will be borrowed from the Tiago range – which meanps a 1.2 liter petrol and a 1.1 liter turbo diesel. 5 speed manual  gearboxes accompany both these engines on the Tiago range.

Other reports say that the 45X could borrow its engines from the Nexon compact SUV, and this will be a lot more  encouraging for prospective buyers. The engines that the Nexon uses are the 1.2 liter-3 cylinder turbocharged petrol  motor with 108 Bhp-170 Nm, and a 1.5 liter-4 cylinder turbocharged diesel engine with 108 Bhp-260 Nm. Even if Tata decides to go with the Nexon’s engines for the 45X, the motors are likely to be detuned to offer more mileage than outright power.

These engines are available with 6 speed manual and AMT options on the Nexon. Top Tata officials have noted that the Tata 45X will be the first car from the automaker to get a dual clutch AMT option. It remains to be seen if this  happens right at launch or is brought in sometime later.

As for features, the Tata 45X is likely to be fully loaded. From automatic climate control and cruise control to 6  airbags, ABS, ESP and hill hold, the car is likely to be packed with features. Of course, features such as a reverse  parking camera and a touchscreen infotainment unit with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay will be standard on the top-spec variants. A very competitive price tag is likely for this car as Tata Motors is yet to make a big mark in the  premium hatchback segment.