Tata Altroz’s Sedan Version To Be Replaced by a Hyundai Creta-challenging SUV

Tata Motors is just a few days away from unveiling its premium hatchback 45X or Altroz in the Geneva Motor Show. Tata was also planning to introduce a sedan based on Altroz later in the market.  Now though, due to changing customer preferences Tata has dropped their plan to launch the sedan in the market. Instead they will now be coming with an SUV that will compete with Hyundai Creta.

The sedan was codenamed as X452 and was expected to be launched in 2020. Tata Motors had teased about this sedan in their Auto Expo video last year. If it had hit the production line, then X452 would have been the first four door sedan based on the Advanced Modular Platform. Rivals for the X452 would have been Maruti Ciaz, Honda City and Hyundai Verna in the segment.

As mentioned above the customer preferences are now shifting more towards an SUV in India, so Tata is planning the same. Tata is planning an SUV which would sit between Nexon and Harrier. It is internally known as blackbird and is expected to be launched by 2021.

The all-new SUV will get the Tata’s Alpha platform that will be seen in the upcoming Altroz hatchback. The platform will be stretched to accommodate the body of the all-new Blackbird SUV. It will be the first SUV based this platform. In terms of length, Tata Nexon measures below 4m while the Tata Harrier is 4.5m long. The all-new SUV will sit right in between the length of these two vehicles, right in Hyundai Creta territory.

The new Blackbird SUV is expected to be powered by a 1.2L turbocharged petrol engine which will produce around 110 Bhp and the diesel variant is expected to get a 1.5L engine borrowed from the Tata Nexon. Just like Nexon, the Blackbird SUV is also expected to get automatic transmission in both petrol and diesel variants. It’s likely to match or surpass the Creta in terms of power and torque outputs.

Tata Motors is all set to unveil four of their models in the Geneva Motor Show which will start from 7th of March to 17th March 2019. Tata will unveil 45X or Altroz Premium hatchback, an electric version of 45X hatchback, a Micro SUV which Tata calls Hornbill and a seven-seater SUV H7X. All four cars will make it to production before the end of 2020. The first among these to be launched in India will be the Altroz premium hatchback – scheduled for festive season of 2019, and the H7X 7 seat SUV – due by the end of 2019. The other two cars – Altroz Electric and Hornbill micro SUV – will be launched next year.