Tata Motor’s 3 BIGGEST hits of 2017, and how they helped Tata beat Honda

Tata Motors has consistently outsold Honda in India during 2017, moving into the fourth place in India’s car market during the second half of the year- just behind Mahindra. The reason: the automaker’s 3 biggest successes for 2017. Here they are.

Tata Tiago

Although launched in April 2016, the Tiago has been one consistent best-seller for Tata Motors, helping the brand to register good numbers – month after month. On an average, Tata Motors has shipped 5,000 units of the Tiago each month to dealerships across India, and it’s these consistent numbers that have allowed Tata to script a turn around in the passenger car business. Till date, Tata Motors has sold over 1.1 lakh units of the Tiago in India.

The car is available with 1.2 liter petrol and 1.1 liter turbo diesel engines. While both engines get 5 speed manual gearboxes as standard, the petrol motor also gets an AMT option. The Tiago’s biggest strength it’s value-for-money positioning, what with the car offering a lot more than competition, at a much lower price tag.  Prices of the Tiago start from Rs. 3.21 lakhs.

In 2018, Tata Motors is likely to launch a sporty version of this hatchback – called the Tiago Sport. The Tiago Sport will borrow the Nexon’s 1.2 liter turbo petrol engine that makes 108 Bhp-170 Nm. With an expected price tag of under Rs. 6 lakhs, the Tiago Sport will be the cheapest hot hatchback sold in India, with its price greatly undercutting the Ford Figo S.

Tata Hexa

The Hexa, which is essentially a re-engineered and restyled Aria – has been one of the few cars in India that have seen a turnaround after a disastrous first innings. The Hexa now sells a steady 1,200 units each month, which is more than 10 times that of what the Aria managed. In fact, the Hexa has gone neck and neck with the Mahindra XUV500 in some of the months of 2017.

The flagship Tata SUV has many things going for it – butch looks, imposing street presence, punchy performance, spacious interiors and a value-for-money price tag. The Hexa is sold with a 2.2 liter turbo diesel engine in two states of tune – 148 Bhp-320 Nm and 156 Bhp-400 Nm. The engine with the lower state of tune gets a five speed manual gearbox while the more powerful engine gets 6 speed manual and automatic gearbox option. The more powerful engine also gets a four wheel drive option.

Tata Nexon

Tata Motors’ latest launch – the Nexon compact SUV – is going great guns. It just outsold the Ford EcoSport in December 2017, to become India’s second best selling sub-4 meter compact SUV – behind the Maruti Vitara Brezza. The Nexon is expected to settle at a consistent 4,000 units per month, and will soon get additional variants with AMT options added both to the petrol and diesel engines.

The Nexon is offered with 2 engine options – a 1.2 liter turbocharged petrol motor with 108 Bhp-170 Nm and a 1.5 liter turbo diesel motor with 108 Bhp-260 Nm. Both engines get 6 speed manual transmissions. AMTs will be offered soon. Prices of the Nexon start from Rs. 5.85 lakhs, making the compact SUV undercut every other sub-4 meter offering in the segment.