Tata showcases Xenon Tuff Truck concept at Australian 4×4 show

Every now and then an Indian car maker stuns global audiences with a good-looking concept, and the Tata Xenon Tuff Truck concept showcased at a 4×4 Outdoors show in Australia is one such good looking concept, that can really inspire some of our car modifiers.

The whole point of the Tata Xenon Tuff Truck was to showcase the brand and create brand appeal among outdoor enthusiasts in Australia, where pickup trucks are better accepted compared to India, where lifestyle pickups are few and far between, and most of the pickups around are mainly for commercial purposes. Also read: Eight refreshed cars and a new gameplan – can Tata make a comeback?

This Tata Xenon Tuff Truck is not much different from a regular Tata Xenon, but it has had some significant cosmetic changes that make it look quite rugged and purposeful. This vehicle was designed on the standard dual-cab Tata Xenon, and was built for Australian distributor of Tata vehicles – Fusion Automotive by automotive designer Julian Quincey.

Here’s what is visible from the makeover:

Up front the Tata Xenon Tuff Truck gets an all-new bumper that incorporates a winch and fairlead. It sports tow hooks, daytime running lamps and auxiliary fog lamps. The headlamps are standard Tata Xenon headlights, but the grille has been slightly modified. The bonnet gets a functional hood scoop for the intercooler. It also gets a custom-built snorkel that blends in with the A-pillar on the driver’s side, giving this vehicle even better water wading capabilities.

The entire vehicle has been finished in a matt grey finish, which is what makes it look quite sinister. The low-profile all-terrain tyres mounted on good-looking 20-inch alloys give it a sporty look in profile, while the roof-rails and roof-mounted lamps add to that off-road appeal. The load bay sports a half-roll cage in chrome. There are hardly any other changes at the rear though.

The Tuff Truck is powered by the standard 2.2 litre common-rail diesel engine that the regular Xenon comes with and there are no mechanical changes. It puts out 140 bhp of power and 320 Nm of torque with a five-speed manual transmission driving the rear wheels and part-time shift-on-the-fly four-wheel drive also available. The engine is shared with the Tata Safari Storme and Tata Aria.

This Tuff Truck will lead Tata’s foray into the Australian market for pickups, to showcase what potential the regular Xenon that will be sold there has. Its rival, Mahindra, already sells the Scorpio Pickup (Scorpio Getaway) in Australia.

What potential do you suppose such lifestyle pickups have in India? Or will they remain niche? Also read: Tata launches lower variants of Xenon