TATA looking to pan around the clock with HEXA

As I pressed the accelerator, the hushing growl of the engine astonished me. It was seamless yet powerful. The sculpted-indulgent seat comforted me as the beast pounced forward effortlessly hitting the dazzling roads of Hyderabad. The powerful engine (VARICOR 400) with remarkable torque (1700 – 2700 rpm) handled the 6-speed automatic transition at ease. Perfectly balanced front and rear coil-spring type 5-link rigid action suspension made the ride soothing irrespective of the road conditions. And the beast is TATA HEXA!

Tata motors unveiled its latest model under SUV segment – HEXA. The side-look might remind you of its previous version ARIA but HEXA is more than that, I must admit. Be it the brawny exteriors, well-designed interiors or smooth and silky drive, it has it all to make an impression.

A photo posted by Gowthama Rajavelu (@gowthy87) on Oct 22, 2016 at 11:26pm PDT

Tata is known for making large utility vehicles posing a sporty look, since 1990 when its first SUV Sierra was introduced. It was followed by another version – Safari, which was quite famous among the industrialists. And then Tata launched the most famous Sumo. It was simple yet potent vehicle and was well-received as well. After Sumo, Tata launched various other versions in SUV segment but unfortunately none of them were commercially successful. The major problem would be their design. None of the versions, be it hatchback, sedan or SUV, have inviting and impressive design to scale-up their sales. Being said that, Tata came up strongly with its first Impact design vehicle – Tiago – launched during early April of this year, 2016 and it was very well received. Now with Hexa (second impact design vehicle of Tata) on board under SUV segment, they are looking to turn the clock back to its olden days.

Hexa, with its stylish exterior and comfy interior, has more than just the style-element to impress everyone. The advanced next-generation clubbed with 6 speed manual and automatic transmission (400 Nm torque and 156 PS power), first-in-segment super drive modes that enhances the driving experience irrespective of the road, electronically controlled adaptive All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) and Hill Hold & Hill Descent control (HHC & HDC) is something to be looked and experienced upon besides the striking daytime running lights, smoked projector headlamps and best-in-class 19 inch alloy wheels.

My personal favourites are super drive modes, AWD and HHC & HDC. The super drive modes i.e. auto, comfort, dynamic and rough, comes with 6-speed manual transmission. It enhances the power and torque of the engine depending upon the road conditions. Rough road mode is a killer as it allows us to handle even the bumpiest road at ease. The AWD adds value to these modes as it allows the driver to take full control over the vehicle irrespective of the circumstances. It makes the overall driving experience commanding as well as dominating. The HHC & HDC is one of the most interesting innovations in the automatic sector. It executes braking mechanism automatically and maintains the transition effectively. HHC automatically activates to prevent the vehicle from rolling backwards on up-hill drives. HDC controls the vehicle flawlessly while descending in a steep path or an inclined surface; it must be turned on manually unlike the HHC operation, which goes on automatically.  

The 10 speaker JBL system is one such unique element of Hexa. The acoustically tuned experience with four door speakers, 4 tweeters, a centre speaker, sub-woofer and a power amplifier will make you feel the comfort not just with pride but also with an invaluable joy. But be careful, cautious and focus on road while listening to your favourite numbers as sometimes you may lose yourself in the theatricality produced by this JBL sound system.

The retractable sunblinds for 2^nd row window seem like constructive option, especially in a country where – Hot, Hotter and Hottest – are the three predominant weather patterns.

I felt automatic variant offers more seamless driving experience compared with its manual counterpart. The seemingly tight clutch, stiff gear and limited leg-space in the latter is something that will take longtime for the owners to adapt with. It is something the owners should give a second thought before setting up a long distance road-trip, especially in a crowded highways, as it could be tricky.

Also read this if you want to know the comparison of Hexa with Innova Crysta and XUV 500 written by Shrinithi Hande

Overall, Hexa proves to be one of the impressive SUV editions of Tata Motors after Sierra that was launched 25 years ago. It is strong, contemporary and sensible. It has been tested across three continents over 800,000 kms and hence its out of harm's way as well. For more details visit http://hexa.tatamotors.com/ 

Let's splash it out with Hexa. Yeah that's me!
VC - Ritu

Considering the eye-popping features and new impact design, Tata Hexa has the competitive edge to pose a grave threat to its rivals. 

Note: I took the beast for a long-drive (around 200 kms) on the beautiful road of Hyderabad and the review is completely based on my personal experience with Tata Hexa. It was part of a bloggers event organised by Indiblogger in collaboration with Tata Motors.