The production-spec Hornbill is expected to be revealed at the 2020 Auto Expo.
Tata Motors will be present in full swing at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show in March. The company is expected to be occupying additional space this year and will showcase ‘five new products’ according to a company source. Tata Motors has used the motor show as a platform to showcase a variety of concepts, ever since the company first took part in the Swiss motor show way back in 1999. The big unveil this year will be Tata’s new micro-SUV currently known by its codename ‘Hornbill’.
The new SUV will be Tata’s contender in the emerging micro-SUV segment and will slot below the Nexon in the company’s line-up. The Hornbill concept will hint at the production model which will be directly aimed at the Mahindra KUV100, the production version of the Maruti Future S and Hyundai’s all-new micro-SUV that is expected to arrive in 2023.
The Hornbill will be built on Tata’s Alfa modular platform which will be shared with the 45X premium hatchback but since the Hornbill will be a micro-SUV, it will have a 50 mm shorter wheelbase. Tata Motors provided a glimpse of the micro-SUV in one of its teaser videos at the 2018 Auto Expo, suggesting that the Hornbill will carry the Impact 2.0 design language like the Harrier. It will also have a more upright stance than the Nexon and less rounded design to give it a distinct SUV look. Chunky wheel arches, large wheels, sloping roofline and Tata’s ‘Humanity Grille’ is expected from the concept’s design.
The interiors will be well finished akin to all the new Tata products. We expect generous equipment and similar dashboard styling as the 45X premium hatchback and the Harrier. Tata will package the interiors to offer generous space despite the compact footprint.
The Alfa platform is designed to accommodate Tata’s 1.2-litre Revotron petrol and 1.05-litre Revotorq diesel powerplants. But there is a strong possibility that at launch, only the petrol engine will be offered. Tata Motors believes that it will be very expensive to make diesel engines once BS6 norms kick in and they still have to figure the viability of a diesel motor in the line-up. Transmission duties will be undertaken by either a 5-speed manual or an AMT gearbox.
Tata Motors is expected to reveal the production version of the Hornbill at the 2020 Auto Expo with the launch expected later in the year. The car will be priced in the region of Rs. 6-8 lakhs.
Tata Hornbill SUV
– Tata will debut the Hornbill micro-SUV concept at the Geneva Motor Show
– The production version is expected to arrive in 2020
– It will take on the likes of the Mahindra KUV100 and the upcoming Maruti Future S
Source – AutocarIndia.com
