Tata Motors is reportedly planning working on launching a 7 seater MPV in India, based on Altroz platform
Before the world came to a grinding halt due to the pandemic, the MPV segment in India appeared to have started scaling back some of its lost ground. The strong initial response to the Kia Carnival demonstrated that there are enough takers for a people carrier in the higher end of the market. Moreover, the Maruti Ertiga continued its strong run last year in the affordable end of the segment amidst challenging conditions.
The reemergence of the MPV segment certainly made leading OEMs take notice. Hyundai India is reportedly planning to revive its MPV project which was shelved after previewing the Hexaspace concept. With that in mind, the idea of a Tata MPV to rival the Ertiga is not entirely far fetched.
Mind you, Tata Motors made no official announcements regarding a people carrier but we think such a project must be in a feasibility study phase at least. The Altroz’s modular Alfa architecture would serve as a perfect base for an Ertiga contender.
Here is a speculative rendering of Tata Altroz-based MPV created by our in-house design specialist Pratyush Rout. As you can see, the Altroz hatchback’s IMPACT 2.0 design philosophy goes very well with the MPV body style. A people carrier based on this styling language would be sporty and proportional.
If at all the Alfa platform spawns an MPV, it would have a longer wheelbase than the Altroz hatchback to ease up space for three rows of seats. A high level of component sharing would help Tata keep the price competitive. Moreover, the platform in question is also set to underpin the upcoming H2X compact crossover.
If it becomes a reality, the Tata MPV will share its powertrain lineup with its hatchback sibling. Petrol option would be the 1.2-liter turbocharged engine which produces 86 hp and 113 Nm of torque. The 1.5-liter turbocharged unit producing 90 hp and 200 Nm of torque would be the diesel engine of choice. A 5-speed manual transmission would be standard but Tata could also offer AMT option.
Global auto industry experts say that the family cars may enjoy increased popularity in the post-COVID-19 era as people will be averse to public transport and other forms of shared mobility. In that case, the compact crossover MPVs would be the segment to watch out for in India.
Tata Motors’ immediate focus would be to execute a successful transition to BS6 standards as soon as the lockdown is lifted. The company also has a few SUVs in the pipeline to focus on before turning its attention towards a possible MPV.
