Tata Motors plans to launch an all-new C-segment sedan to take on the likes of the Honda City, Hyundai Verna and Maruti Suzuki Ciaz. As per reports, it will be based on the brand’s new ALFA platform which underpins the Altroz premium hatchback. Codenamed Tata X452, the upcoming Tata Motors sedan is supposedly the spiritual successor of the old Manza; the last C-segment sedan from the Indian brand.
Apparently, the company had plans to introduce a C-segment sedan a few years ago. It was around the same time when demand for SUVs and crossovers (especially the ones spanning under four metres in length) started to boom. In parallel, the sedan market started to see less interest and Tata Motors made the right decision by shifting focus away from it.
The brand has a strong portfolio of SUVs at the moment with the Nexon being one of the top sellers in the subcompact-SUV market while the Tata Harrier is an extremely desirable choice in the premium five-seater diesel SUV market. The company is also working on a petrol Harrier variant and HBX small SUV. To top it off, the Tata Gravitas will soon hit the market as a compelling alternative to the likes of the Toyota Fortuner, Ford Endeavour and Mahindra Alturas G4.
Coming back to the Tata X452, the final version will borrow a lot of styling bits from the Altroz and the E-Vision electric concept. It will also borrow styling from the recent concepts that were showcased at Auto Expo 2020 such as the Tata Sierra and HBX compact-SUV.
Aesthetics is one of the strong points in Tata products and the upcoming City-rival could be a looker ‘in its segment’. Modern Tata products are also popular for their supreme value for money and first-in-class features. In this regard, expect the X452 to have some extra bits on the inside to have an edge over its competitors. New gen Honda City was launched recently in India.
However, the main highlight of the upcoming sedan is its powertrain choices. Various sources state that the production version of the Tata X452 will be available in conventional petrol and diesel formats, alongside a first-in-segment electric avatar. During the launch of the Tata Nexon EV, the company had shared that it will introduce four new EVs in the country by 2022. The X452 could be one of them but it is too early to reach a conclusion.
The electric version of the Tata X452 will feature the brand’s proven Ziptron powertrain and could be an improved version of the one powering the Tata Nexon EV. The Nexon EV has a claimed range of more than 300km and can be charged 0-80% in an hour.
This post was last modified on July 27, 2020 9:52 am