Spied: Tata H5X Testing For The First Time Without Discovery Sport Shell

The upcoming SUV by The Indian Carmaker Tata, based on the H5X concept has been spied testing for the first time in India without the Land Rover Discovery Sport outfit near the Pune-Goa expressway. The Tata H5X concept SUV was unveiled globally at the 2018 Auto Expo, followed by the Geneva Motor Show 2018 and the production-specification model is likely to be launched by April 2019.

Though there is not much revelation about the H5X-based SUV’s design from the spy shots, but on closer inspection, it is visible that the concept’s black body cladding has been the same even in the test vehicle. It’s for the very first time that the rear of this Tata SUV owing to the heavy camouflage can be seen and it’s hard to comprehend the design and layout of the boot. The best that can be made out of it is a hint of a rear spoiler which is in tandem with the roof.

The production-spec SUV is based on the Omega (Optimal Modular Efficient Global Advanced) platform and is likely to retain 80 per cent of the design and features that were showcased on the concept version. The new platform has been derived from Jaguar Land Rover’s D8 architecture on which the Discovery Sport has also been underpinned.

It is expected that Tata will tout a 2.0-litre diesel engine (two variants – 140hp on the five-seat model and 170hp on the seven-seat model of the SUV) that has been sourced from Fiat under the bonnet of the H5X-based SUV, mated with both manual and automatic transmissions on offer. The engine also provides power to the Jeep Compass in India. In the upcoming 4-5 years, Tata Motors is likely to come up with new vehicles based on the new Impact 2.0 philosophy for the Indian customers. These new vehicles, including the stunning EVision electric sedan, will be  built on Tata’s Omega and Alfa platforms. As per the company, even the existing Indian lineup of Tata consisting of the Tigor, Hexa, Tiago and Nexon, will be refurbished by 2023-24.

The lower-specification variants of the production-spec H5X which is likely to be launched in the beginning of 2019, is supposed to come up with the pricing to rival against the Hyundai Creta and the higher-specification trims are expected to  go up against the Jeep Compass. The SUV will be offering both five-seat and seven-seat configurations which is also an added advantage. 

Tata has made some serious plans for the upcoming years in the Indian market and t might sound over-ambitious currently, but it is not going to be startling if Tata Motors introduces with a production version of the E-Vision sedan in the approaching years as the big players of Indian passenger car market like Mahindra, Hyundai and several others carmakers are all set to launch their long-range and highly capable electric cars in the market soon.