It has almost been a year since the Tata Hexa has been missing from Tata Motor's lineup in India as we adopted the BS6 norms in April, 2020. Tata Motors did showcase the BS6 version of the Hexa at the 2020 Auto Expo in the form of the Hexa Safari Edition and while that was slated for a launch in 2020 itself, it was deferred due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Tata Hexa BS6 is said to be launched in the later half of the year.
Now, it seems that the BS6 Tata Hexa might finally be round the corner. There are now rumors that the updated crossover MPV could be launched later in 2021. When Tata Motors showcased the BS6 Hexa as the Safari Edition at the Auto Expo, it was expected that the 'Safari' nameplate would only live on as a special version of Tata's 4x4 vehicles. Of course, we now know that Tata had completely different plans for the iconic 'Safari' nameplate in India.
Also Read : 2021 Tata Safari Officially Teased Ahead Of Debut On January 26, 2021
The primary change on the Tata Hexa 2021 will obviously be an updated engine to meet the BS6 emission standards. It is expected to continue with its 2.2L diesel engine, which in BS4-spec produced 156hp and 400Nm of peak torque. The engine came mated to either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic transmission and it even came with an optional four-wheel drive system for the manual variant. Tata could be offering the 4WD system on the automatic variant as well this time around.
It is these four-wheel drive variants that we expect to be christened the Safari Edition, as was showcased at the 2020 Auto Expo. The model showcased at the Auto Expo came finished in a new dark green paint shade along with black alloy wheels. The interiors too were done up in lighter colors. We expect both of these changes to be featured on the production-spec model as well.
We do not expect any other significant change of the BS6 Tata Hexa. It will be Tata's only body-on-frame and 4x4 vehicle when it when it goes on sale later this year, until obviously a 4x4 variant of the new Safari come up. Prices are expected to start from around INR 14 lakh (ex-showroom) and it will rival the likes of the Mahindra Marazzo and the XUV500, the Toyota Innova Crysta, as well as the MG Hector Plus.
Stay tuned to IndianAutosBlog.com for Tata updates more and other four-wheeler news.
