Tata Motors showcased the Buzzard (7-seater Harrier) at the Geneva Motor Show 2019. Since then, the new model has been spied testing on Indian roads a number of times. In a latest development, it has been reported that the company will axe the Hexa, its current flagship, to make room for the Tata Buzzard in its local portfolio.
It may be noted that the Hexa isn't a very old model and was launched in January 2017. However, with the upcoming stringent BS6 norms, Hexa will have to face the axe as the 2.2-litre diesel engine that powers it will be upgraded to BS6 standard only for commercial operations. This clearly means that the company would pull the plug on its current flagship.
One of the reasons for this could also be the fact that emission limits for BS6 engines for some commercial vehicle classes are more relaxed as compared to the passenger vehicle class. Hence, it demands a lower investment to upgrade the same engine to achieve BS6 compliance for commercial operations. Rajendra Petkar, chief technology officer, Tata Motors, has told Autocar India that the 2.0-litre diesel engine that currently powers the Harrier will be capable of powering a variety of models in the company's passenger vehicle portfolio. Speaking on the plans, he said-
We share a lot of powertrains between the passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles, so if one powertrain doesn’t make sense in the passenger car, it would still make sense for the commercial operation. We will upgrade the 2.2-litre diesel to BS6 for some of our commercial vehicles. For PVs, we currently have the 2.0-litre engine, which is an advanced engine and also well-established in the market. So, we'd like to continue to use that in even the BS6 era.
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Following the footsteps of the five-seater Harrier, its longer version will be based on the OMEGA-arc, which is a derivative of Land Rover’s D8 platform. It will have a 62mm longer rear overhang in order to accomodate the third row of seats. Under the hood, it will feature a 2.0-litre Kryotec170 diesel engine that will deliver a maximum power of 170 PS and a peak torque of 350 Nm. The motor will come mated to a 6-speed manual transmission as standard and a Hyundai-sourced 6-speed torque convertor automatic unit as optional.
Source- autocarindia.com
