Tata Motors unveiled its futuristic SUV concept H5X at the recently concluded Auto Expo 2018. The concept in the production form will be a premium SUV that will go up against the Jeep Compass in the Rs 15 to Rs 20 lakh category.
It looks like the development of the H5X is in the fast lane as the first prototype has already been spotted. The purported model was seen testing under the Land Rover Discovery Sport body many times last year while this is the first time in the close-to-production avatar.
The test mule is fully draped in camouflage, yet it is clear that the silhouette of the concept has been carried as it is. The test mule has more road-hugging stance while the snazzy 22-inch wheels of the concept have made way for smaller 19-inch wheels. Tata Motors has retained the beefy wheel arches and it will add a muscular look to the sides.
Though the concept has high-set slim headlights, the test mules carry vertically stacked twin round headlamp units. This is expected to be a dummy unit only for the testing purpose. The test mules have a more defined humanity line, a prominent trait of the Impact Design 2.0 design philosophy and chunky cladding at the base of the doors. The roofline has a rearward slope but it doesn't look as rakish as the one on the concept design.
The spy pictures reveal that the H5X's cabin will comfortably seat five adults. The twin-layered dashboard layout is contemporary and top-half houses a touchscreen for the infotainment. The test mule gets a new steering wheel, a six-speed manual gearbox and memory function for the front seats.
The production version of the H5X will be a monocoque SUV. It will also be the first vehicle based on Tata's new generation Optimal Modular Efficient Global Advanced Architecture (OMEGA), developed in collaboration with its British subsidiary -- Jaguar Land Rover. Tata Motors claims that the architecture is derived from the legendary Land Rover D8 architecture.
The company is expected to plonk Fiat's 2.0 Multijet diesel engine, which is already seen under the hood of the Jeep Compass, in the H5X. The engine is readily available in India as it is manufactured at Fiat's high-tech facility in Rajangaon. The mill is expected to develop 140hp in the H5X while the seven-seater model of the same, which is in the pipeline, will get the 180hp tune. ZF's nine-speed automatic unit will be the probable transmission along with the standard manual transmission option.
Source: Autocar
