Exclusive: Tata Readying Hexa 4x4 Automatic

Recently we sampled Tata's latest brute - the Hexa - in Hyderabad. This tough crossover was available with automatic and manual transmission options. However, the all-wheel drive was only offered with a manual transmission. The absence of a 4x4 paired with the automatic transmission, was an obvious miss. 

Don’t worry, the particular package in question has already been readied for launch. However, it might not be made available when the Hexa hits showrooms in January 2017. While reasons are not concrete, the said combo might just push the pricing to a point that could give the Hexa seem expensive, a situation that Tata knows they should best avoid. 

The 4x4 capabilities are courtesy a Borg-Warner transfer case that delivers up to 45 per cent of the power to the front wheels if need be. The setup will also allow Tata to offer 'Super Drive' modes - that are available in the manual- in the automatic as well. The modes include Auto, Comfort, Dynamic and Rough Road that optimises the functioning of the ESP, ABS and the Torque on Demand system, to alter the behaviour of the vehicle. 

Tata will be looking at undercutting the XUV500 with its latest offering, to get traction in the booming SUV space. Notably, the Mahindra already offers an automatic-AWD combo, in the top-spec W10 variant only, that retails for Rs 18.53 lakh. 

Bookings for the Tata Hexa commence on November 1, 2016, whereas deliveries are scheduled to start in January 2017 following the price announcement. The Hexa makes for a rugged, comfortable and spacious machine. The convenience of an automatic transmission along with the excitement of an all-wheel drive system would round off the Hexa portfolio nicely!