Tata Hexa has been launched in India with prices starting from Rs 11.99 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). Tata’s premium offering is hopeful to boost the manufacturer’s proposition in the Indian market. The Hexa is available with 14 variants across manual and automatic transmission. It can be had either with six or seven seater set-up and comes laden with features. Entering into a well-established segment, the Hexa will take on the likes of Mahindra XUV500 and Toyota Innova Crysta in India. Here is a competition check on how the Hexa fairs against it adversaries in the Indian market.
Competition Check: Tata Hexa
Mahindra XUV500
The direct rival to the Hexa is from the Mahindra’s stable. The XUV500 squarely rivals the Hexa spec to spec and now with the pricing, the differences diminish further. Both of them are powered by a 2.2-litre diesel engine coupled to either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission, though the Hexa misses out on the automatic 4x4 variant which the XUV has on offer. Then there’s the appearance, where the XUV follows the SUV-like stance, the Hexa looks a lot like an MPV. The Hexa makes up for it with first-in-class driving modes. The Hexa also has a longer wheelbase as compared to the XUV which translates to more space on the inside. The Hexa even has more power output of the two.
In terms, pricing the XUV500 is more expensive at the lower end of the spectrum but is Rs 30,000 cheaper than the Hexa when compared in terms of top-of-the-line models (XTA Vs W10 AT). However, the XUV500 also offers and AT model with all-wheel drive, something that the Hexa currently does not offer.
Toyota Innova Crysta
The most successful MPV in the Indian market starts at a similar price to the Hexa beyond which the difference between the two keeps minimising. The Innova Crysta was launched last year and comes with two diesel and one petrol engine option. The five-speed manual or the six-speed automatic transmissions are on offer in the Innova, but it sends the power to the rear wheels only. The Hexa is bigger of the two, dimensionally, while both the cars get an option of six/seven-seat configuration. The Indian MPV though is priced higher than the Mahindra, it is reliable in terms of quality and is practical than the Hexa.
Being a small SUV, the Creta has a clear price advantage over the Hexa. It also has the advantage of a petrol engine on offer as well. But the Creta being a five seater and offered only in the front-wheel-drive configuration limits its edge. The Hexa is laden with features and the Creta isn’t too far behind. The Creta has a smaller engine of the two and has both manual and automatic transmission. What basically divides both these cars are the customer requirements. So if the petrol engine with fewer seats to haul around is the prerequisite the Creta makes a better buy of two. The Hexa, on the other hand, is spacious, bigger and is more practical for the extra price over the Creta.
