Last month we had speculated that the Varicor 320 engine might make it to the new Tata Hexa. We thought this would be a good strategy to get a low sticker price for the Hexa and it turns out that we were right. The Tata Hexa owner’s manual does mention the Varicor 320. What it also mentions is the presence of the 4x4 automatic variant of the Varicor 400.
The Varicor 320 engine gets a five-speed manual gearbox only and will be offered only with the 2WD setup. While the Varicor 400 develops 154bhp of power and 400Nm of torque, the Varicor 320 develops 148bhp of power and 320Nm of torque. The 80Nm less torque would take some grunt away from the Hexa but with the same setup on the two-tonne Safari, we are sure it will not feel underpowered.
At the Hexa first drive, we were offered the Varicor 400 engine with two options - 4x4 with a six-speed manual gearbox and 4x2 with six-speed automatic gearbox. It seems that the 4x4 automatic setup is under development and Tata might be sneakily testing it amongst the several test mules that you still find running across the country. The 4x4 AT option will complete the Hexa portfolio in its challenge of the Mahindra XUV500 as well as the Innova Crysta. The Toyota Innova Crysta does not get four-wheel drive.
The Hexa launch which was slated for 2016 had been delayed to January 2017 and Tata must be thanking demonetisation for providing them a stop-gap. With the Tiago doing well, Tata will be banking on the Hexa to generate good numbers, especially by attracting the cash-strapped Innova buyers.
