Tata Motors is developing a compact SUV to rival Ford EcoSport SUV, the under development SUV dubbed, ‘Nexon’ will be launched in India by the end of the 2015 or early 2016. It will be four meters in length and is expected to come with engine line up under 1.5 litre displacement, qualifying the SUV for low excise duty levied on vehicles under four-meters. The SUV will underpin modified version of X1 platform that has been adapted by soon to be launched Zest and Bolt. Tata Motors displayed Nexon concept at the 2014 Auto Expo held in the month of February at Greater Noida.
The concept version of the crossover housed a 1.2 litre, three cylinder turbo petrol engine that is good for a maximum power of 110 PS along with a torque of 170 Nm. A diesel version is also on cards that could come equipped with a 1.3 litre turbocharged diesel powertrain sourced from Fiat. A five-speed manual gearbox will be mated to the engines and a four wheel drive variant is also on cards.
The five seater SUV will feature LED head lamps, double sliding door system and 17 inch alloy wheels on the outside. Inside the cabin a wide instrument panel display will be incorporated along with a floating console. Sources reveal that despite being a mini SUV, Nexon will offer capacious cabin all thanks to the large wheelbase of 2.54 meters. A hypothetical price ranging between Rs 6 lakh to Rs 9 lakh is being speculated for the SUV.
