Tata Motors has unveiled the production-ready HBX micro-SUV at the ongoing Auto Expo 2020. The company has been teasing it for the last few days on its various social media handles and even a few test mules were spied ahead of the official debut. Tata HBX, also known as Hornbill, will challenge the likes of Maruti Ignis and Mahindra KUV100 while it is slated to launch in the latter half of the year in an expected price range of Rs 6 Lakhs - Rs 10 Lakhs (Ex. Showroom).
Tata HBX flaunts split headlamp layout with LED daytime running lights (DRLs) and a single-slat front grille. The mini-SUV rides on newly-designed dual-tone alloy wheels while the C-Pillar mounted rear door handles look impressive. The rear end boasts of high mounted stop lamp, vertical reflectors with the number plate placed on the rear bumper. The cabin draws a lot of inspiration from the recently launched Altroz hatchback and shares several features with it. The primary highlight of the cabin remains the free-standing touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Mechanically, Tata Hornbill will be powered by a BS6 compliant 1.2L Revotron petrol engine which we have already seen in the Tata Tiago and Tigor. The power output and torque performance figures are not known yet but they are expected to be identical to the hatchback and compact sedan. This engine will be linked to a 5-speed manual transmission as standard while the AMT gearbox will also be offered as optional.