The K03 has been jointly developed by TVS-BMW and is an extremely important product for the manufacturer, while the Tata Kite marks as the replacement to the Indica.
Tata Motors and TVS-BMW are working on extremely important products that could be game changers for the respective companies. While two-wheeler maker will be entering an all-new segment with the K03, Tata’s Kite (codename) hatchback is expected to replace the ageing Indica in the manufacturer’s lineup. Now, these new patents showcase very important details of the upcoming products that are likely to be revealed later this year.
Starting with the Tata Kite, the front grille of the hatchback has been leaked via this patent image and carries the bold design language seen on the new Zest and Bolt models. There will also be a chrome lip above the honey-mesh grille for a premium appeal, while complimenting the design will be large sweptback headlights. Power on the hatchback is expected to come from a newly developed 1.05-litre diesel engine under the hood that will be put up against the Maruti Celerio DDiS in the same space and will be a frugal unit. In addition to a hatchback, Tata is also prepping up a compact sedan version that will go on sale next year.
The TVS-BMW alliance will be churning out their first offering expected to be revealed later this year codenamed ‘K03’. While we already know that the K03 will be a street-fighter based on the test mules, the company has now patented the fuel tank design of the quarter-litre offering as seen in the image below. The fuel tank is similar to the Draken concept and does not get major changes as such. The elongated sides and muscular character lines provide a dominating appearance similar to the Draken concept.
This is just a single piece of a big puzzle that will be solved by the end of the year. The K03 will be BMW Motorrad’s entry in the mass market segment below 500cc, while TVS will be upping its game above the flagship RTR 180. The Draken concept was showcased at the 2014 Auto Expo and previewed a host of new possibilities for the Indian automaker in the future. The engineering though, will come from the German auto giant’s stable. The TVS-BMW K03 will be produced at the former’s Indian facility and is expected to be priced very competitively.
