Tata Hornbill India Launch In 2021, To Rival Ignis

The decision to prepone comes as an obvious one as the Indian market is seeing a positive shift towards small SUVs.

Tata 45X Concept 1 — The Tata Hornbill will be underpinned by the same platform as the Tata 45X

The Indian SUV market is on the rise and so is the number of such products coming from various manufacturers. Mahindra is leading the way but other companies aren’t left behind. The latest news is from the house of Tata who will launch their small crossover in the year 2021. The car is called the Tata Hornbill (codenamed X445) and Tata’s new convention of naming its vehicles after birds will continue with this one.

Not much is known about the Tata Hornbill yet but it is confirmed to be a small crossover. This will join the company’s India portfolio which also has another SUV like vehicle called the Nexon. Tata has experienced a turn of faith with its new vehicles that not only look better but also perform well.

Tata’s Impact 2.0 design philosophy is largely to be credited for this. The sharper and more modern looking cars are on par with the competition and new customers have actually trusted the company with their hard earned money.

The Tata Hornbill is said to be based on the company’s new modular platform that will also underpin the Tata 45X and maybe even a sedan that will be launched in the following years. Engine details are scarce but we expect the Hornbill to get a 1.2-litre motor with an option for an automated manual transmission (AMT) since the Maruti Ignis gets one.

The new Tata Hornbill will be rivalling the Maruti Ignis which too features a tallboy design. Ignis’ design has been kind of a hit or a miss among Indian buyers but has done well to attract the younger lot. The car is feature rich and Tata will be loading the Hornbill on par with the Ignis if not more to avoid losing buyers.

The micro-SUV segment in India is set to become more fierce as Hyundai will introduce one such vehicle in the year 2021-22. Datsun too will be unveiling its GO Cross small SUV in the next few months. The electric era is around for cars and so is the era of SUVs.