The Kite hatchback could be called as the Glade and will be sold against the Maruti Alto K10 and Celerio while the Indica will continue to be on sale for the commercial market.
Making a grand comeback to the passenger market, Tata Motors has promised at least two all-new products every year by the end of the decade and also launched the Zest and Bolt in the last fiscal. This year, the Indian auto major will be bringing the Kite (codename) hatchback and compact sedan that will be positioned in the entry-level car space as a value for money offering. Now a report states that the upcoming Kite hatchback could be called as the ‘Glade’ and will go on sale in the second half of 2015.
Spotted on test by our reader Durga Prasad, the 2015 Tata Glade hatchback seemed almost production ready but was extensively camouflaged. Going by the proportions though, we reckon the Glade will be a good looking hatchback with a bold front and modern design language that made its debut on the Zest. Earlier reported to replace the iconic Indica in Tata’s lineup, our sources say that the Glade will be sold alongside the former and the Indica will be kept on sale to cater to the commercial market while the Glade will be essentially for private car buyers.
The Tata Glade will also be less spacious than the Indica creating a more appropriate product differentiation between the two products. Tata will be positioning the new hatchback as a rival to the Maruti Alto K10, Maruti Celerio and the Hyundai Eon with power coming from the new 1.2-litre petrol engine, designed to offer higher fuel efficiency. There will also be a 1.05-litre diesel engine on offer that has been newly developed and will take on the upcoming Maruti Celerio diesel scheduled for launch in the second half of this year as well.
Tata Motors is currently busy with the launch of the Nano GenX Easy Shift that is set to hit the showrooms in the following weeks, which will be followed by the Safari Storme facelift that will get minor cosmetic tweaks, uprated powertrain and few new features. The Glade is most likely to be launched around the festive season in the country.
Glade Name Source – GaadiWaadi.com