Despite sharing the same platform, the Tata Q501 and Land Rover Discover Sport will be completely different and will also employ different engines under the hood.
Early last month we reported that Tata Motors is working on two new SUVs codenamed Q501 and Q502 that will go on sale by 2017. Now more details on the upcoming Q501 SUV have emerged online. The first product to spawn out of the Tata and Land Rover collaboration, the Q501 will be sharing its underpinnings with the new Discovery Sport (L550) and compete against the Mahindra XUV500 at the lower end of the segment and the Toyota Fortuner at the higher end.
While the Tata Q501 SUV will be sharing its platform with the Discover Sport, both the SUVs will be radically different from each other in terms of design and engine options. The Q501 will continue to get the familiar Tata design and could possibly get a Fiat sourced 2.0-litre MultJet II diesel engine under the hood. This engine is expected to produce anything between 150-175 BHP of power and lower powered versions could be used as well.
The issue though is that the 2.0-litre MultiJet diesel engine will be imported into the country initially, making it expensive. Nonetheless, the costs will eventually come down once Fiat starts building the engine at its Ranjangaon facility co-owned by Tata for powering Jeep models. Tata Motors has set cost targets for the Q501 and while the numbers don’t seem achievable right now, the automaker is optimistic that the volumes will help offset the cost and improve the economies of scale. The Mumbai based manufacturer is aiming to retail 50,000 units a year of the Q501 and Q502 SUVs.
Source – Autocarindia.com