Spec comparo: Tata Hexa vs Toyota Innova Crysta
The Hexa is Tata Motors' latest MPV, and the company seems to have left no stone upturned while developing the vehicle. It is based on the same X2 platform that underpins the Aria. It will be offered with a 2.2-litre, 4-cylinder, turbo-diesel that churns out an impressive 156PS and 400Nm. There's an option of a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic.
The Hexa will go up against the segment leader, the Toyota Innova Crysta. The Japanese MPV enjoys tremendous success and fan following in India. It's held the throne as the segment king for years, and the new Crysta has moved the game forward. In India, the Innova Crysta comes with the option of a 2.4-litre turbo-diesel and a 2.8-litre turbo diesel.
The 2.4-litre Innova is what the Hexa will be pitted against, and on paper it does look like Hexa poses a serious challenge to the Innova. The Innova's 2.4-litre motor develops 150PS and 343Nm. These figures do indicate the Hexa may be the quicker, but the Innova Crysta weighs lighter at 1,855kg (kerb, ZX variant). The Tata Hexa, on the other hand, weighs about 2,280kg (kerb). We'll find out which is the quicker when we put them through a thorough comparison test.
As mentioned, the Hexa's 2.2-litre diesel motor comes with the option of a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic, whereas the Innova's 2.4-litre engine comes with a 5-speed manual only. The bigger 2.8-litre motor (174PS/ 360Nm) gets a 6-speed automatic.
Innova gets two drive modes - Eco and Power, while the Hexa gets four modes - Comfort, Auto, Dynamic and Rough Road. While the Innova is a 4x2, the Hexa gets a Borg Warner adaptive all-wheel drive system.
The Hexa is longer and wider than the Innova Crysta. The Toyota, however, is a smidgen taller than the Tata. The Hexa is available in 6- and 7-seat configurations and so the Innova Crysta. We'll let you know about second- and third-row comfort in the MPV after the test.
The Hexa is pretty feature loaded too. Like the Innova Crysta, the Hexa gets projector headlamps. While the Hexa gets a nice-looking LED tail lamp, the Innova gets multi-reflector tail lamps. The interior of both the MPVs is well-finished and comes with modern features.
While the Innova's interior looks elegant with its wood trimmings, the Hexa looks sporty with a nice mix of piano black inserts and black leather on the dashboard. The Hexa's infotainment system also features smartphone integration that gives customers access to personalised on-demand mobility services. The Hexa gets a brilliant 10-speaker JBL audio system with a 320W DSP amplifier and a sub-woofer.
Safety features on both vehicles include ABS with EBD and ESP. The Hexa also features Hill Hold, Hill Descent Control (HDC) and traction control. The Hexa gets six airbags while the Innova gets seven airbags since it gets a driver knee airbag too.
The Innova Crysta has cemented its position in the market, and Tata's plan to go up against it is a bold move. The Hexa looks promising, but it all boils down to the pricing.