Earlier this year it was reported that Tata Motors
is working on developing a Hyundai Creta rival codenamed 'Blackbird' and that
it is using the Chery Tiggo 5X as the benchmark for this model's development.
Now, a new report from GaadiWaadi.com says that the Tata Blackbird will be
nothing but rebadged Chery Tiggo 5X.
Chery is a Chinese brand and it came into existence
almost 20 years back. It retails a wide range of vehicles such as SUVs,
minivans and CVs in the domestic market. Back in 2012, Chery went into a 50:50
partnership with Jaguar Land Rover to manufacture and sell JLR vehicles in
China. Later, its international market penetration plans became clear with its
'Exeed' brand back in 2017 to focus on the European market with an SUV named
TX. For India, it is also said that after the Tiggo 5x, the JV will bring a
Maruti Suzuki Ciaz rival in a not so distant future, and several other products
will follow soon.
The Tata Blackbird was initially planned to based on
the JLR-derived Omega-Arc platform, but that didn't prove to be feasible due to
technical reasons and the high development costs involved. The rebadged Chinese-spec Chery
Tiggo 5x will compete with the likes of the Hyundai Creta, Nissan Kicks and Kia
Seltos. It measures 4,358 mm in length, 1,830 mm in width and 1,670 mm in
height. Its wheelbase spans a length of 2,630 mm. In terms of mechanicals, it
employs a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine which produces 115
PS and 141 Nm of torque. This engine comes mated to a 5-speed manual
transmission or an optional CVT.
Expect the Chery Tiggo 5x to bear the Tata branding
inside-out, also some minor tweaks in the form of redesigned front fascia to
give it a Tata family look. The Tata-badged Chery Tiggo 5X will be slotted right between the Tata
Nexon and the Tata Harrier, and it is expected to hit the showrooms in 2021.
With the downfall in sedan sales globally and rise in SUV's, Tata Motors has
decided to go forward with the project Blackbird instead of the X452, the Altroz's
sedan version.
