These spy pictures sent by our reader Naveen Chandran could just be of the first car to kick off Tata’s new product offensive called ‘Project Falcon’.
As part of the project, ‘Falcon 4’ will be the code for the new hatchback, which has been styled in Tata’s European design studio. It will eventually replace the Tata Vista when it goes on sale towards the end of 2014 and will come with both diesel and petrol engine options. The 1.3-litre Fiat Multijet diesel is carried over from the Vista, but a new 1.2-litre turbo-petrol, based on the current Xeta engine, will debut in the Falcons. This engine will be the base motor in a new engine family that Tata Motors is developing, which, in the future, will include larger-capacity engines and direct fuel injection.
The Tata Falcon 4 is likely to get a long list cosmetic and styling updates like a new front fascia, an all-new tail-lamp design and a repositioned number plate (now placed on the boot-lid instead of the rear bumper), among others.
What’s more, Tata is likely to drop the Vista name altogether to position this model as a new car, but it’s unlikely that it will use ‘Falcon 4’, which is just the project designation, as the market name for the new hatchback car.
The new Falcon hatchback from Tata Motors will be unveiled at the Auto Expo next February.