Tata 45X hatchback concept wows at Auto Expo 2018

Tata Motors has been eyeing the premium hatchback segment for some time, now and the 45X concept is our best idea yet of what a future Tata model in this segment would look like. The 45X is designed to wow – and it does so with consummate ease.

The 45X has a strong and confident stance and looks like a hatchback you would probably see on the streets of a European city. The design is bold and self-assured and at a larger level, also points to the design language being adopted by the next generation of Tata Motors' passenger cars. Slim lights up front, a well-defined ‘humanity line’ that links the lights and grille and smartly detailed bumpers are visible at the front.

The car's surfacing is strong and the styling package features many eye-catching details. An interesting detail is the strong ridge on the side that flows down from the A-pillar and then kinks back upward, as it extends to the rear. There are also darkened and upswept style elements under the side windows, as well as skirts at the base of the doors, which are made prominent by their contrasting colours. Tata Motors had revealed that cars from Impact Design 2.0 will have segment-leading wheel sizes and the show car at the Auto Expo does indicate, as much. Tata has showcased the 45X behind a glass enclosure, so we don’t have specifics; but the tyres do look like 18-inchers. Other highlights of the car include well-defined wheel arches, sharply cut rear doors, a sharp rear windscreen rake and a blackened-out roof spoiler that leads on from the contrast roof. There’s also a neat character line that leads into the high-set tail-lamps.

Tata Motors has kept the 45X’s cabin veiled, for now. However, there is talk of a clutter-free design and a big emphasis on practicality and connectivity.

The production version of the 45X will be the first model to be built on Tata’s AMP platform and is likely to go on sale in 2019. Keep your fingers crossed that it looks as good as this concept.