Tata Kite hatchback spied in and out

Tata Motors is in the final stages of developing its new Kite hatchback and the new car may most likely debut at the 2016 Auto Expo in February. A camouflaged test mule was spotted testing recently near Pune.

We’ve been spying prototypes for more than a year, but now we have our first look at the interior. The cabin gets a layout similar to the one in the Bolt hatchback. The steering wheel is similar to the one in the Bolt and the Zest. The top-of-the-line variant is expected to get steering mounted audio controls, a touch-screen Harman audio system and chrome embellishments for the interior.

The car will get new headlamps, tail lamps and redesigned bumpers. The grille gets a honeycomb mesh pattern and is similar to the one on the front air intakes. The car gets a different roofline that makes it look a little different from the current range of Tata cars.

The new hatchback will be available in petrol and diesel engine options. Speculations suggest that Tata Motors might power the upcoming car from the set of new three-cylinder petrol and diesel engines. These engines will come mated to a five-speed manual transmission. We can also expect the AMT gearbox to be offered in the top-of-the-line variant.

Tata Motors is testing their new compact sedan and hatchback under the ‘Kite’ name. This strategy is similar to their now on sale Zest and Bolt, which were codenamed as 'Falcon' in their preliminary stages of testing. The new Kite hatchback is probably set to replace the Indica eV2 car next year and will be placed below the Bolt. It is expected to offer a good value for money for consumers on a budget and should also help Tata Motors to revamp its brand image in India.