After many launches during the festive season, the automobile industry is gearing up for year-end car launches. Among those waiting to be launched, the Tata Kite hatchback has created a huge buzz, being the global car from Tata motors and endorsed by star footballer Lionel Messi.
Though the launch of the Kite hatchback was rumored in December, there was no information on a possible date. A report from Shifting-gears claims the launch of Tata's new hatchback is scheduled on 3 December. It was previously reported that Tata Motors would commence the production of the Kite from its factory in Sanand, Gujarat, in December.
Kite, the replacement of Tata's ageing Indica, underpins the X0 platform and is expected to get a fresh styling, unlike any other current Tata passenger cars. Tata recently announced the arrival of the new Kite through a promotional video of the company, featuring the brand's new face — Argentinean footballer and Barcelona forward Lionel Messi. The video, "Made of Great", also gave an early glimpse of the new Tata Kite. From the video, it appears that the hatchback will get a signature front grille with smoked headlamp and a fresh rear-end styling.
Tata Kite is likely to include a new 1.05-litre three-cylinder common-rail diesel motor that can churn out 64.1bhp and 140Nm of torque and an all-new 1.2-litre petrol engine. The Kite is speculated to get an e-clutch system similar to AMT that allows drivers to use manual transmission for the first gear without using the clutch.
The Kite will lock horn with the Maruti Suzuki Celerio and the Hyundai Grand i10 in India. The hatchback will be followed by the Kite compact sedan in 2016.
