Tata’s Creta Rival Surfaces Online Before Auto Expo Reveal

The H5 or the Q501 appears to be bigger than the Creta and is expected to get optional 3-row seating

Tata has been testing the Q501 SUV for long under the Land Rover Discovery Sport outfit, but the latest images reveal how it will actually look. And we have to say, it looks impressive from whatever we can make out from the images that surfaced online. The Q501 will be revealed at the upcoming Auto Expo 2018 and we’re expecting the showcased vehicle to be a near-production model.

One thing that’s obvious from the red colour, that the test vehicle was spotted wearing under the camouflage, is that the new Tata SUV will be properly loud in terms of the way it looks. Expect this SUV to wear some bright colours as well. The other thing to notice is how a lot of individual elements like the ORVMs, the wheels and the front grille are big in terms of the sheer size.

The Tata Q501’s design is based on the company’s new Impact 2.0 design language. Know in detail about it here.

The headlamp design appears to be sleek, unlike the usual big and stretched headlamps we’re used to seeing on Tata vehicles. Tata recently teased the Q501’s headlights with two separate packs of LED lights and we think one could be the main beam and the other could be the high beam.

Compared to the Hyundai Creta, which measures 4270mm in length, the Q501 appears to be longer and, probably, wider too. That should allow Tata to free up enough space on the inside to offer three rows of seats, making the Q501 a 7-seater. If rumours are to be believed, the Q501 SUV will get the third row as optional.

Media reports also suggest that this new SUV from Tata will get the same 2.0-litre diesel engine that powers the Jeep Compass and makes 173PS of maximum power under its hood. Since Tata shares the Ranjangaon facility with Jeep, which makes the Compass there, it could very well be possible that both these SUVs share the powerplant as well. Does that mean that it will share the 1.4-litre petrol engine with the Compass too? We’ll wait for official word on it.

The interior image suggests that the Q501 SUV will sport a shade of black on the inside. It will also get drive modes as the drive selector lever can be seen in front of the gear lever in the image. Given the orientation of the wrapping on the dashboard, it looks like the Q501 might not get a floating-type infotainment system like the one on the Nexon. Instead, it might sit in a recess on the dashboard. The steering wheel appears to be the same three-spoke unit that the Nexon gets.

Online reports suggest that the Q501 will go up against the Creta in terms of price, although it might be bigger in size. The ex-showroom Delhi prices of the Creta petrol start from Rs 9.29 lakh and go up to Rs 13.03 lakh. On the other hand, the diesel Creta, powered by the 1.4-litre engine, starts from Rs 10 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). Prices for the 1.6-litre diesel-powered Creta start from Rs 13.69 lakh and go up to Rs 14.60 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). We expect the diesel Q501’s price tag to be closer to the Creta 1.6, if not more.

Visiting the Auto Expo 2018? Know more about the venue and schedule here.