We were off to the Tata Hexa Experience, came back impressed

Tata Motors has a lot riding on it's upcoming launch, the Hexa. With the Tiago doing well, the Pune-based car manufacturer finally has something to cheer about and they would be keen to retain the momentum going forward. Moreover, the Hexa is Tata's second attempt at the premium crossover segment after the Aria failed miserably. The pressure, then, is on Tata to get this right. If the pre-launch events are anything to go by, Tatas are leaving no stone unturned to create an impact this time. 

The Hexa Experience Centres that were setup in various cities prior to launch is one of them. We had a chance of experiencing it in Chennai last week when a bunch of Hexas came visiting.

The entry to the venue had three separate counters for online registrations, Bookmyshow bookings and walk-ins. We had registered online through Tata Motors' official website and the entry was seamless. Elsewhere in the hall, a Hexa took centrestage as visitors gathered around to have a look at the new flagship of Tata Motors. The indoor hall also had a host of Tata Group stalls including Croma, Tata Finance, Tata Water Plus and some quick eats as well to keep the visitors engaged. Just outside the hall were a couple of accessorized Hexas parked to attract eyeballs. With it's blacked-out exteriors, the Hexa Tuff looked particularly inviting.  

The well-organized drive event was split into two parts - an 'Off-road Experience' with Tata experts behind the wheel and a short test drive around the venue. While it was disappointing to not unleash the Hexa off-road ourselves, we couldn't fault Tata. With limited cars and little room for error in the course specifically set up for the event, they had to keep us visitors in check. 

The track had been designed to demonstrate the capabilities of the Hexa off the beaten track and, having experienced it, we have to admit the newest Tata crossover didn't fail to impress. 

Starting the course were a pair of axle-twisters to showcase Hexa's articulation capabilities. With the trained hands and legs of Tata-appointed professionals behind the wheel, the Hexa cleared the axle-twisters with little fuss, albeit scaring some first-time visitors a bit.

Next up were a set of solid blocks that utilized the full 200 mm ground clearance of the Hexa. There was nary a struggle in going past this, errr, obstacle. Bring on those speed breakers, we say!

The top-end variants of the Hexa gets Traction Control System (TCS) as standard which worked flawlessly through a set of rumblers that were placed next on the course. As soon as the system sensed loss of traction on the front left wheel, it ensured there was enough traction on the other wheels to keep the vehicle going steady without wheelspin.

The next set-up was easily the crowd's favourite, an arched ramp to demonstrate Hexa's Hill Hold Control and Hill Descent Control features. The professionals driving the Hexas stopped at the right places to explain the occupants on the usefulness of these features in the tricky conditions. While it's true that most of the potential Hexa owners aren't likely to venture off-road ever, these features will come in handy on those bumper-to-bumper traffic scenarios or the unscientific ramps that dot our malls and hotels.

As soon as we descended the ramp, a side incline of 40 degrees welcomed us. The Hexa had no qualms in negotiating it though. 

With a fantastic 400 Nm of torque available from as low as 1700 rpm, the Hexa was then driven through a flight of stairs that the crossover dismissed with aplomb.

What's off-roading without splashing some mud and water? We did that next with the Hexa wading through more than 400 mm of muddy water. A couple of other minor obstacles later, we reached the end of the course.

A short test drive in and around the venue was also offered and we got behind the wheel of the Hexa XTA, the top-end automatic variant. Despite it not lasting long enough to form our opinions, the short test drive highlighted Hexa's strengths and, of course, weaknesses, quite easily. 

• First up, the interiors are the best seen on a Tata vehicle yet.
• The gear ratios in the automatic transmission are well tuned with the Hexa never leaving us wanting in the short drive that we had.
• For those one-off nights to have fun, the Sports Mode with Race Car Function is good enough. It holds gears and sounds sweet to the ears too!
• Steering is heavy at parking speeds and gains weight as speeds build up.
• Handling is predictable with a hint of body roll around corners. In the short test drive that we had, it wasn't scary.
• Ride quality, like in most Tata vehicles, is superb with the road irregularities hardly filtering into the Hexa's cabin.
• We sorely missed paddle shifters, more so in the Sports Mode.
• For such a feature-loaded car, omission of push button start is startling.
• Space is abundant in the first two rows with the third row easily capable of accommodating two medium-sized adults.
• The captain seats in the second row is supremely comfortable. If we were to go on a long road trip in the Hexa, this is where we would be perched!
• Even with all three rows in place, there is still decent space in the boot for a weekend family trip.

By this time tomorrow, the Hexa would have been officially launched and we wish Tata well for it's success. The Hexa can sell on it's own merits but a value-for-money price tag would make the deal sweeter and the XUV5OO sweatier. Over to you, Tata.

Experienced: Mercedes-Benz Stardrive 2012

Being a luxury car-maker is tough. They are not only supposed to produce and sell cars with very high levels of quality and finesse, but also expected to keep their high-profile customers happy and content. The Stardrive Experience organized by Mercedes-Benz is one such event aimed mainly at its customers with the media also thrown in. Started in 2010 and currently in its third year, the Stardrive Experience has been conceptualized to show the engineering, safety and technical prowess of the cars wearing the three pointed star on their hoods. We participated in the Chennai leg of the event that was held on 19-May-2012 and here is how the two-hour event unwinded.

With the Madras Motor Sports Club's Irrungattukottai race-track being the backdrop and powerful sleeper cars like the C63 AMG and G55 AMG being a part of the show, we knew there would be no dearth of excitement. And we were proven right. Any Mercedes-Benz event these days is incomplete without the SLS AMG and the organizers know this very well. There it was, the gorgeous SLS AMG in red, basking in the hot Chennai sun, with its legendary 'gullwing' doors attracting many an eyeballs. The G55 AMG, though poles apart, gave the SLS good company and the duo served their purpose well as eye-candies of the event.

The event was split into three sections - Technical Briefing, Pre-Safe Demonstration and SUV Demonstration.

TECHNICAL BRIEFING:

Mercedes-Benz has a rich legacy to showcase that just can't be compiled into a 10-minute video but that's precisely what they tried to do in this session. The short video drove home a few important facts about Mercedes-Benz, the company:

* Being the inventor of automobile 126 years ago, Mercedes-Benz till date owns about three-fourths of the global automotive patents.

* ABS, that has almost become a standard feature even in small cars these days, was first introduced by Mercedes-Benz.

* Safety of the occupants is of paramount importance to the company and every Mercedes-Benz car comes with a host of life-saving features.

* There are a whole lot of off-roading technologies that gives the ML, GL and G-Wagon SUVs unparalleled abilities both on and off the road.

The subsequent sessions were to demonstrate the last two points stated above.

PRE-SAFE DEMONSTRATION:

All the participants were taken to the track in either the C63 AMG or the E350 CDI piloted by expert drivers. The course was designed with cones arranged in such a way that we could experience what ABS, EBD and ESP can do in emergency situations and bring the car back on course. Collectively, Mercedes-Benz refers to these features as 'Pre-Safe'.

ABS (Antilock Braking System) - Hard braking usually tend to lock the wheels thus making the car skid and slide while coming to a stop. ABS prevents the locking of wheels even when we slam the brakes hard, thus ensuring that the car comes to a stop in a straight line irrespective of the road surface.

EBD (Electronic Brakeforce Distribution) – In panic-braking situations, it is generally impossible to maneuver the cars. EBD comes to the rescue in these cases by working in parallel with ABS. It distributes the brake force individually to each wheels depending on the situation, thus allowing us to control the car’s direction even while braking.

ESP (Electronic Stability Program) - Cars tend to skid when wheels lose traction with the road surface. In cars fitted with ESP, sensors detect loss of traction and starts acting immediately by applying counteracting forces to the other wheels. As a result, the car is steered back in its intended direction corresponding to driver’s inputs.

SUV DEMONSTRATION:

Climbing a 30 degree ramp with utmost ease and conviction, navigating through a set of ramps placed on alternative sides and dismissing a set-up with steep climb and descent angles convincingly - the ML and GL did all these, much to the excitement of many participants. It's not surprising, considering that 99 out of 100 customers who own these SUVs confine them to highways and expressways only. At the end of the session, usage of technologies like Airmatic, 4 Matic, Hill Climb Assist and Downhill Speed Regulator were effectively demonstrated. 

As for us, since we have experienced the off-roading capabilities of the G-Wagon, GL and ML in the mighty Himalayas before, this was just a recap (in a smaller scale) of what these trio were capable of.

Gauging the reactions of few of the customers who participated in the event, we have to say that Mercedes-Benz has really succeeded in their attempt of proving the might and worth of their models. After losing the leadership in luxury segment to BMW and now Audi, Mercedes-Benz is trying to regain its lost glory in India. Events like these will only help build the image and spread the awareness of the brand. As its tagline states, Mercedes-Benz made us 'Feel it'. And the best part is that the Stardrive Experience is open to public and those who are interested to participate can do so by clicking on the following link - Mercedes-Benz Stardrive.