Buying used: (2017-2020) Tata Hexa

GOOD FOR: Comfy ride, spacious cabin

LOOK OUT FOR: Poor fuel economy, interior trim wear

The Tata Hexa never really set the sales charts ablaze, but it has a lot going for it. Also, just before the BS6 emission norms were enforced, it even made it to our list of ‘Cars to buy before they die’ list.

As a used buy, it offers terrific value. The fact that it’s now discontinued might be a negative, but this helps a lot with negotiations. You can haggle for a significantly lower price and get a great deal. What’s more, the high depreciation rate means the asking price is already quite low. In fact, used Hexas in top-spec trim are priced around Rs 13-14 lakh, which is equivalent to a new Nexon – a much smaller car in comparison to this large 7-seater. There aren’t too many options in the market, but you can easily find low-mileage units in good condition.

The Hexa is powered by a 2.2-litre diesel engine and is available with manual and automatic transmission options. The 6-speed manual is also available with all-wheel drive on the top-spec XT trim, while the automatic is available only with two wheel drive on the mid-spec XMA and top-spec XTA trims. So if you want all-wheel drive, the manual gearbox is the only option. However, the manual here is not one of the best transmissions around. The gearshifts are notchy and the lack of well-defined gates make it difficult to engage the gear. Then there’s the clutch, which although light, is inconsistent and lacks progression, resulting in jerky shifts. Other flaws include the absence of a dead pedal on the manual version and a rather small footwell for the driver, which could make a long drive cumbersome.

The automatic is the one we’d highly recommend. The 6-speed auto ‘box is smooth, refined and works in perfect tandem with the engine. The interior is one of the big highlights of the Hexa, as it offers good levels of quality and materials. The seats for one, are fantastic and very comfortable, and the overall cabin build is good too. That said, there are some niggles. The all- black dashboard heats up a fair bit on a hot day and some plastics down low aren’t up to the standards of the ones up top, and tend to rattle on older cars. The door lock pins tend to wear out early, and even malfunction in some cases, so make sure you check those. Also, the rather small, 7.0-inch touchscreen tends to freeze quite often. Get that checked too.

Though this is a Tata product, since it’s priced higher up in its portfolio, maintenance and spare parts prices are expectedly on the higher side. A basic service every 1 year/10,000km will cost you anywhere between Rs 7,000-9,000 and insuring a three-year-old model will set you back by approximately Rs 15,000 annually. Tata offered a 3-year/1,00,000km warranty on the Hexa and most cars on the market are still well under that mark, so look for these models specifically. The Hexa is a well-built, practical and comfortable SUV, and at these prices, it’s a great deal.

How to get one in your garage

Buyer, beware…

Low Economy

The Hexa is known to be a thirsty SUV, especially with the automatic transmission. Even in Eco mode, the economy hovers around the 6-7kpl mark in city traffic and goes just a shade above 10kpl on the highway.

Fiddly Interior

Some poorly fitted bits in an overall well-built cabin do stand out. The power window switches and door locks tend to malfunction.

Infotainment

The touchscreen offers only basic infotainment functions and tends to hang and freeze quite often. Some owners have also reported issues with the subwoofer.

Also worth knowing

The Hexa was also available in a base variant with no frills and lesser torque (300Nm). These examples can be fetched for as little as Rs 11 lakh. However, for the higher versions, you could also choose between a 6-seater variant, with captain seats for the middle row.

How much to spend

Rs 13-14 lakh

Given that the Hexa is out of production and there aren’t many on the market, you can be on the front foot of the negotiations. Offer no more than Rs 13 lakh, that too for a top-spec trim. If it is an automatic version, the maximum offer should be Rs 14 lakh. A lowspec version can even go for as little as Rs 11 lakh.

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