Interview with Pratap Bose, Head of Design, Tata Motors

We sat down with Pratap Bose, Head of Design, Tata Motors, to find out just how much of the visual flair of the H5X concept vehicle will make it into production. 

It’s not an overstatement to say that these two concepts are showstoppers at the Expo. Tell us a little bit about the H5X

The H5X, as you know, uses what we call the OMEGA architecture. And this is important because this architecture has Land Rover pedigree – it comes from the Discovery Sport, which gave us extremely good proportions for wheel placement, the cabin, and so on. Now, obviously we put our Tata Motors skin over this architecture. This is our flagship product, after all. I’ve always believed that our products are about strength and not aggression, and this, I think, is quite apparent from the car. It’s got that presence and stance on the road, but there’s nothing intimidating or threatening about it. We belong to the Tata group and want these values to be reflected in what we do. 

Despite using a Land Rover platform, which is also shared with Jaguar, the design of the H5X is very unique and individualistic. How did you manage that?

That’s right! Obviously, we want to give a nod to the platform, but we don’t want to use the same design. We are three different brands, and we’ve got to go our own ways. You know, we started our journey with only four products, and the Impact 2.0 design philosophy takes it to the next level. Everything here is a little sharper, a little tighter, a little more flush and a little more technical.

So, how much of this will make it to the production? With the Nexon, the concept that you showed and the car that made it into the showroom were virtually the same. How true to concept can you stay when you get this into production?

There’s always a risk when you set up a certain expectation. In order to avoid disappointment, we always have to walk that fine line between what’s conceptual and what’s real. So, the Nexon, as you mentioned, was pretty much 100% the same car that was launched here two years ago. But this one, I’d say, will be about 80-85% the same as the concept car. But, then, there are always some unique elements that we include in a concept car when we show it for the first time.

So, is the H5X in engineering right now and on its way into production?

Yes, the platforms that you see here are not concept platforms. They are real platforms, real architectures. 

So how soon can we see these in showrooms?

We’re looking at fiscal 2019 launch for this car. 

How production ready is the cabin?

It’ll be the same design that you see on this car. We might use different materials. The dual screens you see will be there if the customer wants it. If there’s enough demand in the market, we’ll certainly be able to do it. What you need to consider is that a car’s lifecycle is about 6 to 7 years. A lot of things can happen that period, especially in terms of electronics. So, we have to ensure that we always stay ahead of the curve.