Tata 45X Concept Is A Surprisingly Good-Looking Compact Hatch

Think about a popular compact 5-door and you’ll probably envision something like the Volkswagen Golf, or perhaps the Ford Focus. But what if there was another option, straight out of left field?

The Tata 45X concept, unveiled last month at Auto Expo 2018, would be a perfect candidate for such a task, specifically to woo us into hoping for the best with regards to what the production model will eventually look like.

Thanks to the 45X’s modern exterior and ready-to-pounce stance, we can easily envision it wafting along some nice European road, or perhaps blending in with all the other 5-door hatchbacks that populate most of the Old Continent’s metropolitan areas.

Noteworthy visual details include the large wheels, floating A-pillar aesthetic, a sweeping, Nike swoosh style shoulder line and a large design piece that wraps around the entire rear end, stretching all the way to the rear doors.

The 45X concept measures 4,253 mm (167.4 in) in length, 1,850 mm (72.8 in) in width and stands 1,451 mm (57.1 in) tall, with a 2,630 mm (103.5 in) wheelbase. These dimensions make it about as long, shorter yet wider than a VW Golf, where the latter also has a smaller wheelbase than the Tata concept.

As for the interior, it’s a very clean design, with a Knight Rider-style steering wheel, an ultra-wide display for the sat-nav/infotainment, and a secondary one playing the role of center console, from where you would adjust the temperature, probably driving modes too, things of that nature.

It’s of course unlikely that such a futuristic cockpit design enters production anytime soon, so expect the final version of this car to be a lot more 2018 than 2028.