Tata Motors unveiled the H5X and the 45X at the Auto Expo this year and stunned everybody with its ‘Impact 2.0’ design language. But that was not all. There was still dessert to be served, in the form of performance cars. We have always said that motorsport improves the breed. But where do you see motorsport inspired road cars in India? That is set to change with Tata’s all-new performance division. It’s called the JTP, and it’s Tata’s all-new performance division.
JTP stands for Jayem Tata Performance, which is a joint venture between Coimbatore-based Jayem Automotives for the development of performance vehicles based on Tata’s series products. After the announcement of this JV last year this was the first time the production-spec cars were being shown. And we are excited!
The Tata Tiago JTP and Tigor JTP get new bumpers with aggressive air dams, side skirts, new rear bumpers, twin exhaust pipes and the 1.2-litre ‘Revotron’ turbo-petrol so all the show matches the go. It puts out 108bhp and 150Nm of torque which is significantly more than the standard versions of the cars while tweaks to the exhaust will deliver a sporty sound. Tata claims that it has also optimised the ratios of its five-speed gearbox, the suspension has been lowered and stiffened while tyres are grippy MRF ZLO’s which should result in sprightly performance and quick lap times – especially around the Kari Motor Speedway in Coimbatore where most of the development has been undertaken. There is still no official word from Tata Motors regarding the status of the JTP cars or when they will be launched. Expect the cars to be priced very attractively and if customer reaction is positive, the JTP treatment will then be applied to the rest of the Tata Motors’ product line up. Nexon JTP? Coming soon!