Pleasantly unexpected

I know what you’re thinking … We here at FOCUS have gone totally bonkers! Sighting a bakkie as an executive car? But I beg to differ …

The term, executive car, was coined in the 1960s to describe vehicles targeted at successful professionals and middle to senior managers – often as a company car, but retaining enough performance and comfort to be desirable in their own right. And Tata’s Xenon XT rises to the occasion.

The vehicle is fitted the next generation 2,2-litre Variable Turbine Technology direct injection common rail engine (or VTT DiCOR), which is operated by a 32-bit electronic control unit.

The new engine’s 110 kW peak power is reached at 4 000 r/min, with its maximum torque of 320 Nm spanning over the wide range of 1 400 to 3 250 r/min. The variable turbine technology promises to increase the lower end torque for better launch and driveability.

As for the comfort part, the Xenon XT offers electric windows, power steering, navigation, Bluetooth, a radio with MP3, side steps, bucket seats with an armrest and a tiltable steering column.

But it isn’t all about performance and comfort … Tata has stepped up its game in terms of safety with the Xenon XT featuring a passenger and driver airbag as standard, multiple crumple zones for the overall structure and side impact beams. And for the driver, the steering wheel is designed to collapse in case of a frontal impact. It also has ABS brakes.

I unfortunately haven’t driven the new Xenon, yet, but if its predecessor is anything to go by, it will definitely offer a comfortable drive and a good interior that has a European manufactured feel
to it.

The Xenon XT is definitely something different when it comes to executive cars, but I’m sure it will pleasantly surprise those who want to rough it in any concrete jungle and veld – all with enough performance and comfort.