A new camouflaged prototype vehicle was recently spied testing in India, which many online reports speculated to be one of Tata’s upcoming Avinya models. Contrary to those reports, however, the spotted test mule is actually the Sterra ET, an SUV manufactured by Chinese automaker Exceed, a premium brand of Chery. Incidentally, the Exceed Sterra ET is based on the same Chery-JLR platform which Tata Motors recently announced will be underpinning its upcoming Avinya range.
Tata Avinya EVs to Chery’s E0X platform
Tata Motors recently confirmed that the Avinya range of models will be underpinned by the Freelander EV platform produced by Chery-JLR in China. Known as the E0X, this platform also underpins several other models in the Chinese market like the Exceed Sterra ES and Sterra ET, the latter of which has been spied testing on our roads. It’s also known as the Exceed Exlantix ET in markets outside China.
Essentially, the company is using the Exceed Sterra ET as a test bed for its upcoming Avinya EVs, but the spied test mule doesn’t preview any Avinya model in particular, even though its proportions are very similar to the Avinya X concept.
While Avinya EV’s underlying mechanical architecture is expected to be similar to other models based on the E0X platform, Tata Motors is understood to be reworking key parts of the electronics, software and vehicle systems for Indian market requirements.
Exceed Sterra ET: what is it?
The Sterra ET is a near-5-meter-long SUV that’s available with both all-electric and range-extender hybrid powertrain options. It’s Exeed’s second product in its Sterra lineup after the Sterra ES sedan.
In all-electric guise, the Sterra ET gets an 800V architecture and can support batteries of up to 100kWh in size. It comes in either rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive configurations and is claimed to return up to 760km of range in the CLTC cycle. Meanwhile, the range-extender hybrid versions use a 400V architecture and are powered by a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine coupled with either a 32kWh or a 41.2kWh battery packs. This, too, comes in both rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations, and is said to return a combined range of up to 1518 km on the CLTC cycle.
It remains to be seen which powertrain configurations Tata chooses for its Avinya range of EVs. The Sterra ET also gets Level 2 ADAS features, OTA updates and V2L capabilities.
The first production model under the Avinya brand will be the Avinya X, due for a market launch in 2027.
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