Tata Avinya: Spied Test Mule Is Actually The Exeed Sterra ET - Platform Testing Has Started

A camouflaged electric SUV prototype recently spied testing by Instagram user torq_uenation in India has been building up a lot of hype as many have claimed that it is the upcoming Tata Avinya testing on our roads. However, Autocar India has reported that the spied test mule is actually the Sterra ET, an SUV from Exeed, a premium brand of Chinese automaker Chery, being used as a test bed for Tata's Avinya platform.

The Exeed Sterra ET is based on Chery's E0X platform that also underpins the the Tata-owned Land Rover's upcoming Freelander EV. The same architecture also underpins the Exeed Sterra ES and Sterra ET in the Chinese market, the latter of which is sold as the Exlantix ET outside China.

While the Avinya EVs' underlying mechanical architecture is expected to mirror other E0X-based models, Tata Motors is reportedly reworking key parts of the electronics, software and vehicle systems to meet the requirements of the Indian market. Production of the Avinya is planned at the recently inaugurated TMPV-JLR facility in Panapakkam, Tamil Nadu.

The spied test mule does not preview any specific Avinya model, even though its proportions closely resemble the Avinya X concept. The Exeed Sterra ET is a near-5-metre-long SUV offered with both all-electric and range-extender hybrid powertrain options, giving an early sense of what the E0X platform is capable of.

In its all-electric guise, the Exeed Sterra ET uses an 800V architecture and can support battery packs of up to 100kWh, with rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive options offering a claimed range of up to 760km on the CLTC cycle.

The range-extender hybrid versions of the Sterra ET run a 400V architecture, pairing a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine with either a 32kWh or 41.2kWh battery pack. These variants are also offered with rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive setups, with a combined claimed range of up to 1,518km on the CLTC cycle.

The Sterra ET also gets Level 2 ADAS, over-the-air update capability and vehicle-to-load functionality. It remains to be seen which of these powertrain and feature configurations Tata Motors carries over for its Avinya range. The first production model under the Avinya brand will be the Avinya X, due for a market launch in 2027.