Autocar India has reported that Tata Motors has overhauled the technology strategy for its Avinya premium EV programme, replacing the previously planned JLR Electrified Modular Architecture with a platform sourced from the Chery-JLR ecosystem. The first production model under the revised plan is the Avinya X — internally the P2 programme — with a market launch targeted for 2027.
The JLR EMA was originally announced as the foundation for Avinya in November 2023 — a premium 800V pure-electric platform underpinning JLR's Range Rover family EVs, licensed to Tata for a royalty fee. The challenge was commercial. EMA is engineered for vehicles priced in Range Rover territory globally — adapting it for a product Tata intends to position accessibly in India carried significant cost implications. Dropping EMA in favour of iMAX is a sound business decision. A more competitive price band means a meaningfully larger addressable market in India.
What is the iMAX Platform
iMAX — Intelligent Modular Architecture to X — is Chery's modular EV architecture developed through the CJLR joint venture. Its first production model is the Freelander 8, unveiled at the 2026 Beijing Auto Show. The platform is not a budget architecture — it is designed for global markets including Europe and supports BEV, PHEV and range-extended electric powertrains on an 800V electrical architecture with DC fast charging up to 350 kW. Battery technology is co-developed with CATL. Compute hardware runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon Automotive.
For India, Tata will rework the electronics, software and vehicle systems rather than using the platform as-is. As reported by Autocar India, Tata Technologies engineers in China are involved in adapting the iMAX architecture alongside teams in India and the UK.
The platform's PHEV and REEV capability raises a relevant question for India — whether Tata will explore these powertrain options for Avinya beyond pure BEV, to tap into possible future demand for these powertrains? No confirmation on this has been made yet.
The ADAS Question
The iMAX platform in its Freelander 8 application uses Huawei's ADS intelligent driving system. Whether Tata will carry this into the India-spec Avinya X, replace it with an alternative or adapt it for local regulatory and geopolitical considerations remains to be confirmed. This is a detail worth watching as Tata gets closer to production.
What to Expect Next
Engineering prototypes for the Avinya X are expected later in 2026. A showcase at Auto Expo 2027 is a reasonable expectation, with a market launch anticipated around mid-2027, though neither has been officially confirmed by Tata Motors.