Instantly recognizable as a black cab, the TX5 is characterized by a retro-inspired design that borrows a handful of styling cues from the Austin FX4 that was introduced in England in 1958. It’s slightly longer and taller than the outgoing TX4 but no wider.
The heritage-laced treatment is only skin-deep. The TX5 rides on a new modular aluminum platform that LTC parent company Geely predicts will ultimately underpin no less than seven new models. Composite body panels help keep the cab’s weight in check.
Starting in 2018, all taxi cabs operating within the London city limits will need to be equipped with a plug-in hybrid drivetrain that boasts an all-electric driving range of at least 30 miles. Geely promises the TX5 is fully compliant with these regulations, but additional technical details haven’t been published yet.
Inside, the TX5 offers space for a driver and six passengers (one more than the TX4), an in-car WiFi connection, a panoramic sunroof and charging ports for mobile devices.
Geely — a large Chinese automaker that also owns Volvo — has invested over £300 million (roughly $460 million) to develop the TX5 and assemble it in a new factory that’s currently being constructed on the outskirts of Coventry, England. Production and sales are both scheduled to kick off in 2017.
Interestingly, the plant will have an initial production capacity of 36,000 units annually, a figure that’s roughly ten times bigger than the new cab market in London. Geely openly admits that export markets are monumentally important for the TX5, but at the time of writing it hasn’t disclosed plans to offer the cab in the United States.
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