Vehicle design and digital features have taken centre stage when it comes to new car purchases for today's connected and tech-savvy audience. And off late Tata Motors has been keeping up with the trend offering these new-age customers what they want.
Their latest innovation is the Curvv which is available in a plethora of powertrain options whilst carrying the bold form of an SUV Coupe. Being cautious because Tata knows it is battling in a red hot segment full of very competitive players indeed, almost every feature possibly available at this price point is offered in the Curvv. We took a drive out in it to peel through some more surfaces.
Style Over Substance
Not long ago, the SUV Coupe design was relegated to very expensive vehicles because there are a considerable amount of engineering complications to solve if you were to scale the pricing lower and keep the shell safer. But kudos to Tata Motors for executing the design brilliantly. The Curvv looks fantastic in the flesh. All the sharp cuts, curvy bulges and fine use of LED head and tail lamps impart it a futuristic appeal. The sloping rear roofline blends perfectly well with the overall styling whilst keeping it up high at 208mm ground clearance (EV sits a bit lower). The flush door handles form an integral part of the design too, although they might be polarising when it comes to usage.
The Interior Experience
Step inside the Curvv and you are greeted with an exclusive burgundy colour scheme. Tata Motors has specific exterior and interior combinations separating the ICEs from the EVS, a great strategy we would say to keep it fresh. The quality and fit have greatly improved over the years, and it is evident that every feature that you can imagine is available inside. There’s mood lighting all around, the Harman or JBL speakers immerse you in your tunes, the ventilated seats are a must-have for Indian summers, and the large voice-assisted panoramic sunroof makes the cabin airy. The sunroof features mood lighting for an extra touch of elegance and flair.
You get wireless Android Auto and Apple Carplay, and multiple voice assistants (Tata native, Alexa, SIRI and Google Assistant) for convenience. We like the supportive seats for all four passengers. They are comfortable, but ingress and egress have to be executed carefully because of that sloping roofline. Taller passengers will feel a bit cramped inside. The boot has a 500L capacity and gets gesture opening and closing for when your hands are full.
How Is It Like To Drive?
Quite well. We drove the new 1.2L GDi turbo-petrol with the 6-speed manual and the 1.5l turbo-diesel with the 7-speed DCA transmission. Now while the new turbocharged direct injection petrol engine is powerful and has a strong mid-range, it is the diesel with the DCA that takes the cake away. Mostly because the dual-clutch transmission makes it all too easy and is quicker as well.
The new GDi petrol makes about 122 bhp and 225 Nm, but it can deliver up to 250 Nm in short six-second bursts as per requirements. Gear shifting is smooth too, but the clutch travel is a bit annoying, and we would swap that square head gear knob for a circular one on any day of the week. There is another more affordable 1.2l turbo-petrol on offer with the Curvv that serves on the Nexon and Altroz Racer. Quick as it may be, the new GDi is a step ahead in the game. It is built to perform quietly as requested, we’re told, by the customers.
The big burly diesel develops 116 bhp of power and 260 Nm torque, which is definitely the pick of the bunch. It has a fat meaty patty of torque which you can power through without shifting many gears, and in the wet-clutch 7-speed DCA variant is just a breeze. Without a doubt, it will return better fuel efficiency figures, and Tata engineers have worked hard to isolate the cabin from the diesel cacophony.
Does It Handle Well?
Ride and handling is one area where Tata Motors gets generous appreciation from us. All the new cars being developed by the brand have great ride and handling dynamics. The Curvv is able to handle itself very well, despite sitting high off the ground. The fat steering feels direct and chucking it into fast corners is much more enjoyable in Sport mode.
Surprisingly the body roll is kept in check as well. The paddle shifters with the DCA offer some control of the transmission for spirited driving. Well, it’s not going to handle as good as a hatch, but you will marvel at what it does being a 4.3m long tall SUV Coupe. Additional points to the brake setup as well. They bite well and are powerful.
The only annoyance is that Level 2 ADAS brings a hyperactive AEB (automatic emergency brake) which can be surprising for drivers at times because it is perhaps too cautious. You get all the bells and whistles like lane assist, cross traffic assist, door open warning, high beam assist, and several more ADAS features. There is a hill ascend and descend system as well to make life easier on slopes.
With the mid-size segment swelling continuously, it is heart-warming to see so many great choices for customers. The Curvv means serious business. It offers multiple powertrain options, buckets of character, and a whole lot of features and is well-priced too. Yes there are niggles; the fit can be worked on, some plastics can be improved, the rubber beadings around the sunroof can be refined, for some reason the steering on our cars were not straight, the crooked wiper continues to be an engineering problem, and the electronics are sometimes annoying; but all of this is not enough to put you off the Tata Curvv at all. It is a great looking car that rides really well, and keeps you immersed with its feature-packed cabin. Tata keeps telling us, ‘we’re learning’, well done Tata.
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