Photography: Saidatta Naik
I still recollect getting excited every time the Tata Sierra ad film played on television, some 30 years ago. The visuals included the Sierra going out on its own, driverless, for a mud-plugging session and coming back all dirty, only for the owner to head out on an excursion! Whether that Sierra was a true SUV or not is a discussion for another day, but Tata Motors has been in the process of reviving the Sierra nameplate for half a decade now. The past couple of years it also became clear the new Sierra will be offered with petrol, diesel and electric powertrains, unlike what was hinted at the 2020 Auto Expo.
And here we are, driving the new Tata Sierra. It is an all-new SUV, yes, but more importantly, the Sierra is a proper midsize SUV that goes up against a long list of names, most famously, the Hyundai Creta. One of the first things to notice about the Sierra is that it looks refreshingly different. It looks unconventional and boxy, with several design cues that help it stand out, besides its bright yellow hue. But what I find particularly interesting is that while futuristic, the design is also an ode to the original Sierra’s. The Sierra also impresses with its dimensions, as it is 4,340mm long, 1,841mm wide and 1,715 mm tall, making it the tallest and widest in its segment, with the longest wheelbase, at 2,730mm.
The blacked-out rear glass and door panel remind me of the original Sierra’s curved glass and also make it look more like a three-door SUV. I’m not a fan of light bars at the front to connect the headlamps, though in the Sierra’s case the execution looks good as the headlamps and fog lamps are among the slimmest. The boxy shape helps the Sierra look distinctive from the sides, though again, flush fitting door handles aren’t a design trait I’m fond of. Higher trims run on 19-inch alloys with a machined finish, which look nice. Just like the super-slim lights at the front, the tail lamps are slim too, and connected by an LED strip. More importantly the boot lid is nearly vertical in profile, uses a clamshell design and you get a large, roof-mounted spoiler which helps the Sierra look identifiable instantly.
Tata Motors has also put in serious efforts to ensure the Sierra feels very premium inside. The Sierra is also the first Tata product to feature a triple screen layout, though lower trims get the more traditional two-screen layout. Soft-touch plastics on the dashboard along with a fabric-like texture in the centre accentuate the premium feel, along with the large panoramic sunroof. In fact, this is easily the best-looking cabin from Tata yet, thanks to the colours and materials, surface finishes and textures. The four spoke steering wheel is straight off the Harrier and Safari with a gloss black panel and an illuminated logo. The bottom portion of the centre console houses a touch panel for air-conditioning, though physical switches and rotors would have been more welcome.
The stalks behind the steering are new and feel premium too. USB ports are (thankfully!) not positioned in a hard-to-reach cavity and are easy to reach, and you also get ample storage spaces. Front seats feature extendable underthigh support too, while space management at the rear is excellent, with ample legroom and kneeroom. Boot space is good at 450 litres (up to the parcel shelf), though given that the rear overhang is short, rear wheel wells eat into boot space. You also get a powered tailgate, though its operation could be smoother.
The Sierra is also equipped with a long list of features, expectedly. You thus get the usual fare including a powered driver’s seat, ventilated front seats, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, connected technology, dual zone climate control and more. The 12-speaker JBL Black sound system is very impressive, as it comes with a soundbar on the dashboard, Dolby Atmos, 13 preset modes and more. Both 12.3-inch touchscreens (main infotainment screen and passenger screen) impress with their bright colours and crisp resolution too. The driver display is slightly smaller at 10.25 inches and all three units are Samsung OLED displays. Thankfully, the front passenger can connect wireless headphones to the screen, so as to not distract the driver which is thoughtful. On the safety front, there’s six airbags, 360-degree view, a long list of Level 2 ADAS functions and more.
The Sierra is on offer with a choice of two petrol engines (one naturally aspirated and one turbocharged) and one diesel engine, and all three are four cylinder, 1.5-litre units. The NA petrol offers 106PS and 145Nm, which sounds rather modest on paper, though we did not get to test it. The diesel offers 118PS and 260Nm and is the same unit as the Nexon and Curvv. Overall performance feels adequate, but the engine is noisy and could also do better on the refinement front. It is sure to impress buyers looking for efficiency though, something we’ve experienced in the Curvv diesel.
If you like driving though, the 1.5-litre turbo-petrol is what you will look at. This is an all-new engine dubbed the Hyperion 1.5 and puts out 160PS and 255Nm, outputs that are identical to the Creta N Line’s. Sadly, while the naturally aspirated petrol is on offer with a dual clutch automatic, the turbocharged petrol can only be had with a 6-speed torque converter automatic. The motor impresses with its refinement and also feels quick, though midrange punch could be better. The gearbox is a bit of a letdown when trying to shift up or down hurriedly, but most owners are sure to appreciate its smooth shifts.
The Sierra absolutely impresses on the ride and handling front though, thanks to its frequency dependent damping. The suspension helps the Sierra offer a very good balance between ride and handling, as it soaks up undulations, broken roads, potholes and the like really well to offer a very plush ride, without compromising handling. The Sierra impresses around corners as well, and I also like the feedback offered by the steering wheel. While our time with the SUV on the media drive was short, we are hoping to drive it more to assess its affable dynamics better. The Sierra is thus a very interesting addition to what is a very long list of midsize SUVs on sale already. And Tata Motors has gone all guns blazing, given the SUV’s design, premium and rich feeling interiors, cabin space and of course, the exhaustive list of features, so there’s a lot to talk about and a lot in favour of the Sierra. Prices begin from ₹ 11.49 lakh ex-showroom for the base petrol while the turbocharged petrol retails from ₹ 17.99 lakh onwards, and it should be interesting to see how buyers respond!
