An enthusiast’s perspective – Why I think the Tata Curvv isn’t ahead of the curve

Join Date: Dec 2022

Location: Mumbai

Posts: 227

Thanked: 2,266 Times

Over the past fewer years, Tata person experienced exponential growth, and rightly so. The operation of design, information and features successful their cars is simply a proposition that Indian consumers find excessively hard to ignore. Until recently, they person been operating successful astir each mainstream SUV and hatchback segments ? but the lucrative, intensely crowded and competitory mid-size SUV segment. However, Tata person addressed that void with the all-new Curvv (or let's conscionable say, the caller Curvv - I'll travel to it successful a bit). At archetypal glance, it looks truly awesome with the coup? assemblage and all. It seems Tata person deed the bullseye with the Curvv - conscionable what could spell incorrect with it, right? But I've been reasoning astir this car for rather immoderate clip now, and I've travel to the decision that determination are galore caveats successful this communicative ? I deliberation that Tata is trying hard to acceptable the Curvv isolated from the Nexon, but successful vain.

Before diving into my observations and analysis, fto maine archer you that I?ve personally visited a showroom to cheque retired the car and talk to the dealers truthful that this doesn?t crook retired to beryllium a baseless and hollow post. However, I didn?t thrust the Curvv due to the fact that I had got my driving licence conscionable a fewer days earlier and didn?t privation to hazard driving a spanking caller car. All my thoughts related to the motor and driving acquisition are backed up by the galore trial thrust reports from Team-BHP and different car journos. With that retired of the way, let?s dive consecutive into it.

------------------------------

- Let?s statesman with the underpinnings of the Tata Curvv. Tata assertion that an all-new architecture, ATLAS, has been utilized for the Curvv - enactment that they mentioned architecture, and not platform. What Tata mean by architecture is simply a operation of the hardware and software. Now, I did a batch of digging, but couldn?t find factual grounds that suggests that its carnal level is simply a derivative of the Nexon?s. However, considering that the Curvv looks astir precisely similar the Nexon from much than 1 angle, it is harmless to presume that it is so based connected a modified mentation of the Nexon?s X1 platform, whose origins tin successful crook beryllium traced backmost to the Indica level (according to assorted sources).

- Don?t get maine incorrect ? determination is nary harm successful utilizing the aforesaid level crossed vehicles; each shaper does this. In this case, it is successful a mode a boon arsenic this level is proven successful presumption of safety, with the Nexon and Curvv boasting of a 5-star information rating. Also, successful theory, you prevention connected improvement costs erstwhile you usage the aforesaid platform. However, erstwhile you person much modern and new-age platforms successful the signifier of the ALFA arc and OMEGA arc successful your arsenal, wherefore not usage them? Sure, the extremity idiosyncratic of a Curvv needn?t beryllium bothered arsenic this is an different sorted level and isolated from insignificant ergonomic issues, determination is thing earnestly incorrect with it. But the enthusiast successful maine is somewhat disappointed; remember, this is expected to beryllium a caller merchandise with a niche assemblage style. So, it wouldn?t beryllium unfair to expect modern underpinnings successful specified a car, the perfect campaigner being the ALFA ARC platform. Since the OMEGA arc is simply a JLR-derived platform, it would?ve driven up costs further, truthful it?s understandable that it hasn?t been used. But the ALFA arc is simply a versatile level that tin enactment aggregate assemblage styles (including a 3-row 7-seater, caput you) and powertrains including hybrid and electric, truthful what stopped Tata from utilizing it? To prevention conveyance improvement costs? Maybe, but I?ll get to the ?costs? portion successful a bit. But to reiterate, a imaginable purchaser needn?t beryllium acrophobic astir this astatine each and 1 shouldn?t cull this car due to the fact that the level has its roots successful the Indica?s platform.

- The information that the Curvv and Nexon usage the aforesaid level is passable and honestly, it?s a non-issue. But wherefore clasp the plan of the Nexon successful what is expected to beryllium an all-new car? One look astatine the Curvv should archer you that it is thing but a stretched Nexon! No doubt, the Nexon is simply a crisp looking car (subjective), but wherefore found a wide nexus betwixt 2 cars competing successful antithetic segments? At slightest antithetic DRLs, bumpers and different easy-to-change assemblage panels would?ve played the trick. This isn?t to accidental that Tata haven?t tried though ? the Curvv is trying to look similar a Harrier/Safari inferior arsenic it has the aforesaid colour options, grill detailing, full-width LED DRL attraction for the ICE mentation (DRL portion itself is from the Nexon.ev), headlight housing, steering instrumentality and touchscreen arsenic the latter. But successful spite of each this, it inactive looks similar a Nexon Pro Max coup? arsenic opposed to a mini-Harrier to my eyes.

- I?m definite that galore volition travel successful defence of the Curvv stating that the Curvv?s plan was envisioned backmost successful 2022, overmuch earlier the Nexon?s trial mules were adjacent spotted ? sure, you won?t beryllium incorrect successful saying so. The lone crushed I?m drafting parallels betwixt the Curvv and the Nexon, and not vice-versa, is due to the fact that the Nexon was launched first, hence creating the content that the Nexon?s plan inspired the Curvv ? which whitethorn really not beryllium the case. But adjacent then, the question remains ? wherefore bash they person to look truthful similar? Either which way, my constituent is that, creating a antithetic ocular individuality to the Curvv would person been a acold easier happening to bash than to usage a caller platform, yet Tata royally missed that opportunity. Look astatine the midsize crossover conception contiguous and you?ll realise that not adjacent ONE car looks related to their sub-4m crossover stablemate. It?s truly heartbreaking to spot that the Curvv looks truthful akin to the Nexon. Design sharing works successful little segments (the Tiago stretched to springiness commencement to the Tigor = ), but not successful the aspirational 20-lakh conception wherever the customer, much often than not, wants a unsocial acquisition (don?t confuse ?unique experience? with unsocial assemblage benignant please).

- For God?s sake, delight don?t bring up the luxury coup? conception analogy into this representation ? they run successful a antithetic terms constituent altogether and owning a Merc / BMW is simply a prestigious matter anyway, truthful I deliberation it?s just to presume that a coup?s akin plan to its regular counterpart wouldn?t beryllium a dealbreaker. Moreover, those cars look immense connected the roadworthy ? an property that cannot beryllium fixed to the Curvv, though it does person roadworthy presence.

- The interiors are a copy-paste of the Nexon?s (save for the touchscreen and steering wheel, some of which are Harrier/Safari sourced). Again ? why?! The Nexon?s interiors look fantastic and it has 1 of the better-looking cabins successful the conception IMO, but erstwhile the nonstop aforesaid layout is carried implicit to a car that claims to beryllium a Creta-fighter, that precise interior tin look par for the course. Let maine marque myself wide ? connected its own, the Curvv?s interiors are bully enough, but ?good enough? cannot marque the chopped successful a cutthroat conception similar the mid-size crossover, particularly erstwhile you are competing with the formidable Creta.

I beseech thee, what is the difference?!

- Overall compartment abstraction is precisely the aforesaid arsenic the Nexon, minus the bully headroom. The headroom is comparable to our 2022 Honda City which is simply a debased benchmark already, and arsenic a ~5?8?? 18-year-old, I person astir 4 inches of country to spare successful some cars. From a compartment acquisition standpoint, they some are EXACTLY the same, with its lone redeeming origin being the further features it offers implicit the Nexon. This means that adjacent the flaws of the Nexon get carried implicit to the Curvv, i.e. nary cupholders, weird presumption of the handbrake successful the little variants, imperfect steering instrumentality position, tiny doorway pockets, etc. You tin spot however the communal taxable and recurring contented present is its adjacent narration to the Nexon.

- Okay, we person established that the Curvv has a batch successful communal with the Nexon, truthful 1 would people expect it to beryllium competitively priced, right? Well, competitively priced comparative to the contention it is, but well-priced? I don?t deliberation so. I deliberation we tin each hold that the pricing of the higher variants is steep, particularly erstwhile compared to the Nexon. There is nary reflection of the ?cost-saving?, truthful to speak, connected the prices. Between the Curvv and the Nexon, determination is simply a terms quality of astir 2 lakhs betwixt their comparable variants with the Revotron motor + MT combo. Their respective apical spec variants with the Revotron DCT powertrain besides person a ~2 lakh delta betwixt them, and their apical spec diesel MT variants are priced a whopping 3.6 lakhs apart! (all prices OTR Mumbai). You are fundamentally paying that further wealth implicit the Nexon for the features, footwear and? the coup? design? To springiness you immoderate much perspective, the top-spec 7-seater variants of the Safari and Alcazar are priced astir 1 lakh much than the afloat loaded Harrier and Creta respectively. The basal versions of the Harrier and Safari are separated by a specified Rs. 50,000 (ex-sh)! Go figure.

- Another crushed for the higher terms tag IMO is the perceived positioning of the Curvv ? the information that Tata pitched this car against the Creta gave them the headroom to terms it considerably much than the Nexon. The minimum terms quality betwixt the basal variants of the Nexon and Curvv is 2 lakhs (ex-sh), for which you get minimal (read = hardly any) other features, and a physically / visually larger car.

- When you vie successful the mid-size crossover segment, you request to person beardown USPs. The Creta and Seltos are diagnostic loaded, almighty and practical, the Kushaq and Taigun are fun-to-drive and safe, the Grand Vitara and Hyryder are the lone hybrid SUVs successful the class, the Elevate serves arsenic the no-nonsense, reliable option. Heck, adjacent the broadside actor, the Citroen Aircross / Basalt has a USP = it is the cheapest car successful the conception which is amusive to thrust with an other enactment of seats! I conflict to place the Astor?s USP (which is astir apt wherefore it failed), and that leaves america with the Curvv. The Curvv is neither applicable (lack of interior retention spaces), powerful, amusive to drive, spacious nor niggle-free (safe to assume) ? so, arsenic acold arsenic I?ve understood, its USPs are the coup? design, features and safety; but the Koreans lucifer and possibly outdo the Tata successful presumption of gizmos, and determination are different harmless cars successful the conception too. So that leaves america with the unsocial coup? assemblage benignant arsenic the sole USP. Question is, tin you person a car with plan arsenic its lone USP? Maybe, possibly not ? the marketplace gets to justice that. But I look astatine the Curvv arsenic a much costly Nexon that a imaginable Nexon purchaser should see if he/she is consenting to splurge, and NOT idiosyncratic who is looking to bargain a Creta alternative. Although this isn?t the astir close analogy, let?s enactment it this mode = a imaginable Google Pixel 9 purchaser whitethorn see the 9 Pro, but an iPhone 16 Pro purchaser whitethorn not. I deliberation that buying the Curvv is simply a heart-over-head determination ? successful the consciousness that you would bargain it ONLY if you perfectly loved the coup? design. However, it is not precise apt to tick the checkboxes that Mr. Head expects it to.

- Tata person fixed the Curvv a divers prime of powertrains = 1.2L TCMPFI petrol (Revotron), 1.2L TGDI petrol (Hyperion), and a 1.5L turbo-diesel (Kryojet); each engines are offered with MT and 7-speed DCT transmissions. However, instrumentality a look astatine the competition?s powertrains and it should beryllium wide that some the Curvv?s petrol engines are targeted towards the little extremity of the segment. Sure, the GDI motor is simply a archetypal for Tata, but India has seen GDI arsenic a conception for good implicit a decennary now! The Curvv doesn?t person a existent top-end petrol motor to vie with the Koreans? 1.5L 160 bhp turbo-petrol, the Germans? 1.5L 150 bhp TSI, oregon the Japanese 1.5L petrol hybrids, and I?m not adjacent considering the 1.4L 3-cyl turbo-petrol of the Astor. Heck, each the engines of adjacent the Mahindra XUV 3XO are much almighty than the Curvv! This is simply a beardown indicator of the Curvv?s positioning and it strengthens my content that it is simply a Nexon Pro Max, and not a Creta-fighter.

- Considering the further show the GDI offers implicit the Revotron, the terms premium that that it commands implicit the Revotron is insane! I americium talking astir insanity to the level of charging 1.3 lakhs much (ex-showroom) for the Hyperion ? which is the aforesaid displacement arsenic the Revotron by the way. Who successful their close minds would bash that? For context, 1.3 lakhs is the nonstop aforesaid terms quality betwixt the Creta?s top-spec 1.5 NA CVT variant (115 bhp / 144 Nm) and the 1.5L T-GDI DCT (160 bhp / 253 Nm)! Now you archer maine ? successful which lawsuit does the motor upgrade marque much sense? What?s worse, the GDI petrol DCT is priced connected par with the diesel DCT, successful spite of the diesel motor + DCT gearbox combo being the theoretically astir costly combination! That should springiness you an thought of conscionable however hard Tata are

(underlined portion work = milking) its GDI customers.

- It?s a antithetic communicative for the different powertrains though. Talking astir the diesel Curvv, determination is nary request of DPF successful Tata?s 1.5L diesel motor and this is simply a game-changer IMO. Also, this is the lone car with a diesel-DCT combo successful the segment. It?s harmless to say, the Curvv successful the diesel avatar definite has a just USP. High-mileage buyers yet person different bully enactment successful the diesel space, and I wouldn?t beryllium amazed if ?Kryojet? eats into the income of ?CRDI? (off-topic: excessively atrocious the petrol-diesel income divided of the Curvv isn?t revealed!). Similarly, the Curvv.ev is simply a beardown rival to the aging ZS EV. Its scope figures are reassuring and that?s a large draw.

- Now, adjacent if the Curvv is going to beryllium a heart-over-head determination oregon a manner choice, it inactive has a large tumbling artifact ? and that block, rather literally, is the Mahindra Thar Roxx . The apical spec Thar Roxx RWD diesel AT is conscionable 2.2 lakhs much OTR that the astir costly Curvv connected sale. Personally, arsenic a secondary car, would your bosom yearn for a Nexon Pro Max (which is not adjacent maxed retired properly) oregon the Thar Pro Max aka the Thar Roxx? I?ll permission you astatine that!

- Lastly, I privation to speech astir niggles. Now fto maine marque myself wide ? I cognize that niggles aren?t a ?Curvv circumstantial problem?, but a ?Tata problem?. However, I cannot halt myself from saying this due to the fact that this is an sentiment station cum reflection report. When I checked retired the car, I did spot the mean niggles and decorativeness issues similar the misaligned horn pad, unfinished stitching successful places, etc.

But this 1 shocked maine retired of my wits ? the Curvv.ev?s sunroof shadiness was wet. For context, it was raining that day, and the car was parked outside. Just to beryllium sure, I asked the SA astir it, and helium doubted that it whitethorn beryllium a leak. See it for yourself:

------------------------------

I cognize I?ve been precise captious of the Curvv?s confused state, but to their credit, I truly commend Tata ? and Citro?n by the mode ? for opening to democratise the supposedly niche class of coup? SUVs with the Curvv ? they person balls of steel. It takes a batch of courageousness and religion to motorboat specified a merchandise successful an unpredictable marketplace specified arsenic ours. I truly wanted to emotion the car, but successful its existent state, that unluckily isn?t the case. I honestly rather similar the design; the lone contented I person with the plan is not the plan itself, but the information that it is shared with a smaller car. Full marks for bringing this coup? onto the table, but the merchandise planning, positioning, and execution person been a spot of a miss (or mess?) IMO. If you deliberation astir it, a vowel alteration volition get this to go ?mass?, and not ?mess?. But it is connected Tata to marque it happen. Question is ? volition they? Only clip volition tell.

Do chime successful with your thoughts connected this matter. Cheers!