The Tata Curvv SUV-coupé, which was first launched in its electric avatar on August 7, and followed by the petrol- and diesel-engined variants on September 2, has registered wholesales of 8,218 units, as per SIAM passenger vehicle industry data.
While the Tata Curvv’s dispatches in August comprised 3,455 units, September numbers (4,763 units) were 38% higher month on month, clearly to capture demand in festive October 2024. The model-wise split between the ICE and EV variants is, however, not available as yet.
Considering Tata Motors’ passenger vehicle wholesales in August (44,142 units) and September (41,063 units), the Curvv accounted for 8% of Tata Motors’ PV dispatches in August and 11% in September. Of the company’s combined August-September dispatches of 85,205 units, the Curvv’s share is 9.64 percent.
The ICE Curvv is available with three options – two petrol and one diesel.
The ICE Curvv, which has an introductory starting price of Rs 10 lakh and goes head-to-head with the Citroen Basalt (which has sold 920 units in August-September 2024), aims to disrupt the midsize SUV segment as an alternative to the Hyundai Creta, Maruti Grand Vitara, Kia Seltos, Toyota Hyryder, MG Astor Honda Elevate, Skoda Kushaq and the Volkswagen Taigun as its main players.
Developed on Tata Motors’ new ATLAS platform, the ICE Curvv is available with three options – a 120hp, 170 Nm, 1.2-litre, three-cylinder diesel engine which delivers 118hp, and a new 1.2-litre DI turbo-petrol ‘Hyperion’ engine which produces 125hp and 225 Nm. All three powerplants get a six-speed manual transmission as standard fitment, while a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic is offered as an option.
The Tata Curvv’ interiors, barring minuscule changes like a dual-tone burgundy-and-black theme, are from siblings Nexon and Nexon EV – the dashboard design and centre console are the same, while the four-spoke steering is from the Harrier and Safari SUVs.
The Curvv does well on the feature front with a segment-first powered tailgate with gesture control, 18-inch alloy wheels, flush door handles, a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a fully digital driver’s display, a panoramic sunroof, reclining rear seat, and ventilated front seats. The Curvv’s safety suite consists of six airbags, Level 2 ADAS, ESC, disc brakes on all four wheels, TPMS, a 360-degree camera, an electronic parking brake with auto-hold, and more.
The Curvv EV, which is priced between Rs 17.49 lakh and Rs 21.99 lakh, is targeted at the MG ZS EV which has a sticker price between Rs 18.98 lakh and Rs 25.44 lakh.
The Curvv EV has two battery pack options: a 40.5kWh unit for the Creative, Accomplished and Accomplished+ variants, and a 55kWh one for the Accomplished, Accomplished+ S, Empowered+, and Empowered+ A variants. While the former has an MIDC range of 502km, the latter can travel 585km on a single charge. Tata Motors claims that its own C75 standard of testing (which is closer to a real-world figure) will see the long-range model go 400-425km on a single charge, while the 45kWh Curvv EV has a C75 range of 330-350km. For reference, the MG ZS EV’s 50.3kWh unit has an ARAI-rated 461km.
All variants get a 167hp electric motor mounted on the front axle, enabling the Curvv EV to accelerate from from 0-100kph in 8.6 seconds and hit a top speed of 160kph. Tata claims that the battery can get up to 150km worth of charge in just 15 minutes, and 10-80% charge in 40 minutes, on a 70kW charger. The iRA app is said to have an integrated charge point and the model comes with vehicle-to-load (V2L) and vehicle to vehicle (V2V) charging capabilities.
Tata Motors will be expecting the Curvv, which aced the Bharat NCAP crash test with a five-star rating for both the ICE and EV versions, to sell in strong numbers in festive October and November.
(With inputs from Autocar India)