[Omkar]

Tata Curvv Review

Tata Curvv Pros

• Coupe SUV styling is unique & a great differentiator. Grabs attention on the road
• A good overall package that’s priced competitively against rivals like the Creta, Seltos, Kushaq, Taigun, Hyryder and Grand Vitara
• 123 BHP GDI turbo-petrol and 116 BHP diesel, both, offer satisfactory performance
• Multiple engine + gearbox options = there’s something for everyone.
• All 3 engines are offered with a dual-clutch automatic too! The DCT is far, far smoother than the AMTs
• Sorted road manners & high speed stability
• 500-litre boot is accommodating enough for family holiday luggage
• Long list of features includes flush door handles, powered tailgate with gesture activation, 9-speaker JBL audio system (sounds really nice!), panoramic sunroof, recline adjustment for rear seats and more
• Loaded with safety tech like level 2 ADAS, 6 airbags, all-wheel disc brakes, ESP, front parking sensors, 360-degree view camera, TPMS, hill hold assist & hill descent control

Tata Curvv Cons

• Suspension has a firm edge to it due to 18-inch wheels (top variant). Ride is liveable, but you do feel the bad roads underneath you. 17” wheel lower variants could ride better
• While the engines offer good performance, the manual and DCT AT gearboxes aren't tuned for enthusiastic driving
• Backseat is suitable for 2 adults and not 3. Headroom is limited (due to the coupe styling)
• Build quality and fit & finish – while being satisfactory - have room for improvement
• Rearward visibility is poor, as is the case with most Coupe-SUVs
• A few missing features like telescopic adjustment for the steering wheel, cupholders for front passengers, a rear sunshade…
• Tata's after-sales service quality is a hit or miss. Remains a gamble
• It's a brand-new Tata launch, so the probability of niggles is high, especially in the initial batches

Since the Tata Curvv EV has already been reviewed by Team-BHP, this report will only focus on changes in the ICE version of the Curvv. To read the full official review of the Tata Curvv EV, click here.

Introduction

It’s safe to say that someone looking for a car in the mid-size SUV segment is spoilt for choice. There are plenty of cars already competing in this segment and some of them have recently received significant updates as well. Tata is entering this highly competitive segment with the Curvv and brings a fresh design perspective with the Coupe SUV shape. Not only that, Tata has also updated its engine and transmission options for the Curvv. We recently drove the Curvv EV in Udaipur, so we had a fair bit of idea about how the IC engine version would be and we finally got to drive it in Goa.

Tata Curvv Price & Brochure

With the Curvv, Tata has a Hyundai-Kia-like variant spread. There are multiple powertrains with manual and automatic transmission options along with multiple variants for all powertrains. You have the 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine that has been carried forward from the Tata Nexon mated with a 6-speed manual transmission or a 7-speed dual clutch AT. Then you have one more petrol engine option which is the new gasoline direct injection turbocharged 1.2-litre petrol engine which also gets 6-speed MT and 7-speed dual clutch AT. Then finally, for people who love munching miles, you have the updated 1.5-litre diesel engine that is available with a 6-speed MT and a 7-speed DCA. Kudos to Tata Motors for offering a dual-clutch AT with the diesel engine. There are 4 personas / variants on offer: Smart, Pure, Creative and Accomplished.

Prices for the 1.2L turbo-petrol start from Rs. 9.99 lakh (Smart) and go up to Rs. 16.19 lakh (Accomplished). The 1.2L turbo-petrol GDI engine starts at Rs. 13.99 lakh (Creative) and goes up to 18.99 lakh (Accomplished +). The diesel engine prices start at Rs. 11.49 lakh (Smart) and go up to Rs. 18.99 lakh (Accomplished +). Just to give you an idea of price gaps, the GDI variant is Rs. 1.3 lakh more expensive than the regular turbo-petrol variant and the dual-clutch automatic commands a premium of Rs. 1.5 lakh over the manual transmission.

When you look at the overall pricing, it is competitive. Tata has tried to undercut the Hyundai Creta, although it’s not by much. In this segment, the pricing looks good given the amount of powertrains and features on offer. You can say that there is something for everyone.

You can download the Tata Curvv brochure here - Tata Curvv Brochure.pdf

[Omkar]

Tata Curvv Exterior Review

Just like the Nexon facelift, there’s very little difference between the EV version and the ICE version. Of course, there are fundamental differences like the presence of air dams and the absence of a charging port, but at first glance, both look very similar. The ICE-specific changes to the front makes the Curvv’s face look like the Harrier:


The rear is very similar to the Curvv EV with the only change being the presence of an exhaust pipe at the bottom:


While the Curvv EV didn’t have any chrome bits on the outside, the ICE version gets a chrome window line. I feel that people have now warmed up to the coupe-SUV design and it doesn’t look out of place on the road. The Curvv has an unladen ground clearance of 208 mm and a ramp over angle of 25.8 degrees:


The Curvv measures 4,308 mm in length, 1,810 mm in width and 1,630 mm in height with a wheelbase of 2,560 mm:


Overall build quality is good, but found some places where the panel gaps were inconsistent. The doors and bonnet had a good amount of heft to them. This is the Gold Essence paint shade:


Stacked LED projector headlamp setup is similar to the Curvv EV. The biggest change is that you get an air dam at the bottom and also air inlets above. The grill on top has a design similar to the Harrier facelift. The air dam below gets chrome inserts and you also have a faux skid plate which honestly looks out of place as there are no brushed silver elements on the car:


No underbody protection has been provided:


Prominent side creases on the bonnet give it a muscular look:


Roof-coloured ORVMs have integrated turn indicators and also house the camera for the 360-degree view:


The Curvv gets flush door handles with an LED light to help you find it easily in the dark. Only the driver-side door gets the request sensor. Tata should’ve provided electronic instead of manual flush door handles:


18-inch alloy wheels get plastic inserts for better aerodynamics. This 5-petal design is a good differentiator from the EV variant. The Curvv has an approach angle of 25.4 degrees:


Rear disc brakes are available only on Accomplished & Accomplished+ variants of the 1.2-litre Hyperion petrol and 1.5-litre Kryojet diesel engines. The departure angle is 29.3 degrees:


A look at the black roof and the panoramic sunroof. There are no roof rails here:


Towards the rear, you get a shark fin antenna and a roof-mounted split spoiler-like attachment:


You get a connected LED tail lamp. As you can see, there are a lot of design elements that make the design look busy. The silver faux skid plate at the bottom looks out of place. The exhaust pipe is concealed nicely at the bottom:


There are a total of 6 colours to choose from. The test car in the pictures above is the Gold Essence paint shade. This is the Flame Red paint:


Here’s the Curvv in Pristine White paint in the Pure+ S variant. As you can see, it doesn’t get alloy wheels, but steel wheels with wheel covers:


This is the Opera Blue paint option in the Creative + variant:


This is the Pure Grey paint option in the Accomplished variant:

[Omkar]

Tata Curvv Interior Review

Inside, you are greeted by this Wine Red-coloured interior theme for the Accomplished + persona. Each persona has a different theme for the dashboard and you can check them on Tata’s official configurator. The choice of colour is bold and it works well with the dashboard design. The dashboard layout is identical to the Curvv EV and very similar to the Nexon EV:


4-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel from the Harrier & Safari facelift makes its way to the Curvv as well. It gets an illuminated Tata logo in the middle and a brushed silver insert at the bottom. The silver insert at the bottom feels out of place and a piano black insert would’ve looked better here IMO. The steering is nice to hold and is perfectly sized. You don’t get telescopic adjustment here which is a big miss:


The dual-clutch automatic variant comes with paddle shifters:


The 10.25-inch fully digital instrument cluster is shared with other recent Tata cars. This is a customizable display and you can have a 2-dial, a 1-dial or a digital display. Strangely, in the manual transmission car, the gear is displayed only when the car is on the move and not stationary:


Tata has also added a blind spot display which shows the view from the ORVM camera on the instrument cluster directly:


A look at the side A/C vents. There are multiple elements here like the brushed silver strip on the top with an ambient lighting strip and the textured plastic surrounding the vent. Below, you have a red leatherette insert:


The door pad also carries the Wine Red theme:


Here’s a look at the front seats draped in Wine Red coloured leatherette. They provide good under-thigh and shoulder support and have a healthy amount of side bolstering to keep you in place on twisty roads. People with a heavier build might find these seats a bit snug. Cushioning is firm and should be comfortable over long distances. You get a 6-way power adjustment for the driver’s seat. Front seats are ventilated:


This unit under the front passenger seat records all the telematics and driving data:


A look at the driver's footwell of a manual transmission car. The pedals are well-spaced, but there’s no dead pedal:


This is the automatic variant footwell. The dead pedal is wide and usable:


A manual fuel lid release:


You get an auto-dimming IRVM in the Curvv. The view through the mirror however is very much restricted due to the small rear windscreen:

12.30-inch cinematic HD touchscreen head-unit by Harman comes with wireless Android Auto & Apple CarPlay connectivity and Tata Voice Assistant (Hey Tata), Amazon Alexa, Siri (Hey Siri) and Google Assistant (OK Google):


The 360-degree camera display is crisp and smooth and one of the best in the segment:


A look at the central AC vents. The operation is smooth and they feel like they’ll last for a good amount of time. The edges of the vents are sharp. The finishing should’ve been better here:


You get a touch-sensitive panel finished in piano black for A/C controls. At the top are the buttons for fog lamps, engage hill descent control, hazard lights, tailgate open and close, central locking and 360-degree camera view. Below you have controls for HVAC:


A look at the manual gear lever. There’s no chrome here, and it’s the same one that we saw in the new Nexon. IMO it looks a bit dull and Tata could’ve done something interesting here:


The dual-clutch variant gets the gear selector from the new Tata cars like Nexon and Curvv EV. It looks nice and is very convenient to use. The only gripe here is that the selector feels very light and has a plasticky feel to it which doesn’t feel very premium:


Below, you have the electronic parking brake and auto hold switch along with the drive mode selector along with a wireless charger:


A look at the passenger side of the dashboard. The panel between the A/C vents has nice detailing. You get an ambient lighting strip above it which changes colour depending on the drive mode selected. You can also choose a colour through the infotainment screen:


The panoramic sunroof is voice-activated and also has mood lighting:


Middle passenger also gets a 3-point seatbelt, but no individual headrest. Cushioning is on the firmer side which should make the rear seat comfortable over long journeys:


The backseat is where you will notice a difference between the Curvv EV and the ICE version. The floor isn’t high in the ICE version (EV version has the battery in the floor) which improves the under-thigh support. This means that you are not seated in a knees-up position. My knees were roughly an inch and a half to two inches lower compared to the EV version. The ICE version was definitely more comfortable for me (5’10” height). In the top picture, the front seat has been pushed all the way back and in the picture below it, the front seat has been adjusted to my driving position. I had a couple of inches of headroom to spare but people taller than 6 feet will find their heads brushing the roofline:


Rear passengers can stretch out their legs with the front seat pushed all the way forward:


The Tata Curvv has a boot space of 500 litres (measured to the roof). The opening is wide and the loading lip is set at a comfortable height:
*

The spare wheel is a 16-inch steel rim with a 215/65 R16 tyre. The tools have been placed in the rim:


The Accomplished and Accomplished + variants are equipped with a 9-speaker JBL sound system (4 Speakers, 4 Tweeters & 1 Subwoofer):

[Omkar]

Driving the Tata Curvv 1.2L Turbo-Petrol GDi 6-speed MT

The 1.2-litre 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol is called the 'Hyperion' engine. It features gasoline direct injection and makes 123 BHP and 225 Nm. We got to drive the 6-speed manual transmission variant:


We’re familiar with Tata’s 1.2-litre 3-cylinder Revotron petrol engine from the Nexon and it may seem that the Hyperion engine is the same with gasoline direct injection added to it. However, engineers from Tata have confirmed that it’s not. This is almost like a newer generation of the engine with a lot of modifications to the older Revotron engine. In fact, this is the first ever Tata engine to feature gasoline direct injection and has a 350 bar injection system. The engine produces 123 BHP @ 5000 rpm and 225 Nm @ 1750-3000 rpm. The engine also features something called a ‘Torque Rush’ which bumps up the torque to 250 Nm in short bursts as needed in Sport mode.

The engine has an all-aluminium structure with additional ribs for better structural integrity and an integrated aluminium oil sump. It has an electronically actuated variable geometry turbocharger and a closed couple exhaust after-treatment system. The system has a 3-way conversion catalyst at the front along with a 4-way conversion catalyst at the rear. The exhaust valves are liquid sodium cooled for durability. Even the pistons are friction-optimized with steel ring carriers. For the gearbox, it comes incorporated with machine learning for better shifts and also launch assist which assures smooth take off on gradient and high altitudes.

Let’s jump from all the technical jargon to the driving experience. Luckily, this time around I got to cold start the car. Upon firing up the 3-cylinder engine, you can feel mild vibrations in the cabin. It takes a few minutes for the vibrations to settle down and once the engine is warmed up, you can appreciate the refinement of the engine. Take your foot off the light clutch and the car crawls forward smoothly. Tata car clutches have this peculiar trait that it takes some time to get used to. The clutch bite isn’t smooth and you feel a jerk while engaging and disengaging. You have to spend some time with the car to get a hang of the clutch and drive smoothly. This trait was present in the first-ever Nexon as well and you’d expect Tata to have worked on this to make the drive experience smoother, but sadly that’s not the case. Especially when other cars in the segment have a more user-friendly clutch.

The 1.2-litre engine is quite revv-happy and most owners will like the punchy nature of this GDI motor. Throttle response is sharp and power delivery is linear. What’s better about the GDI engine is that the bottom end has improved. The engine doesn’t feel dead at low RPMs unless you’re purposefully lugging it. There’s enough grunt at low RPMs and the turbo kicks in at ~ 1,750 rpm. You do need to be careful of one aspect though. If you are someone who likes to lug the engine and keep it at low rpm a lot, you will tend to stall the engine. Thanks to the dual mass flywheel, the engine is more prone to stalling than the non-GDI engine which has a single mass flywheel. But apart from that, the engine has enough power to get around the city and keep up with the traffic easily.

Get on the open roads and you can extract the performance out of the Curvv. As mentioned earlier, the engine is revv happy, but this is not a high-revving engine. It starts pulling from as low as 2,000 rpm and has a good punch in the mid-range. This is good enough for overtakes on the highways. The engine pulls strongly till 5,000 rpm beyond which it starts to flatten out and the revv limiter kicks in at just under 6,000 rpm. The fuel cut-off is also sudden, so it’s best if you upshift at ~4,500-5,000 rpm. Thanks to the tall 6th gear, the Curvv can cruise on the highway at 100 km/h at ~2,200 rpm and 120 km/h is seen at ~ 2,500 rpm. And while you can manage to overtake cars while in 6th gear, it’s best to drop down a gear for a quick overtake.

Like all the Tata cars, there are 3 drive modes. A big relief here is that the typical Tata call when you change the drive mode is now gone! No more “Sport Drive Mode Activated”.

• City Mode - The default mode. The car always restarts in this mode, no matter what mode you last drove in. It's great for driving in the city as well as on the highway. Strikes a good balance between power and economy.

• Eco Mode – This is supposed to be the most fuel-efficient mode. In this mode, the throttle response is muted in comparison with the City mode. It doesn’t really make the drive smoother and you feel sluggish while driving. You can engage this on the highway when you’re cruising at a constant speed and won’t be overtaking a lot.

• Sport Mode – The difference in this mode is quite noticeable and throttle response is sharper in comparison. Drivability is in fact good in Sport mode and you won’t even feel it to be excessively jerky while driving around in the city. This is also the mode in which you have the extra 25 Nm of torque available in short bursts.

As mentioned earlier, the clutch isn’t one of the nicer units in the segment. It’s almost like an on/off switch rather than something you can modulate for a smoother drive. This makes driving the MT smoothly a difficult affair. The 6-speed manual gearbox has longish throws and enthusiasts will like shorter throws. The good thing is that the gearbox is sure-slotting.

Noise, Vibration & Harshness (NVH)

The turbo-petrol GDI is definitely more refined than the non-GDI engine, but doesn’t really set new benchmarks in the segment. You can still feel the vibrations on the gear lever while driving normally. This increases when the engine is at higher RPMs. Overall the refinement is good, but could’ve been better. The wind noise and tyre noise are also kept in check.

You get an insulation sheet under the hood:

Mileage & Fuel Economy

Tata hasn’t revealed the fuel efficiency numbers of the Curvv Hyperion engine. But given that it’s a turbo-petrol engine, it is sensitive to throttle inputs. So, drive with a heavy foot and you will drain the fuel tank faster.

The Curvv has a 44-litre fuel tank and is E20 compatible:


Tata has named the gasoline direct injection engine, 'Hyperion'. The big canister you see in the front is the closed couple exhaust after-treatment system with a 3-way conversion catalyst in the top portion and a 4-way conversion catalyst at the bottom:


The engine features a central-mounted dual variable cam timing system:


You also now get a dual-mass flywheel. Note the oil filter placement above the flywheel:


The engine has liquid sodium-cooled exhaust valves (red):


The engine also features an electrically actuated variable geometry turbocharger:

Driving the Tata Curvv 1.5L Diesel 7-speed Dual-Clutch AT

The 1.5-litre diesel engine is heavily updated and makes 116 BHP and 260 Nm torque. It has been named the 'Kryojet' engine and Tata claims that very little has been carried forward from the old 1.5-litre Revotorq diesel engine that we’ve seen in the Nexon:


The Kryojet diesel is a 4-cylinder turbocharged engine that makes 116 BHP @ 4,000 rpm and 260 Nm @ 1,500-2,750 rpm. What’s unique about the Curvv’s diesel engine is that it is available with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Only the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos were offering an automatic with a diesel engine and the Curvv will likely take a piece of that share. Tata has gone with the 7-speed dual-clutch automatic from a Belgian company named ‘Punch Powertrain’. This is a wet clutch pack which is more sensible for the Indian climate. It also has machine learning software that optimises transmission behaviour based on its diagnostics and analysis of parameters. It also has self-healing technology.

At idle, there are mild vibrations and you can hear the diesel clatter inside the cabin. Slot into D, take your foot off the brake pedal and the Curvv crawls forward smoothly without any throttle input. With a light foot on the accelerator, the transmission moves up the gears quite smoothly. This is good for driving around in the city when in bumper-to-bumper traffic. This is a big step up from the jerky AMT that Tata had with the Nexon diesel. Build up some speed and some flaws of the DCT start to show. If you’re in Economy mode or City mode, the gearbox is always looking to be in a higher gear. Get off the throttle for a bit and you’ll see the gearbox go up a gear and it won’t hold on to a particular gear. This can get annoying when driving around in the city as you’ll see a lot of shifts happening. Moreover, the shifts aren’t extremely smooth like you would see in say a VW-Skoda dual-clutch automatics. You do feel the upshifts and when coming to a halt, you also feel the downshifts with a slight jerk.

Take the car out on the highway and you will enjoy cruising in the diesel automatic. You can get up to cruising speeds quickly and the engine spins comfortably at 1,750 rpm at 100 km/h and 2,000 rpm at 120 km/h. It’s important to know that this transmission is tuned for comfort and not for performance. It’s best if you drive it in a sedate manner. While the engine has a good amount of power and packs a punch in the mid-range, the gearbox limits the performance. If you are in the mood for some enthusiastic driving, you will have to switch to Sport mode where the transmission holds on to the gears a bit longer. The engine comes into its stride at 2,000 rpm, but the gearbox doesn’t allow the engine to revv beyond 3,750 rpm. That’s a very narrow power band. You can use the paddle shifters to engage manual mode, but even here, the transmission won’t allow you to go beyond 3,750 rpm. In kickdown mode, the gearbox drops down a gear or two, but it’s not very aggressive. It’s best if you switch to manual mode (via paddle shifters) and drop down a couple of gears for a quick overtake. Note that the paddle shifters are slow to respond. It takes ~ 2 seconds for the gear to engage after you’ve selected it. Engine braking also isn’t very strong with manual downshifts. To cancel the paddle shifter manual mode, you have to engage ‘D’ once again by pushing the gear lever down.

Overall though, driving in the city is a comfortable affair thanks to the convenience of an automatic and the size of the car. For someone looking for an automatic to occasionally drive around in the city and cruise on the highway, this diesel dual-clutch automatic option makes a lot of sense.
Like the petrol Curvv, the diesel engine also gets 3 driving modes –

• City Mode - The car always restarts in this mode, no matter what mode you last drove in. It's great for driving in the city as well as on the highway. The throttle response is good, but the shifts are noticeable in this mode – upshifts and downshifts as well.

• Eco Mode – The engine and gearbox are tuned to extract maximum fuel efficiency in this mode. The throttle response is dulled in comparison with the City mode and the gearbox is looking to jump to the highest gear possible. It doesn’t really make the drive smoother and you feel sluggish while driving. Surprisingly, the gearshifts are smoother in the Eco mode and if you want to drive around smoothly in the city, you can switch to this mode.

• Sport Mode – The difference in this mode is quite noticeable and throttle response is sharper in comparison. The transmission holds on to the gears much longer in comparison with other drive modes. This is the mode you will want to be in when you want to drive enthusiastically.

Noise, Vibration & Harshness (NVH)

In direct comparison with the 1.5-litre Revotorq engine, the NVH levels have improved. The engine is not as noisy on the outside and the refinement has improved on the inside as well. You can hear the diesel clatter above 2,000 rpm and the engine gets loud above 3,000 rpm. It’s not a good sound either, so neither you nor the passengers will be happy to hear the engine sound at high RPMs. While cruising, the wind noise and road noise are kept in check.

Mileage & Fuel Economy

Tata hasn’t revealed the exact fuel efficiency numbers for the diesel engine. It has a 44-litre fuel tank and the engine should be fairly efficient like the previous generation Revotorq diesel. We will have to wait for the ownership reports for the real-life fuel economy of the diesel engine.

Note that the diesel engine doesn’t have an AdBlue tank:


The Kryojet engine was on display. Note that the air intake pipe is now facing forward towards the front bumper:


Tata has managed to meet the BS6 phase 2 emission norms without having to add a DPF. They’ve managed to curb the emissions with passive SCR and a lean NOx trap. Hence, you don’t need to worry about adding diesel exhaust fluid or Active DPF regeneration:


The ribs on the engine block are new and they add to the structural integrity. The yellow member that you see below the crankshaft is also an added member to enhance the structural integrity of the engine. The piston and the connecting rod have a slight offset which is claimed to improve the combustion:


The engine also has added foam bits (black part) on the side and at the bottom to dampen the vibrations:

Suspension

Ride Comfort

The Curvv rides on McPherson strut suspension up front and a twist-beam rear. Having driven the Curvv EV just recently, the difference in suspension is quite evident. The Curvv is comparatively softer and the ride is more comfortable. There is an underlying stiffness to the suspension which you can feel at low speeds. Another contributing factor is also the 18-inch alloy wheels which make the ride stiff. The suspension handles bad roads well and the suspension works silently. Big potholes however make themselves felt in the cabin with a noticeable thud. Over a bad patch of road, there is side-to-side movement in the cabin.

Handling & Dynamics

Straight-line stability is good on the Curvv and the passengers will be comfortable at highway speeds. The vertical movement at high speeds is well controlled thanks to the stiffness of the suspension. It doesn’t iron out the road irregularities completely on the highways though. Expansion joints and road bumps are felt in the cabin. When it comes to handling, the chassis feels well balanced and you can push hard through the corners. The turn-in is sharp and the car holds its line well. The body roll is kept in check too. The 215/55 R18 Goodyear tyres provide decent grip, but squeal when pushed hard. You should consider switching to grippier tyres if you want to do some enthusiastic driving.

Steering

The steering is nice and light in the city and weighs up adequately on the highways. The Curvv steering has a peculiar character where the resistance increases with the steering angle. This is primarily done to avoid crossing over of arms and works fine. Some drivers prefer consistent feedback from the steering. Notably, the steering on the diesel car was heavier thanks to the heavier front end. Overall, this is a decent steering setup and thankfully not a completely disconnected EPS as we see in some cars.

Braking

All-wheel disc brakes are offered only on the Accomplished and Accomplished + variants. All other variants get drum brakes at the rear. We drove the all-wheel disc brake variant and it had excellent stopping power. The car sheds speed effectively and the pedal feel is progressive too.

Niggles & Problems

The Curvv is loaded with features and the chances of things going wrong are also high, unfortunately. Our petrol test car had had alignment issues and was pulling towards the left. Then the front parking sensors kept going off randomly when there was nothing in front of the car which was irritating. These were just some of the things that we faced in our car. We highly recommend that you do a thorough PDI and make sure that your car is free of any niggles or issues. Also as always, we recommend that you get the 2-year or up to 1,25,000 km extended warranty over the standard warranty of 3 years or 1,00,000 km.

Disclaimer: Tata invited Team-BHP for the Curvv test drive. They covered all the travel expenses for this driving event.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[TheStoryweaver]

A question for the review team: During the test drive event, did you drive the GDI and Non-GDI engines back to back? There is a paragraph explaining the improvement in low-end torque on the Non-GDI.

From a buyer’s perspective, how much better is the new engine compared to the old generation in terms of city and highway driving? Does the old engine feel stressed due to the additional weight compared to the Nexon, or has it been tuned to according to the new weight and dimensions?"

[viren83]

What a looker this is!

Originally Posted by Omkar

All-wheel disc brakes are offered only on the Accomplished and Accomplished + variants. All other variants get drum brakes at the rear. We drove the all-wheel disc brake variant and it had excellent stopping power. The car sheds speed effectively and the pedal feel is progressive too.

Safety ratings are nothing if the braking is lethargic.
Nothing beats good brakes on a heavy car. This is very rare and full marks to TATA for this.

Originally Posted by Omkar

• Tata's after-sales service quality is a hit or miss. Remains a gamble
• It's a brand-new Tata launch, so the probability of niggles is high, especially in the initial batches

There are some real positives of Curvv, like no DPF in Diesel, DCT features on par with Koreans, but Curvv will spawn a new sub-segment inside 4.3M CSUVs where:
Creta, Seltos = Premium + Features + Reliability
Grand Vitara, Hyryder = Features + Reliability
Curvv = Premium + Features

Like in any other industry, Leaders charge a premium. Others compete on Innovation, OR more features, OR VFM pricing. Or a mix of All.

What TATA is doing right now is that they have positioned Curvv on par against Koreans and started discounting Nexon, which has been their champ in the 4M segment. Instead, TATA should take a leaf from Hyundai's books and pitch Curvv to Nexon seekers for a 1.5 L premium (what Hyundai does with Creta to Alcazar). Why dilute the brand Nexon that spearheaded growth at TAMO? If demand picks up in future, increase Curvv's price gradually.

[niranjanprabhu]

Though the Thar Roxx is way above the power ratings in the Curvv, the pricing is simply too close for comfort. The huge differences in power and aspiration value offered by the Thar Roxx could cause many customers to veer away from the Curvv. The dynamics of this mid sized SUV segment is changing rapidly with the new introductions from Mahindra and Tata

[Motorfanatic1]

Originally Posted by Omkar

[center]

Driving the Tata Curvv 1.2L Turbo-Petrol GDi 6-speed MT

Tata has managed to meet the BS6 phase 2 emission norms without having to add a DPF. They’ve managed to curb the emissions with passive SCR and a lean NOx trap. Hence, you don’t need to worry about adding diesel exhaust fluid or Active DPF regeneration:

Very well researched review, loved reading it! Technology evolution in achieving the BS6 norms without using Adblue (ammonia) is a welcome step and will help owners in maintaining the vehicle to the norms.

Did you experience any dampening in acceleration, given the weight of the car?

What's your take on the overall acceleration of the vehicle, with dynamic response from throttle and engine refinement by Tata Motors.

[07CR]

Originally Posted by niranjanprabhu

Though the Thar Roxx is way above the power ratings in the Curvv, the pricing is simply too close for comfort. The huge differences in power and aspiration value offered by the Thar Roxx could cause many customers to veer away from the Curvv. The dynamics of this mid sized SUV segment is changing rapidly with the new introductions from Mahindra and Tata

It's not just the Curvv that Thar Roxx would affect. But across the board.

Thar Roxx aside, we should also be comparing the Curvv against the other competitors.

Compared to Seltos/Creta the Curvv offers almost equal level of equipment, better potential safety ratings, greater boot space and attention grabbing looks. But the Koreans still seem to outdo it in terms of fit and finish, interior space, refinement, performance (1.5 turbos are in a different league), reliability and after sales.

The Hybrids from MS-Toyota outdo it in the mileage department (Tata has Curvv.EV, but comparing only ICE for now) and have way better after sales experience. But Curvv blows them away WRT to features and design. The NA variants lack in performance WRT Curvv.

VW-Skoda rely on their European upbringings and should be more fun to drive than a Curvv. Again WRT features and eye catchy design the Curvv remains a star.

That said design is quite subjective, I still can't digest the rear of Curvv. The Seltos/Creta still remain my pick (Until 5 Door Thar enters the conversation )

[PrasannaDhana]

Nice review.

So from what I infer from the review, Curvv isn't spacious than the Nexon, isn't more comfortable than the Nexon, isn't faster than the Nexon, doesn't handle better, nor does it ride plusher.

So it's just the coupe design and looks that would work in favour of the Curvv. Why can't tata give a decent MT gearbox for spirited driving? First they messed up the Mt gearbox in Altroz Racer, now the curvv.

Tata claims new 1.5 diesel has little in similarities with the Revotorq diesel, but the weak points seem to be carried over.

[AYP]

Originally Posted by Omkar

The engine comes into its stride at 2,000 rpm, but the gearbox doesn’t allow the engine to revv beyond 3,750 rpm. That’s a very narrow power band. You can use the paddle shifters to engage manual mode, but even here, the transmission won’t allow you to go beyond 3,750 rpm.

The diesel makes its peak power at 4000RPM. So does this mean that the diesel automatic never reaches the peak advertised power of 116 BHP? If this is the case, then it amounts to false advertising by Tata.

[visionrider]

Fantastic write-up.What I believe is that TATA for sure has winner as modern demographics of buyers prefer looks and features which for sure Curvv provides. Also, any news on whether TATA will provide the bigger 1.5 litre TGDi engine with Curvv

[PB65]

Don't know how others perceive it, but it's a very colour specific car I guess. Gold and Red look terrific, white, Blue look comical, and grey walks on a tightrope.

More concerning is the visible panel mismatch, and being the guinea pig of Tata R&D in case of the GDI engine and the new improvements to the diesel. Not even considering the electrical niggles at the moment.

Atleast I know that the car is mechanically sound when buying a Mahindra, relatively speaking.

[pkulkarni.2106]

I don't know if I like the stance of the Curvv.
But I feel that if the line, as shown in the below pic, was more horizontal than sloping, would've looked better.

For that matter, even the Harrier & Safari have similar slope, but those two don't look out of place.