Test drove both the Curvv.ev & diesel MT: My detailed observations

We can expect a great fuel economy from the Curvv diesel! It already showed an average fuel economy of 20+ kmpl!

BHPian Samba recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Curvv it like Tata!

Got a chance to check out the Curvv EV & the Curvv Diesel.

My impression

Let me start with the EV first.

I was skeptical about the looks from the pics, but in person, the car looks good. From the Indica days, Tata has come a long way. This car looks futuristic!

The color options chosen by Tata are also gorgeous and tasteful. One can choose right from the jazzy flame red color to the subtle pure grey. The virtual sunrise shade looks good too.

The Exterior

Virtual Sunrise

Pure grey

Flame red (It's a diesel MT). I loved the alloys!

Be careful while opening the boot lid if the parking slot has a low roof!

The charging port

This is how the rear looks at night!

The Interior 

I was not impressed with the interior space. Considering the size of the car, I expected better leg space in both the front & the rear.

The panoramic sunroof will surely attract a lot of customers.

The dashboard looks modern & classy. Tata has not overdone anything with the screen size or jazz factor.

The flat bottom steering was nice to hold.

A dead pedal has been given. The driver's footwell has enough space and feels comfortable.

The rear ingress/egress space is cramped for a tall person.

The boot space is huge, and so is the parcel tray.

The spare wheel is a space-saver. The tires provided are low-resistance tires from GoodYear.

The rear visibility is poor through the IRVM.

Police in 'Naka Checking' will take some time to figure out this storage place!

The engine bay looks neat and even the EV gets an under-hood insulation.

The underbelly is well protected.

Driving the EV

I drove it for only 8 kilometers.

Few observations

The ergonomics seem to be sorted. Finding my perfect seating position was easy and I was comfortable from the word GO!

1. The pickup is excellent in sports mode. The city mode and the eco mode have enough grunt for city driving.
2. The steering feedback is good.
3. The suspension is tuned on the stiffer side. One can feel the undulations on the road. With speed, the ride quality gets better.
4. Handling is good, but body roll can be felt on sharp maneuvers or turns.
5. The brakes are good. The brake pedal feels progressive.
6. NVH is fantastic!
7. Driver's visibility is good. The thick A-pillar does create a bit of a blind spot, but that's within an acceptable range.
8. Due to the awesome ground clearance, there is no tension while crossing the huge roads humps or on bad roads.

Coming to the diesel MT -

A red car with red interiors looks cool!

We can expect a great fuel economy from the Curvv diesel! It is already showing an average fuel economy of 20+ kmpl!

The MT gets a dead pedal as well. The footwell is quite spacious and comfortable. The pedal placements are nice too. The gap between the A, B & C pedals seemed perfect.

The time-tested 1.5L diesel engine. The diesels get an under-hood insulation.

Driving the diesel MT

Drove it for a very short distance.

It reminds me of the Nexon diesel.

The clutch pedal is super light.

Nice low-end torque.

After driving the EV it felt like the NVH is higher in the diesel. But the cabin is well insulated from the engine noise. From outside the diesel clatter can be heard.

The gear shift is smooth, but not as slick as the Japanese cars.

Checked this car in the evening, and the white LED headlamps provided good visibility.

The QC issues in the new cars -

In one car the one touch-up/down on the driver's side power window was not working.

In the EV, the TD car's steering was off-center towards the left.

Panel gap?

Could have been more neat!

The rear left door window channel has this bulge on the rubber.

Due to the faulty window channel rubber, this glass is getting marks like this.

Overall how do I like the car?

It's a good effort from Tata. I enjoyed driving the EV & the diesel both. Honestly, I loved the EV more than the diesel! It was fun pushing the EV.

I do hope if any sort of niggle comes up, Tata service center guys will be knowledgeable enough to sort them out without giving nightmares to the owners!

Continue reading BHPian Samba's impression of the Tata Curvv for more insights and information.