Test drove the Curvv EV after booking: 11 important observations made

An interesting trivia about Curvv EV and Hycross - ex-factory prices of top models of both these cars are close to each other.

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I have been in touch with a dealer in our locality in Bangalore. The top model was available just a few days after official launch, but it was just a display piece, not for test drives. The battery was completely drained in it, so I could only experience exterior and interior look and feel in person, but no features/display etc., not even driver seat adjustment was possible. However, sometime during the following week, the salesman called me to inform about availability of a test drive vehicle. I couldn't make it that week due to lack of enough time to spare from my end. He arranged a test drive at my home instead on following Monday (19th Aug). I appreciate him for offering a home visit without me asking for it and all their appointments being full at that time. May be he was a bit more courteous because I had booked it well before bookings opened officially (Not that I am a fanboy, just due to the mad rush that we have been witnessing since XUV700 launch).

By the way, here are a few points from my test drives, earlier one as well as another one that I took along with wife today. Both were short though, not so extensive, but covered patches of good and bad roads:

1. Motor performance is excellent, like I was expecting. Accelerator pedal response is smooth, differences between 3 drive modes are very much noticeable as they change the response a lot.
2. Regen braking also works smoothly, but brake pedal response is not smooth it feels too aggressive. The integration between regen and conventional brakes is not good. It is much better in Innova Hycross (hybrid) which I have been using for an year. In that car, you will find it really hard to even notice the transition.
3. Ride quality and handling are both good, though ride is on the harder side and I will prefer to replace wheels/tires with 16/17 inchers with higher profile tires just like I did it for Hycross too. I am not pretending to be an expert in the field, but my limited experience/knowledge from the past along with gut feeling makes me believe that tires with sufficient width (~200mm+), sufficient sidewall height (~5"+) and aspect ratio around 65+/-5 should work best for poor Indian road conditions and my preferences. Earlier, Indian cars used to be shod with puny tires prompting people to upgrade to wider ones. Now a days it seems like there is a different trend towards another direction, to offer lower profile tires (more so in higher models), presumably for better high speed dynamics and/or perceived "good look" with larger alloys while trading off on ride quality in the process.
4. Steering is quite nice, similar to hycross. Pretty light and easy at low speeds, weighs up to a good extent with speed. In one of the reviews, it was mentioned that the steering wheel has a tendency to tilt towards one side over time, while the car moves strait without any alignment issue or car getting pulled sideways as such. Some reviews also mentioned loud thud noises from suspension on bad roads. Seems strange and concerning, putting a question mark on their QC and reliability (which is a common notion anyway).
5. Interiors do feel nice, above average but not really "premium" unlike what Tata has been projecting this car to be. I was expecting a lot more with all the hype and new EV specific platform, not an upgraded Nexon EV. Though my hopes were dashed to some extent when a sales person had told me (a week or so before launch) that pricing would be hardly a lakh or two above Nexon EV.
6. Front look being so similar to Punch and Nexon is a downer, though I do find it attractive. Side and rear looks are much better than Nexon though in my books. I had mixed feelings about piano black side moldings, it generally feels nice but an eye sore at times. My wife and daughter hated it without a second thought. So called "coupe" body style is mostly a marketing gimmick in my opinion. It doesn't actually look like a proper coupe to me, it is more like a sedan with raised boot and a little bit of coupe. I liked it overall though , and I will be happy to buy something fresh and trendy like this (it seems to be going well with most people, going by reviews and opinions so far).
7. Generous set of features is a big plus in comparison to Nexon EV or other competition in it's segment/price bracket. Some of them are gimmicky or less than expected though. For example only 2 parking sensors in both rear and front, should be 4. I had kind of taken it for granted that powered driver seat would almost essentially mean "with memory settings", but it is not! It is still much better than manual controls though, which is better than not having height adjustment at all. Rear wiper, rear seat pockets, rear sun screen will be missed. Powered boot has only open/close buttons, no close-and-lock option which is quite handy. Gesture control is a nice addition. Infotainment, audio system, dashboard display, 360 camera feel premium. Comparing Curvv and Hycross cameras, both have a couple of pluses and minuses. Some of the reviews mention that it has a "dual zone" AC, but that is misleading. Leve alone dual zone, it doesn't even have a separate blower for 2nd zone. It only has a couple of vents for rear which circulate air from the same blower which is used for front vents. The quality of rear vents is bad too in comparison to front vents.
8. Regarding space and comfort, I did not see any issue at all with driver's seat when height was adjusted to the maximum position. Due to all the negative commentary, I have checked ergonomics very carefully including size/length of seats, shoulder and head support etc.! In Hycross, both me and my wife prefer driving position at the highest position with a major difference in back-forth position. I tried a similar position in Curvv and it made floor height a non-issue for driver seat and presumably in co-passenger seat because it has height adjustment too (manual). It gives a similar commanding position comparable to Hycross. For reference, I am 5'-7", and have become overweight of late at 80kg. In rear seat, it does lack thigh support when I seat in normal position, and the posture does feel noticeably knees-up. However, there is ample knee room and space to stretch my legs which improves thigh support quite a bit, with driver seat adjusted to my comfort. When I spread my knees in a relaxed manner, this problem becomes non-existent regardless of whether my feet are in normal position or stretched. I don't have any issues with rear head room either. Two step rear seat recline angle is a nice touch, the difference is small but noticeable. Rear arm rest seemed flimsy because it doesn't stay firmly in it's position when pulled out, though the support it provides is ok. Quality of leather is nice, the foam is firm and comfortable. I felt like front seat holds me snugly with more than enough support for shoulders and head. In summary, I have no complaints at all with front seats. Rear seat may be a bit of problem for me if I have to take a long journey with 3 people in the back seat. If it is 2 people, I don't think I should have any issues even with long journeys. For taller people, the rear seat comfort and head room may be an issue and I guess the trouble may start as you get taller than about 8'-10" to 6'. Even front seats may be an issue for such people or those who have a very broad/heavy body because the height of back rest as well as seat width along with floor to roof height available are on lower side (due to battery + sunroof). It is strongly recommended to check it yourself if space and seat comfort seems like a concern to you or your family. It should not be much of a concern though for a majority of people who won't fall under above category. Similarly, it should be lesser of a concern to ladies in general given considerably lower average height/weight than men. Ingress/egress is not good because you need to lift your feet a lot and they tend to foul, though you may probably learn and get used to avoiding it over time.
9. Battery issues along with general quality, reliability and services issues with Tata remains a gamble.
10. Range, lack of charging infrastructure and battery issues are not that important for me because it is intended as a secondary city car. But if you are buying it as the primary or only car with intentions to use it for long drives, then those may be bigger issues.
11. V2L/V2V need some accessories which are expensive, costs of the order of 40-50k. Keep that in mind if that matters to you.

My conclusion as of now- just like Hycross, it has a lot of drawbacks and misses, but it is still one of the best options in it's it's price range (EV below 25L on road). I am tempted to consider soon to be launched MG Windsor as a worthy alternative before finalizing, especially after getting to know that the Indian version will have physical AC controls. Curious to know full specs/features because teasers so far look promising.

PS: An interesting trivia about Curvv EV and Hycross costs- ex-factory price of top models of both these cars are close to each other, around 21L. You pay only 1-1.5L of GST+Cess and zero road tax on Curvv, but mighty 9L of GST+Cess and 6-7L of road tax for Hycross in most states

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