Marking its entry in the mid-size SUV segment, Tata Motors on Wednesday launched the Curvv.ev and showcased the internal combustion engine (ICE) versions of the vehicle. The Tata Curvv EV 45 is priced between Rs 17.49 lakh and Rs 19.29 lakh, while the longer-range Curvv EV 55 is priced between Rs 19.25 lakh and Rs 21.99 lakh.
The homegrown auto major will announce the prices of Tata Curvv (ICE) on September 2. The new vehicle in the lineup will allow Tata to compete against the likes of established players such as Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos and Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara in the fast-growing mid-SUV segment. Among EVs, it faces competition from MG ZS EV.
The company is confident that aggressive pricing and many segment-first features of the coupe-styled SUV would allow it to replicate the success it achieved in the micro SUV and sub-compact SUV segments with Punch and Nexon. The mid-SUV segment clocked volumes of around 680,000 units last year, accounting for nearly a third of the overall SUV sales. Tata Motors, so far, was absent from this space.
“We have nearly tripled our market share in the last 4 years…We now host the most innovative and advanced portfolio of SUVs in the country…The mid-SUV segment has grown sharply in the last few years… In a cluttered segment, we decided to stand out by bringing in the premium and dynamic design in the form of an SUV Coupe…The customer now has a choice to buy an EV lower than the price of an SUV,” said Shailesh Chandra, MD, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility.
The launch of Curvv by Tata Motors comes amid a fall in its passenger vehicle (PV) sales, especially of EVs, in recent months. Tata Motors’ domestic PV sales fell 6% to 44,725 units in July 2024 from 47,628 units in July 2023. Its EV sales plummeted 21% to 5,027 units last month. The automaker’s June PV sales too had plummeted by 8%. The government’s Vahan data showed that in July 2024, Tata Motors' share in the EV market came down to 63% from the 70% it had in July 2023.
“When we started our EV journey five years ago, there were multiple barriers. EVs were seen as impractical vehicles with poor range and poor performance. In addition, there was no charging infrastructure in the country. We have systematically addressed these challenges in the last five years. EVs now account for over 12% of our annual sales and we are deeply committed to driving its greater and faster adoption in India,” said Chandra.
He also said that the EV industry is a part of the larger PV trend that is seeing overall demand stress and that this slump is temporary. He believes they should not bother much about the declining sales numbers as the long-term trend has to be EVs.
Chandra attributed the current fall in EV sales to lower demand coming from the fleet segment. He said that demand in this segment will rebound in the coming months as buyers are postponing purchases in anticipation of the FAME III subsidy scheme.
The Curvv.ev has a long driving range of 585 km on a single charge for the 55kWh battery pack and 502 km for the 45kWh (ARAI certified, MIDC Part 1). Built on the acti.ev architecture, the Curvv.ev offers performance of 123 kW / 167 PS power propelling it from 0-100km/h in 8.6 seconds.
The Curvv (ICE) will be introduced on the new advanced ICE architecture – ATLAS. Tata Motors will be introducing this product in 2 petrol (the new Hyperion Gasoline Direct injection engine and the 1.2 L Revotron Petrol Turbocharged engine) and 1 diesel option (1.5 L Kryojet diesel engine) – all paired with both, a 6-speed manual and a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.