CHENNAI: It is an altogether different experience climbing the Aravalli mountain ranges in Rajasthan that too in an EV. The oldest range of fold mountains in India unfolded its wild beauty to me, as I navigated through the curves. Here I was able to access Tata’s new EV offering — Curvv.ev.
The Curvv.ev showcases many milestone moments for the Tata Motors. The front-runners in the Indian Electric car industry, with a market share of 73%, has started 4 showrooms exclusively for EVS, as a prelude to the launch of Curvv.ev. Two of those showrooms are in Kerala.
Another milestone is that Tata Motors enters the highly competitive mid-size SUV (4.3 metre length) with this model. For the first time, Tata has launched the EV version before the petrol-diesel versions. And, here comes a coupe SUV to fight with traditional boxy SUV body style.
CURVY COUPE
A Coupe SUV blends the beauty and practicality of an SUV as well as a Sedan. It truly breaks the clutter in a space dominated by boxy designs. When we look at it from front, we can see striking similarities with the Nexon EV. But the differentiating Coupe design, flush door handles, R18 alloy wheels, squared wheel arches, etc., make big difference. Connected DRLs with welcome and goodbye animation, charging animation, sequential turn indicators, LED projector head lamp, LED front fog lamps with cornering function, connected LED tail lamps with animation are also provided. The sloping roofline merging with the chiselled boot is a design element to look at.
COMFORT INSIDE
The cabin also has a Nexon feel. But many features are a step above. Advanced comfort seats, front seat ventilation, 6 Way Power adjustable driver seat, 6 Way adjustable co-driver seat, Grand Centre Console, Cooled Glove Box — the front row is like no other.
There is panoramic sunroof too, to make things brighter.
On the rear, the car comes with 60:40 Split Seats with Centre Armrest, 2 stage rear seat reclining and AC Vents. The sloping roofline makes the headroom a little tighter for taller passengers. The lack of proper under-thigh support may also be a sore point for them. There is a massive boot space of 500 litres. There is a frunk of 11.6 litres under the bonnet, too.
SUPER PERFORMER
The Curvv.ev comes in two avtars; the 150hp, 45kWh battery pack model and the 167 hp, 55 kWh battery pack model. I drove the top end. It offered a really exhilarating performance along the hilly roads. With three drive mode combinations as standard (Eco, City and Sport), Multi-Mode Regen with Paddle Shifters, High Ground Clearance of 190 mm for Curvv.ev 45 and 186 mm for Curvv.ev 55, and multiple charging options, the Curvv.ev has many engineered advantages to its credit. Normally for all our usages, eco and city drive modes are enough. The car gets ample power and torque. But when put it to the sport mode, it really becomes a super performer.
The suspension setup and well balancing of weight in the advanced platform make the ride very comfortable and stable. The Curvv.ev can be our companion for long drives because the 55kWh battery pack with prismatic cells is capable of faster charging speeds, enabling charging from 10 - 80% in just 40 minutes or for quick top-ups of upto 150 km of range in just 15 minutes.
SAFETY
It was raining cats and dogs and the way to Aravalli was narrow. The soil on either side of the road was wet too. But for me it was a fun climb to the mountain range and through the dangerous hair pin turns. I was quite confident with the Tata’s safety credentials, like the 5-star level crash test ranks and ADAS level 2 features. The hill hold assist and hill descent control gave me immense confidence to pave the way to other vehicles and to move forward the steep hill. In addition, this SUV Coupe comes with 6 Airbags as standard. All Wheel Disc Brakes with brake disc wiping, Acoustic Vehicle Alert System (AVAS), SOS Call Function, ESP with i-VBAC as standard, Front Parking Sensor, Electronic Parking brake with Auto Hold Function etc also add to the package.
REAL WORLD RANGE
The most confusing part of an EV buyer is its real world range. The monitoring agency ARAI always shows a high digit number and brilliantly manuscript ‘under certain conditions’. The customers never get these figures in real life situations. Tata Motors is the first OEM to reveal the real world range with the introduction of Tata Curvv.ev. The Curvv.ev offers an impressive estimated real-world range of 400-425 km with its 55 kWh battery pack.
IMPRESSION
The Curvv.ev is available at a starting price of S17.49 lakh for the Curvv.ev 45 and at S19-25 lakh for the Curvv.ev 55. The price fits well for the range they have committed and the luxury comfort features.
It has many tech-rich features, advanced safety and exhilarating performance. The factors that attracted the most are the out-of-the box design, safety features and the super performance.
Also, it brings price parity between EVs and petrol-diesel models in the Midsize SUV segment.
New RELEASES
NEW HYUNDAI ALCAZAR
Hyundai Motor India Limited announced bookings for the new Hyundai ALCAZAR 6 & 7 seater premium SUV, to be launched on September 9. The new ALCAZAR is a powerhouse of intense performance, featuring a dynamic 1.5 l Turbo GDi Petrol engine that delivers an exhilarating 117.5 kW (160 PS) Max Power and 253 Nm (25.8 kgm) Max Torque. Available with a 6-speed manual and a 7-speed DCT transmission, the engine promises an engaging and spirited drive. Customers can book ALCAZAR with an amount of S25,000/- at any Hyundai Dealership across India.
TVS JUPITER 110
TVS Motor Company launched the TVS Jupiter 110 scooter with a starting price of S73,700. The scooter comes with a next-gen engine and futuristic first-in-segment features. The TVS Jupiter 110 is powered by a 113.3 cc, single cylinder, 4 stroke engine which generates a power of 5.9 kW at 6,500 rpm and a torque of 9.8 Nm at 5,000 rpm (with iGO Assist) and 9.2 Nm at 5,000 rpm (without Assist). The scooter is a direct competitor to Honda Activa, in the family scooter segment.
YAMAHA ONAM OFFERS
To celebrate the Onam festivities, Yamaha Motor India has announced special offers for its customers in Kerala. Valid till September 30, the exclusive offers are currently applicable on Yamaha’s 150cc FZ model range and 125cc Fi Hybrid Scooters. Cashback scheme upto S4,000 or Low-Down Payment of S999 on RayZR 125cc Fi Hybrid and Fascino 125cc Fi Hybrid and Cashback scheme upto S5,000 or Low-Down Payment of S999 on FZ-S Fi Ver 4.0 DLX (select models), FZ-S Fi Ver 4.0, FZ-S Fi Ver 3.0, FZ Fi and FZ-X (select models) are the schemes offered.
SKODA SLAVIA MONTE CARLO
To commemorate the 112th year anniversary of Škoda’s debut at Rallye Monte Carlo, Škoda Auto India has launched the all-new Slavia Monte Carlo edition. At the heart of this car beats the proven and tested 1.0 and 1.5 TSI engines. The 1.0 TSI is available with a six-speed manual and automatic. And the 1.5 TSI sends power to the front wheels through a seven-speed DSG. The company also introduced an all-new Sportline range within the Kushaq and Slavia line up. Slavia Monte Carlo price starts at S15,79,00 lakh and Sportline for S14,05,00 lakh. Kushaq Monte Carlo for S15,89,900 lakh and Sportline price starts at S14,70,00 lakh.
TECH LOADED
The Curvv.ev comes with 31.24 cm touchscreen infotainment system, 26.03 cm driver’s information screen, smart connectivity, JBL sound system, smart watch connectivity and Powered Tailgate with Gesture Activation. Equipped with Automatic Headlamps, Rain sensing Wipers, Fully Automatic Temperature Control with Express Cooling, Cruise Control, Curvv.ev also scores high on convenience as well. The SUV Coupe has Advanced Driver Assistance Systems - Level II which boasts of 20 features.