Tata Motors has been conspicuous by its absence from the hotly contested midsize SUV segment. That will change with the arrival of the Curvv, which, instead of a traditional SUV bodystyle – something every other player offers – will be a coupe SUV. And while this body style remains a niche offering, Tata Motors believes this won’t be the case with the Curvv.
Speaking to Autocar India at the firm’s UK design studio, Tata Passenger Electric Mobility chief commercial officer Vivek Srivatsa said, “We will not limit ourselves to a niche within the segment – if you see our powertrain approach, it’s clearly about attracting as many customers as possible.” Indeed, the company will offer the Curvv with an electric drivetrain, a petrol engine,and at a later date, a diesel too. Along with the Creta, which will soon have an EV variant, this will be the maximum powertrain options amongst current players.
However, myriad powertrains will widen appeal, coupe-SUVs remain a niche due to their reduced practicality. The premium pricing that manufacturers tend to tack on to this body style doesn’t help either. Tata Motors is confident that it will address both cases. Like the Nexon and Tigor, which have a relief area at the rear within the sloping roofline, the Curvv is also expected to offer good headroom. “I can’t say much, but you’ll see the design has not come at the cost of practicality – we have a lot of usability inside,” says Srivatsa.
As for pricing, Srivatsa said, “We always want to democratise features and design, so our pricing will reflect that.” And, as with many of Tata’s other models,there will be numerous variants on offer cutting across a wide price band.
While Tata Motors is leaving no stone unturned to maximise the coupe-SUV’s potential, what remains to be seen is if consumers will warm up to this body style, something Maruti Suzuki could not do with its crossover-style S-Cross.
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