Tata Motors launches Curvv.ev as India’s first SUV coupe

The Curvv.ev is the first SUV coupe from a domestic brand in India, and Tata Motors is accordingly pitching it as a sophisticated product aimed at style-conscious and tech-savvy customers. The new model’s design suggests it’s essentially a stretched version of the Tata Nexon.ev with a more aerodynamic body style, as Autocar India said in an early report.

Tata Motors sells the Curvv.ev in two variants – the 45 and 55 – both with one permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) powering solely the front wheels. The PMSM produces 110 kW and 215 Nm of torque in the 45 variant and 123 kW and 215 Nm of torque in the 55 variant. The 45 variant accelerates from 0 to 100 kph in nine seconds, while the 55 variant accomplishes the same in 8.6 seconds.

Tata Motors equips the Curvv.ev with paddle shifters to let customers adjust the intensity of regenerative braking. They can choose from three levels and even turn the feature off. The company uses a 45 kWh battery pack in the base variant and a 55 kWh battery pack in the base variant, which explains the variant nomenclature. The former delivers an MIDC range of 430 km and the latter 502 km, although Tata Motors discloses 330-350 km and 400-425 km as its real-world expectations, respectively.

Tata Motors has not revealed the cell chemistry of either battery pack but has mentioned that the 55 kWh version uses prismatic cells. It says customers can charge both battery packs from 10% to 80% as quickly as approximately 40 minutes, using a 60 kW+ DC charger for the 45 kWh battery pack and a 70 kW+ DC charger for the 55 kWh battery pack. Both units support vehicle-to-load (V2L) and vehicle-to-vehicle (V2L) bi-directional charging applications.

The Curvv.ev measures 4,310 mm in length, 1,810 mm in width, and 1,637 mm in height and has a 2,560 mm wheelbase. It offers 190 mm of ground clearance in the 45 variant and 186 mm in the 55 variant. The latter may seem more practical because of its higher range, but considering India’s poor road conditions, the former is more suitable for the daily commute.

On the design front, the Curvv.ev has a slightly offbeat exterior. While the EV has a lot of muscle and boasts a robust stance because of its high ground clearance, the proportions seem slightly off. Plus, the visibly sharp-cornered front and rear lights and the similar edginess of the greenhouse look rather odd on a curvy SUV coupe.

Tata Motors equips the Curvv.ev with many catchy exterior features, such as sequential LED DRLs with welcome and goodbye animation, electrically opening charge port door, flush door handles with welcome light, 18-inch alloy wheels, and a connected tail light with sequential rear turn indicators. Another exterior highlight is a segment-first gesture-activated powered tailgate. Opening it gives customers access to 500 litres of boot space, which they can expand to 973 litres by folding the rear seats. The small EV also has a frunk with 11.6 litres of storage space.

A panoramic sunroof gives customers an elevated sense of space in the Curvv.ev’s elegant cabin. Tata Motors also equips the EV with a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, ventilated front seats along with 6-way power adjustment for the driver seat, a reclining rear seat, and several other comfort creatures and advanced technology features.

Tata Motors also packs many advanced driver assistance systems in the Curvv.ev, including Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with stop & go (ACC) and Adaptive steering assist (ASA), Lane Keep Assist (LKA), Lane Change Alert (LCA), Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR), Over Speed Alert (OSA), and Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA). Moreover, the company equips the EV with a Blind Spot Detection (BSD) system and a 360-degree camera system. Many of these safety technologies are still novel in India’s mass-market segment and make for great marketing buzz.

tatamotors.com, tatamotors.com (Driving Range Declaration)