Introduction
It had long been anticipated that Tata would launch an electric version of the Sierra once the ICE model debuted in late 2025. After all, the whole hoopla around the Sierra, six years ago, began at the 2020 Auto Expo where Tata took the wraps off a concept car. It was an EV with the iconic shape and of course, the alpine windows.
Much like its ICE sibling, the Sierra EV is an important car for the automaker as it is their competitor in the mid-EV SUV fight. This is the most hotly contested EV segment in the market today and the Sierra certainly looks the part. This has no doubt been helped by the legacy of the name and Tata doing its thing to hype up the car by making it scale the Tal Moreb in the UAE. But we have looked beyond the hype and will tell you in the review if the Sierra is actually any good, is it worth the premium over some of its similarly-sized competition, and does it have the go with the show?
Exterior Design
When Tata began its EV journey six years ago, electric had an aura to it and many automakers, Tata included, had to make the cars stand out to be noticed. With wider acceptance, Tata has now begun seeing electric as one more powertrain and that's very visible in the overall design of the Sierra EV where it looks very similar to its ICE sibling.
Up front, you can see the stacked-light package, large Tata logo, blacked-out elements on the grille, and the upright stance of the bonnet. Move over to the side and you can see the 19-inch wheels with the aero elements, blacked-out OVRMs, and pop-out door handles. But what is most prominent are the alpine-glass windows, the thing that made the Sierra so legendary when it was first launched 30 years ago. As a visual element, it adds length to the car's overall appearance and gives it a unique element. The rear is dominated by the one-piece light bar, stretched-out haunches, and large Sierra lettering that's been outlined in Tata's signature EV green shade.
Interior and Comfort
Right off the bat, we can tell you that there is no difference between this Sierra EV and the ICE version in terms of dimensions, so you get the same amount of space in the first and second row and that's despite the flat floor. The overall cabin feels airy, light, and spacious thanks to the large windows, colour schemes, and if you have a top-spec version featured in our review, the panoramic sunroof.
The big highlight of the front is the triple-screen layout, a trend that's fast growing with Tata actually being one of the early entrants. The screens run Tata's Activ.ev OS and the interface is quite similar to what you get on other Tata electric cars. The interface is mostly smooth, lag-free, and it doesn't take a lot of steps to get to where you need to be in terms of functions. The third screen runs a slightly different version of the OS and has its own Bluetooth connectivity to ensure it doesn't interfere with using the other two displays. However, it lacks a privacy function both in terms of a physical privacy screen or a software-controlled lockout.
The other big highlight of the cabin is the second-row package. There is decent space for two occupants but a tight fit for three abreast. Despite the odd roofline, there is more than enough headroom and legroom as well. The package includes dual USB-C charging ports, rear AC vents, seatback pockets, window blinds, and 1.0-litre bottle holders for both doors. A luxury touch includes a boss function for the left passenger, where you fold down the front seat into a lounge configuration for additional comfort.
Feature List
In this fully loaded Empowered A guise, the Sierra EV is a loaded animal. Highlights of the feature list include triple-screen package, digital instrument cluster, powered and ventilated front seats, power-opening boot with 622 litres storage space, six airbags, full-LED light package, dual-zone climate control with rear AC vents, controllable regen with three stages, and a boost mode for when you want to go really fast for which you need to access all 504Nm of torque. The overall feature list is comprehensive and strikes a three-way balance between entertainment, showing off, and actually usable functions.
Engine and Powertrain
The Sierra EV can be had with two powertrain options. The first is a 63kWh battery pack, whilst the more premium one is a 75kWh battery pack. RWD is standard for both models, whilst the latter also gets AWD or QWD, as Tata is officially calling it. Power and torque figures across both powertrains are pretty impressive, with the RWD 63 putting out 234bhp/315Nm whilst the 75kWh RWD puts out 206bhp/315Nm. The QWD is of course, the most powerful with a combination of 140bhp/206bhp (front and rear motor) and a combined torque of 504Nm, one of the highest in the class. We have driven the QWD variant and in addition to the drive modes, also get terrain modes along the lines of Normal, Snow, Sand, Mud-ruts, Rock Crawl, and even a custom option.
On the road, with the kind of figures that the Sierra EV offers, feels planted at speeds, and with the boost mode on makes even the largest of vehicles a breeze to overtake. However, it is not quick to get off the line, especially if you are in one of the more conservative modes like City or Eco, then it is going to feel sluggish, and there is a lag between you pressing the throttle and the car moving forward. The step up between Eco and City mode is pretty significant, whilst the step up between Sport and Boost is not that significant a jump, but there is a difference of up to 65–75km of range as you start to crank up the intensity of the drive modes. Tata claims an official range of 566km for the 63kWh, 665km for the 75kWh, and 624km for the 75kWh AWD.
Ride and Handling
At low speeds, the steering feels heavy and cumbersome, making even three-point turns an effort; it does very little to mask the bulk of the vehicle. Whilst Tata says it has dialled in a weight addition when you go from drive mode to drive, we could not feel much difference either in weight or the speed of steering. One of the other big hits for this car, apart from ride quality and power, is NVH insulation. The wind noise has been kept to a controlled minimum, and most of the outside noises are filtered out in a pretty strong manner. This is especially important as this is an EV and also because some of the functions have audio chimes that are part of warnings or getting the driver's attention.
Off-road Ability
Tata also arranged an off-road course for us to get an understanding of the Sierra's AWD capability. On paper, the Sierra has a very capable off-road package with various drive modes, two independent motors, and even a 540-degree camera package that lets you see under the vehicle. The car was able to deliver on all fronts, but it was very obvious that the motors had to lug a lot of weight around, 2.1 tonnes for this QWD Empowered A variant to be precise.
You could tell that to clear some of the obstacles, you had to be very precise with your throttle input, as it was very easy for the car to shoot off the line and send you over, creating a very small margin for error. What's more, the off-roading consumed a lot of battery, and this is not an ideal scenario when you are on the path less taken, where charging would be almost impossible if you were to run low. Most owners who would buy this Sierra EV with AWD would scarcely take it beyond a rough path or some slushy roads at best. This is then Tata's way of announcing that it is capable of producing such technology and that said technology delivers when the going gets rough.
Verdict
Tata's been on a spree with getting its products spot on in terms of features, design, and powertrains—this Sierra EV a good example of them. It's powerful, fast, feature-loaded, decently spacious, and sports an iconic badge that will now carry on into a new generation. The warranty packages are also fantastic and on paper at least give the Sierra EV an edge over its rivals. However, it is not without its issues. The top end is expensive as compared to its main rivals and that's without going into AWD territory. Tata's not had the greatest reliability track record when it comes to electronics as well as after-sales and service, all issues which they are working to address but still have a way to go.
Rivals for the Sierra EV include the Kia Carens Clavis EV, Mahindra BE 6, and the VinFast VF7 which is its closest rival and the only other one that offers AWD. Prices for the Sierra EV at the time of writing this review ranged from Rs. 18.49 lakh to Rs. 24.79 lakh (ex-showroom).
Photography: Kapil Angane
