The very competitive midsize SUV market in India, which saw 26% growth and sales of 741,447 units in FY2024, has been noticeably absent from Tata Motors’ product lineup. That will soon change with the introduction of the Curvv, which will be a coupé-SUV rather than the standard SUV bodystyle that every other player offers. Additionally, Tata Motors thinks that the Curvv will change the perception of this body type as a niche offering.
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 Hyundai 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 Tata Nexon compact SUV and Tigor sedan, 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,” pointed out Srivatsa.
As regards the Curvv’s 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 coupé-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.