Tata Curvv ICE (Petrol and Diesel) review

While there are some fairly obvious differences between the Tata Curvv EV and ICE variants, they don’t really affect the overall look and feel of the cars. The front of ICE variant looks a fair bit different, and the wheels somehow feel a bit more suited to the ICE powertrain, but the overall design sticks to the brief. It still looks a bit more sedan than SUV, but elements such as the big 18-inch wheels and high ground clearance do give you a bit of SUV feel.

On the whole, the Tata Curvv is a very good-looking car, and the ICE arguably looks a bit more aggressive at the front. Combined with the modern classic wheel design and the beautiful red colour of the diesel variant that I got to drive, this is a car that definitely drew quite a few eyeballs on the road.

Inside the cabin, especially up front, you get a futuristic and imposing feel. After a few seat adjustments using the electric system, I was able to get a nice and imposing SUV-like seating position. Both front seats are ventilated, although the front passenger seat needs to be adjusted manually using old-school levers.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Ali Pardiwala (@alipardiwala)

The back seats of the Tata Curvv ICE are a fair bit more comfortable than on the Curvv EV, which has to do with the fact that there’s no battery underneath to take up valuable cabin space. Therefore, there’s a bit more floor-to-seat height in the rear seats, which makes for better under-thigh support and legroom. Two people can sit comfortably at the back, and there’s enough headroom as well, despite the sloping coupe-style rear. You also get a luxurious 500L of boot space, and you can rather conveniently pop the boot open with a foot wave gesture under the back bumper.

Just like the Tata Curvv EV, the ICE version also gets the full tech package on the top end variants. This includes ADAS Level 2 features such as lane keep assist and collision warnings, adaptive cruise control on automatic transmission variants, and a 360-degree camera system that comes into play for everything from parking assistance to ensuring you’re able to change lanes or merge onto roads safely and confidently.

On the roads of Goa, I found that various ADAS features were all over the place in how they worked. Lane keep assist frequently fought me even as I tried to move about to avoid potholes and obstacles such as animals in the road, while collision warnings frequently went off even at low speeds and in situations that didn’t really feel dangerous at all. There’s some work to do in optimising ADAS on the Curvv for Indian conditions, in my opinion.

The 360 camera system is very useful, and gives you access to views you may not have inside the car. It came in handy while parking and exiting a parking space, as well as in the normal course of driving such as when changing lanes or reversing. It’s particularly useful on an SUV coupe, given the poor rear visibility because of the rather small rear windshield, and helped in making the drive safer on the whole.

Tech inside the cabin includes quite a few useful touches, including a Qi wireless charging plate in easy reach for the driver, USB Type C and Type A ports for infotainment connectivity and wired charging, voice controls for in-car functions such as the sunroof and air conditioning, and more. The AC and other car controls are accessible via a nice capacitive touch panel just below the infotainment system, and there are also some ease-of-use features such as auto headlights and rain sensing wipers on the Tata Curvv.

The heart of the tech package on the new Tata Curvv ICE is its infotainment system, which is pretty much identical to the one on the Curvv EV. On the top-end variants, you get a 12.3-inch touch screen infotainment system, sitting alongside the 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster. Some of the info from the main system can be moved to a floating and dynamic view on the infotainment cluster as needed, including turn-by-turn navigation instructions and partial camera views.

The stock user interface on the infotainment system is fully connected, and features support for Alexa and built-in navigation in case you don’t want to fully connect your own smartphone. You can also access the air purification stats, climate control modes, and other features from the infotainment system, apart from being able to play music from connected devices and adjust audio settings for the nine-speaker JBL audio system.

I generally prefer using the familiar Android Auto interface with my smartphone, and connectivity for Wireless Android Auto was pretty solid and hassle-free on the Tata Curvv. If you have an iPhone, there’s also support for Apple CarPlay and the large screen works fairly well to give you a clean view of maps, music, and call controls.

The Tata IRA app for the new Curvv is a bit different on the ICE variants as compared to the EV. Key features such as map view to locate the car, vehicle status, remote controls for engine, lock, hazard lights and more, and the fuel level are similar to those on the EV, and you can also see the current odometer reading. Similarly, you can run diagnostics on the car to detect any issues, and also view trip history. Some new features on the app include the ability to book service appointments and access roadside assistance, with map-based tracking for the latter. 

Looking past the features, technology, and cabin comforts of the Tata Curvv - all of which are almost identical to the offering on the Curvv EV - the big change is of course the internal combustion engine powertrains in the car. You get petrol and diesel options for this - the older Revotron (1.2L petrol), the newer Hyperion (1.2L petrol), and Kyrojet (1.5L diesel). For the review drive, I had a chance to experience the Hyperion with manual transmission, and Kryojet with dual-clutch automatic transmission.

The Kryojet diesel engine delivers up to 116bhp of power and 260Nm of torque, and paired with the DCT, was an absolute belter to drive, especially in Sport mode. Driving the car around Goa, I put the car through its paces across various road conditions, including slow country roads, mountain roads, and wide multi-lane highways, and the diesel managed to excel in just about every condition. 

The automatic transmission on the Tata Curvv diesel was quick, responsive, and capable across speeds and gears, usually switching seamlessly and at the right time, or going by my throttle inputs to hold in a particular gear for a bit longer. The Sport mode was particularly fun to drive with, and the specific tuning of the mode was very handy when driving on winding mountain roads. Downhill stretches occasionally confused the DC transmission, but the paddle shifters allowed me to quickly override and select gears myself when needed.

The three different modes - Eco, City, and Sport - are present even on the manual transmission for select variants, which I got to try out on the 1.2L Hyperion petrol engine. This engine has the same capacity and number of cylinders as the Revotron, but is tuned for a little more horsepower and a lot more torque. There is also a ‘torque boost’ feature which kicks in after the third gear, to give up to 250Nm torque in certain conditions, as per Tata.

The engine was indeed responsive, and the torque boost worked as stated, giving the car quite a bit of bite in third gear. However, the manual transmission did take a bit of getting used to. That said, I found the diesel to be a lot more fun to drive, and the automatic transmission to be excellent, so I’d only suggest the manual transmission option to purists who want full control of the car when driving.

While Tata has a number of models now available in both EV and ICE variants, the Tata Curvv is the first where both powertrains have launched simultaneously. Indeed, Tata’s strategy of having EV, petrol, and diesel options will help it make the Curvv appealing to a wide spread of buyers, and the ICE variants largely live up to the standards set by the Curvv EV already.

The rear seats are a bit more comfortable and spacious on the Curvv ICE variants, and the addition of a dual-clutch transmission makes this an absolutely solid all-rounder that is at ease in just about any driving conditions, including the ability to drive on slightly rough tracks a bit off the road. The tech offerings also manage to keep up nicely, making this a solid car at the price.