Tata Sierra unveiled: The iconic nameplate makes a comeback!

Ever since it was introduced in 1991, the Tata Sierra has been one of the icons in the Indian automotive industry, and despite it being three decades since the original came out, nothing else like it has gone on sale in India. The automotive landscape in India has certainly changed since the Sierra was on sale the first time around. SUVs are heavily in vogue and lifestyle-oriented vehicles like the Mahindra Thar are catching on in popularity. And after years of waiting for it and looking at concept car versions, Tata Motors has unveiled the production version of the new Sierra SUV. Read on to know more about the new Tata Sierra, ahead of its launch on November 25.

Tata Sierra styling

Many forget that the Tata Sierra was actually the first Indian SUV – something we've mentioned in our Gone But Not Forgotten episode on the car – and the newly-unveiled Sierra will likely turn as many heads as the original did when it rolled on our streets in the nineties and early noughties. The front of the Sierra is upright and features a gloss black grille with the Sierra lettering nested within, and the Tata SUV comes with a full-width DRL and split headlamps. The design does look visually imposing and that theme continues with the 19-inch alloy wheels which seem to fill up the wheel arches nicely. There’s plenty of gloss black cladding on the exterior and the Sierra gets flush-fit door handles. The most prominent visual link to the original Sierra are the rear door windows and the glass area surrounding them, which clearly seem to be inspired by the glasshouse on the earlier Tata Sierra. The shoulder line is strong and it culminates into the full-width LED taillamp of the SUV. It also sports what Tata calls a clamshell tailgate which includes a roof mounted spoiler, while the rear bumper gets gloss black elements and a silver finish for the skid plate.

Tata Sierra interior

The Sierra gets a layered dashboard that is dominated by a massive slab of digital real estate. This horizontal setup will include a digital instrument cluster and an infotainment screen, along with a third display for the front passenger. There seems to have been a rummage around the Tata Motors parts bin because the steering wheel, the command shifter and the panel for the automatic climate control switches are identical to what we’ve seen on other Tata offerings.

The front seats of the Sierra are ventilated and come with a dual-tone colour scheme, while also offering adjustable underthigh support. The dashboard features certain soft-touch elements as well along with the conventional hard plastics, and if you move to the rear seat, the Sierra also comes with a ‘boss mode’ which allows you to move the front passenger seat forward to liberate more legroom. The Sierra is equipped with a panoramic sunroof as well.

Tata Sierra engines

Tata Motors haven’t revealed what engine options will the Sierra be available with but it is speculated that this Tata SUV will be offered with a new 1.5-litre petrol engine, alongside the existing 2-litre diesel that also powers the Harrier and Safari. It is likely the Sierra to be available with both manual and automatic transmission options, with the option of all-wheel-drive on select variants. The Sierra could also be available with an electric powertrain in the near future, and we will have further clarity on the powertrains and other details about the Sierra post its launch on November 25 this year.

The Tata Sierra was the Indian automaker’s first-ever product (or TELCO as it was known in those days), and a comeback of this iconic and nostalgic nameplate has been highly-awaited. More details on the Sierra will be revealed very soon at the launch of the SUV, but the question that remains to be answered is whether it will ‘take the rough with the smooth’ like the original did. We will be driving the Sierra very soon, but until then, do check out our Gone But Not Forgotten video on the Sierra and Tata Estate to know more about the history of the vehicles.