India’s first affordable electric SUV Coupe is here. Tata Motors has just launched the Curvv.EV at a starting price of Rs. 17.49 lakh, ex-showroom. There are two battery packs on offer, 45 kWh on the lower trims and the range topping 55 kWh battery, which happens to be biggest battery on a Made-in-India electric car.
5 variants – Creative, Accomplished, Accomplished +, Empowered And Empowered+ – are on offer. Prices of the ICE (petrol and diesel) Curvv will be announced on 2nd September. Bookings for the Curvv.EV open from 12th August.
In terms of pricing, the Curvv.EV (45 kWh) is cheaper than the MG eZS, which starts at Rs. 18.98 lakh but has a bigger 50.2 kWh battery. As for the 55 kWH Curvv.EV, it’s just 25,000 rupees pricier than the eZS, and offers a bigger battery and a higher range.
The massive 55 kWh battery means that the Tata Curvv.EV has a claimed range (MIDC) of 585 kilometers per charge, which should translate into 400-425 Kms of real world (C75 drive cycle that Tata Motors has come up with) range. The smaller battery manages a real world range of about 325 Kms.
This also means that the Curvv.EV Long Range is a genuine highway worthy EV from Tata Motors – a car that a lot of people can actually buy as their only car. This particular aspect of the Curvv.EV is a game changer, really. The Curvv.EV is powered by a 123 KW (167 PS) liquid cooled PMS motor with a mammoth 2,500 Nm of peak torque at the shaft.
Torque at the wheel is much lower though, at, 215 Nm. Top speed is capped at 160 Kph, roll-on acceleration is better than 25-60 % faster than other compact SUVs claims Tata Motors. Acceleration at 8.6 seconds for the 0-100 Kph run is another key performance metric of the Curvv.EV.
Circling back to the battery, the Curvv.EV can be recharged from 0-80 % in just 30 minutes using a 70 KW charger. V2V (vehicle to vehicle) and V2L (vehicle to load) charging features are also on offer.
The Curvv.EV drives on 215/55 tyres shod on 18 inch alloy wheels, giving it a hefty 190 mm of ground clearance. 50:50 weight distribution, a 60 mm lowered center of gravity thanks to the battery being placed low and in the middle of the car should make for balanced handling. Fantastic handling, great nimbleness and stability is what Tata Motors claims, and we’ll find out very soon.
A 450 mm water wading is a factor that makes the Curvv.EV ready for the great Indian monsoon. Tata Motors claims that the Curvv.EV’s body has 45 % more torsional stiffness than other similar segment cars. Aerodynamics is another key focus area on the Curvv.EV. From wheel inserts to low resistance tyres and aero curtains, undertray powertrain and flush door handles. a lot of work has been done on aerodynamics.
As for safety, a 5 star BNCAP rating is expected to be out soon. Tata Motors has used lots of high strength steel for great torsional rigidity and strength. AVAS (advanced voice alert system) is a first-of-kind feature that will alert pedestrians at speeds up to 20 Kph, making the EV noticeable at lower speeds. Tata Motors has also equipped the Curvv.EV with Level2 ADAS, including adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, automatic emergency braking and a bunch of other features to take active safety to the next level.
It gets a class leading 500 liter boot is actually bigger than that on the Nexon, In fact, it’s over 100 liters than Nexon. In addition to this, the ‘Frunk’ also offers some storage up front. As for creature comforts, the Curvv.EV gets 6 way adjustable electric seats, mood lighting, recline function on the rear seat, a panoramic sunroof, 9 speaker JBL sound system with sub-woofer, voice commands in 6 languages for multiple features, subscription-based connected car features, gesture controlled boot lid, a 31.24 cm digital infotainment unit from Harman and a 26 cm TFT multi information display to name the key options on offer.
The Curvv.EV will be followed by petrol and diesel versi0ns sometime next month. The Curvv.EV, along with its internal combustion engined (ICE) siblings, sits on a brand new platform that Tata Motors calls ATLAS. ATLAS is an acronym for Adaptive Tech Forward Lifestyle Architecture, and the new platform is designed to support a wide range of powertrains including electric, CNG, petrol and diesel. The Curvv.EV is the first car to use the ATLAS platform, and the coupe SUV aims to democratize design by giving Indian car buyers access to the SUV Coupe body style that was previously limited only to luxury segments.