We made the switch from a petrol-powered long-termer to an EV yet again. This time towards the end of August, right when Mumbai was experiencing peak monsoon. Tata’s coupe-SUV form factor in the EV guise – we welcomed the Curvv EV to our long-term fleet. It was instantly off to multiple shoots as a support car and put through the grind of daily office commutes. The Curvv EV also became our go-to car for short trips to Pune. Over the last few months, the Curvv EV has clocked over 7300 km and the ODO reading now stands close to the 17,000 km mark. The novelties have now worn off and we now have a clearer picture of what makes or breaks the Curvv EV. So let’s get straight to it.
Running Costs, Real-World Range and Efficiency
The obvious advantage of an EV over ICE-powered models – the running costs. Charging costs versus petrol costs already tilts the equation in favour of EVs. But as we’ve found out, another financial win comes in the form of toll exemptions. Electric vehicles are exempt from toll fees at Bandra-Worli Sea Link, Atal Setu and Mumbai-Pune Expressway. Hence, Mumbai-Pune trips have become the most affordable ones I’ve had in years. Even as a long-term petrolhead, you can’t ignore the running cost savings an EV provides.
During our time with the Curvv EV, we managed to get an average of 330 km on a full-charge. This translates to around 6 km/kWh of efficiency. Speaking of which, the Wh/km unit that Tata uses for efficiency is confusing and takes time getting used to. I’d have preferred the more simpler km/kWh as it’s much closer to km/l that we’re used to. With the regen level set to 2, I found it to slow down much more than I’d like and it also resulted in an abrupt brake feel. I resorted to Level 1 regen and found myself able to extract even better efficiency. This also made the on-off throttle transitions much smoother compared to the other levels.
Driving Dynamics: Comfortable but Fidgety
As far as driving dynamics go, it’s been a mixed bag with the Curvv EV. On the highway, the coupe-SUV feels planted. High-speed manners are good but you do feel the heft around corners and there’s some body roll as well. The 18-inch aero-optimised wheels might look cool and add to the stance of the Curvv EV. However, there’s a downside to them. On Mumbai’s pothole-ridden roads and at slow speeds, the car fidgets constantly. There’s consistent side-to-side bobbing motion that feels closer to an old-school ladder-on-frame SUV than a modern monocoque EV.
Braking further adds to the low-speed discomfort. The all-around disc brakes have more than enough bite to slow the heavy EV down but the brake pedal feel leaves a lot to be desired. The pedal feels wooden, lacks progression, and can also feel grabby. When set to Level 2 of Regenerative Braking, the transition to friction braking feels abrupt. It feels much better with Level 1. Level 3 is very close to single-pedal driving but it doesn’t bring the car to a full stop.
Life in the Cockpit – Tech
The cabin experience is similar to most of the modern Tatas of today. From the inside, the 4-spoke steering wheel and the textured trim below the AC vents are the only way to tell it apart from the Nexon EV. The light coloured interiors add a sense of space. The downside to that is it can get rather difficult to keep clean, especially during monsoons. The large 12.3-inch infotainment display is crisp and responsive but sometimes acts moody and does not let me connect my phone via Apple CarPlay. Having wireless Apple CarPlay is a must-have for many, which is available but I still stick to my trusty old wired connections.
Interior highlights for me include the chill AC and especially XpressCooling feature which I seldom found using on hot days but my gripe with this feature is that it’d roll down the windows if it’s too hot but won’t roll them back up. Ventilated seats are also a very nice addition, and I like the fact that there’s a dedicated physical button right on the seat and you don’t have to look for it on the centre console or go through multiple menus in the infotainment screen.
Ergonomics & Practicality
For a car brand that also has ties with Starbucks in India, the complete lack of cupholders is surprising. Sure, Tata has addressed this in the newer models such as the Sierra but it makes its absence felt more often than not during longer drives. Another ergonomic problem is the location of the 45W Type-C port at the front. You’d have to stop the car and take out two to three minutes to insert the cable.
The Curvv EV’s 500L boot is well-shaped and can carry three or even four large suitcases comfortably. The portable charger that comes with the car doesn’t take up much space. The electric tailgate comes in handy and one can operate it from the centre console, key fob or hands free by moving your leg below the rear bumper. The coupe-SUV design means the hatch opens fairly tall and you need to be careful in multi-level parking spots. There’s also an 11.6-litre frunk. The frunk cover feels flimsy but it has foam inserts below it to keep things from moving around. To me, this felt the perfect place to store the portable charger.
Issues Faced
Our long-termer came with an alignment issue from day one and though I learned to live with it over time, it bothered me at the start and I found myself choosing other cars if I could just because of this one thing. This could also be one of the reasons we noticed excessive tyre wear at the front. Though in all fairness, we couldn’t get the tyre rotation done as that would’ve also required TPMS recalibration.
Another issue we faced right from the start was the motorised charging flap not working. I had to resort to manually opening and closing it for all my charging sessions. Tata should’ve used a much simpler push-to-open cover for the charging port as found on the Harrier EV or most other EVs out there.
In Next Report
Despite some ergonomic issues and other issues, the Curvv EV has been reliable for the most part. It is comfortable for daily commuting and long drives. The Curvv EV even turns heads wherever it goes even after a year since its launch. The feature-rich cabin and the JBL audio system mean it’s a place you wouldn’t mind being stuck in rush hour traffic.
In my next report, I’ll talk about the ADAS features, how useful or not they are and if the Curvv EV should be an option on your shortlist when considering your next car purchase or you’d be better off putting your hard-earned money on another model or taking it to another dealership.