Martin Uhlarik, Tata Motors’ Head of Design, and Pratap Bose, the Vice President of the company’s Global Design division, have revealed the secrets behind the development of the Tata Sierra EV Concept.
In a lengthy conversation with Car Design News, Uhlarik and Bose revealed that they took inspiration from the wraparound side glass of the original Tata Sierra to design the Tata Sierra EV Concept. The signature design cue became the starting point for the design team assigned with this project.
The Tata Sierra EV Concept is actually much smaller than the original Tata Sierra. However, it’s surprisingly spacious for a vehicle that size. When the concept was presented to the management, they were really surprised about it. “I remember that as being a breakthrough moment,” Uhlarik said.
Bose talked about the sliding door of the concept. He suggested that the motive behind using a sliding door was not only offering more convenient ingress and egress but also to make it possible to park the vehicle in much tighter spaces. He also explained why the concept has no infotainment system or any screen for that matter. The new-age Sierra is being pitched as a recreational vehicle used to take a break from daily life, a major part of which is keeping all forms of digital devices at bay. Below is what he said about this:
Reclaiming your life means getting away from your email, the mobile device. It is a different way of approaching the same escape. Earlier you physically escaped and now you want to digitally escape. This car, by cleaning it all up, gives you that option at least.
A downside of the original Tata Sierra’s glasshouse was overheating. The Tata Sierra EV Concept has not only a similar glasshouse but also a large panoramic roof. As attractive as that nearly all-glass rear-end may look, it could make the problem of overheating even worse. Summers are getting worse with each passing year anyway. However, the designers have already found and incorporated a clever solution for that.
The outer-end air vents are big and complemented by an even bigger, one-piece air vent in the centre. The latter became possible because of the absence of a conventional central display. “We want believable vent sizes and placement for when it goes into production,” Bose said. You can read more about what Uhlarik and Bose said with respect to the concept's design by clicking on the source link at the end of the story.
Also See: Production Tata Sierra EV with sliding rear doors - IAB Rendering
The Tata Sierra EV Concept is 4,150 mm long, 1,820 mm wide and 1,675 mm tall. It has a 2,450 mm wheelbase. This model has been developed on the basis of the Alfa Architecture (Advanced Modular Platform). It could be launched in a toned-down form as early as at the end of 2022, or in 2023.
[Source: cardesignnews.com (subscription required)]
