Ask any SUV admirer if they have heard about the Tata Sierra and if they haven’t, give them a reality check that they should really reconsider claiming themselves an SUV fan. The Tata Sierra might have been discontinued almost two decades ago but the fact that its accolades are still sung among car enthusiasts tells us a lot about the macho, old-school SUV. The Sierra was renowned for its tough characteristics and no-nonsense appeal. But you wouldn’t find anyone raving about its performance because the Sierra wasn’t particularly what you would call a ‘fast’ SUV. It might be irrelevant to the overall characteristics of the iconic SUV but how fast do you think the Sierra can go?
130 km/h? 140 km/h? Or even beyond that?
We came across a video on YouTube which was uploaded 11 years ago but still managed to take us by surprise. Because the Sierra featured in the video hit 160 km/h! According to the current standards, it is nothing to write home about because even the hatchbacks which find themselves at the lower end of the spectrum can manage to hit that speed. But when you consider the fact that the Sierra Turbo came almost two decades ago and was a behemoth in terms of proportions, hitting a top whack of 160 km/h is surely commendable.
Also read: Chilling Inside The Tata Sierra, Lads Prove How The Massive Side Glass Was Cooler Than Sunroofs
The Tata Sierra was available with a Peugeot-sourced 2.0-litre, naturally aspirated, inline-4, diesel engine. This engine was capable of generating 63 PS and 118 Nm of peak power and torque, respectively. It came paired to a 5-speed manual gearbox. Near the end of its production, a turbocharged version of the same 2.0-litre diesel was also introduced, capable of generating 88 PS. The Sierra featured in the video is reportedly the turbo version of the SUV.
We won’t stick our neck out to say that the Sierra achieved those speeds effortlessly because it struggles a bit as the needle climbs up slowly. It is safe to assume that even though this particular Sierra was being pushed to its limits, it remained planted on the road, without scaring the bats out of the driver that it would flip around with the tiniest input to the steering wheel because that’s Sierra for you!
It might have been gone for a long time but we can’t help going down the memory lane to relive the memories of one of the most iconic SUVs to ever grace the Indian soil. Tata Motors pulled off a surprise when they showcased the Tata Sierra concept in Electric Vehicle(EV) form at the AutoExpo 2020 held at Greater Noida earlier this year. This made the audience at the Expo and worldwide quite inquisitive about the Sierra’s revival. Most of its associated design elements had been retained in the concept including the big rear quarter glass and its 3-door structure. If and when this does find its way to the market, expect many lining up for it.
Well, I own a 1999 model Turbo version. First Hand! And that is 90 PS with 190 Nm torque. I still regularly drive it at 150 kmph on the highways. Yes the climb from 130 to 150 is a little slow, but till 130 it is effortless. And yes, it is rock solid on the road even at 150 kmph. I drive regularly at that speed and stay at that speed till I come nearer to the next slow moving obstacle on the road 🙂
On a free highway, it can go on and on and on at that speed effortlessly.
One of the reasons for that speed restriction is the lower power to weight ratio as also the relatively poorer aerodynamics. The straight lines in its body design do not aid much on the aerodynamics front, although, I prefer them over the more rounded looks that modern day SUVs have.
Also, most of them have a poor pickup and so appear to be labouring hard for the last 20% of its speed limit because their turbocharger is all but gone. Those turbos are older design and require one to keep the engine in the idle condition for a minute after starting and before stopping. There is a note on the dashboard to that effect. However, most people never ever followed it. The result is that the turbos would get jammed creating back pressure in the engine and once that happens, the engine loses its spunk. I have maintained that over the last 21 years on every occasion I started and stopped the car. So try my car if you wish. But the Sierra Turbo ad stated thus:
“Ever heard of the Beatles song ‘You can drive my car baby’? Just plain hated it!”
So you can sit in while I drive. 🙂