Tata Curvv Concept

The past few weeks have seen the launches of coupe cars under the Rs 20 lakh bracket. While Citroen has brought the Basalt, homegrown brand Tata has introduced ICE (petrol and diesel) and EV iterations of the Curvv in the domestic market. Given their set of features and price points, it can be daunting to select which is the ideal choice. Considering cars under Rs 20 lakh, keep reading this blog to decide whether to go with the Curvv nameplate or Basalt . Tata Curvv/ Tata Curvv EV/ Citroen - Basalt Technical Specifications Cars Tata Curvv Tata Curvv EV Citroen Basalt Engine(s)/ Motor 1.2L T-GDI petrol | 1.2L turbo petrol | 1.5L diesel    45kWh | 55 kWh 1.2L NA petrol | 1.2L turbo-petrol    Power  123.29bhp | 118.35bhp | 116bhp 148bhp | 165bhp 81bhp | 109bhp Torque 225Nm | 170Nm | 260Nm 215Nm  115Nm | 190Nm Mileage/ Battery Range Unknown | Unknown | 22.4 kmpl 502 km | 430 km (MIDC) 18 kmpl | 19.5 kmpl Dimensions (L x B x H) 4308mm x 1810mm x 1630mm 4310mm x 1810mm x 1637mm 4352mm x 1765mm x 1593mm Wheelbase 2560mm 2560mm 2651mm Price band (ex-showroom)    Rs 9.99 lakh to Rs 17.49 lakh Rs 17.49 lakh to Rs 21.99 lakh     Rs 7.99 lakh to Rs 13.62 lakh Citroen Basalt Story - Practicality, Practicality, Practicality Citroen claims ‘Basalt’ shares with this volcanic rock, born of the earth's energy, packing a promise of robustness. With Basalt, the French carmaker aims to rewrite its India story and be more than practical. But who is the coupe SUV for? Priced at Rs 7.99 lakh (Rs 9.04 lakh, on-road), aggressive for sure, Basalt has entirely disrupted the already struggling hatchback faction and become the most affordable vehicle measuring over 4 metres. At that price point, the only thing going its way is cabin size and great suspension. Citroen sells the top-end turbo petrol automatic Basalt for north of Rs 13.5 lakhs excluding taxes and other duties.  Tata Curvv EV - What About Range Anxiety? The Curvv EV recently underwent MIDC cycle testing, in which the average testing speed was increased to 31kmph and the maximum speed to 90kmph. This led to a fall in the single-charge range of 55kWh and 45kWh battery packs offered with the coupe SUV to 502km (previously 585km) and 400 - 425km (previously 502km), respectively. Notably, Tata’s in-house C75 range test - a near-real-world driving range - has a range of 430km (55kWh) and 330-350km (45kWh). Tata Curvv ICE - Three Engines For The Win In terms of looks and equipment on offer, the Curvv resembles its EV sibling. Differences become more apparent in terms of powertrains that the Curvv ICE will boast on arrival. Two 1.2-litre turbo petrol mills and a 1.5-litre diesel engine to be precise. Considering all the bells and whistles on board, Curvv comes forward as a luxury mid-size SUV and a lot depends on how Tata will price it. You Decide Different from its Citroen counterpart in every aspect, Tata’s intention with the e-SUV is to offer a premium offering with a long list of features. Simply put, this is its best EV yet. But all that comes at a starting price of Rs 17.49 lakh for the decently equipped Creative 45 persona. The fully loaded Empowered+ A 55 variant, which also gets ADAS, will cost you Rs 21.99 lakh. On the other hand, the Citroen Basalt comes as a more practical and budget-friendly alternative to the Tata rival. Yes, it does miss out on a lot of equipment and does not have a diesel engine on offer, but it does come with a lot of space owing to its over 4-metre length. Also, one has to consider the price difference between the two. The Basalt You trim for Rs 7.99 lakh (ex-showroom) is aggressively priced but misses out on a lot. In our opinion, the Basalt Max Turbo at Rs 13.62 lakh makes the most sense. Read Also: Which Are The Best CNG Cars Under Rs. 30 Lakhs Available In India?

Vehicle safety, irrespective of one’s budget, in every segment has become paramount. So much so that some car manufacturers are raking in high sales on the safety aspect alone. It also has to do with the fact of keeping up with safety norms that are in force across the world. Global National Car Assessment Program or GNCAP under its ‘Safer Cars For India’ campaign keeps crash-testing cars in the affordable category.  While we do advocate for safer cars, it is equally important to keep polishing driving skills at the same time. On that note, here is a list of cars with 4 stars or above under Rs. 10 lakh, ex-showroom. Tata Punch Body Type SUV (micro) Notable Safety Features  Dual front airbags, ABS, rear parking sensors Out of a maximum of 17 points (5 stars) for adult occupant protection (AOP) the Tata Punch scored 16.45 points, making it the safest micro SUV on sale currently. Child safety, on the other hand, was given 4 stars. Bodyshell integrity has been deemed ‘stable’ by GNCAP. Dual front airbags, ABS, rear parking sensors and ISOFIX child seat mounts have been offered as standard by Tata. Ex-showroom prices start at Rs. 6 lakh. Read Also: Top 5 Things to Know about Tata Punch Tata Altroz Body Type Hatchback Notable Safety Features  Two airbags, ABS with EBD, rear parking camera and seatbelt reminders The Altroz is built on Tata’s ALFA (Agile, Light, Flexible and Advanced) platform, like the Punch, and occupies a high spot in the family of safest affordable hatchbacks. It secured 16.13 in AOP, while in Child Occupant Protection (COP) the Tata Altroz scored three stars. The safety suite includes two airbags, ABS with EBD, rear parking camera and seatbelt reminders. Tata has priced the Altroz from Rs. 6.65 to Rs. 11.35 lakh. Tata Nexon Body Type SUV (sub-compact) Notable Safety Features  Six airbags, an electronic stability programme (ESP), ABS, ISOFIX anchorages and reverse parking sensors Tata Nexon holds the title of the first made-in-India vehicle to score 5 stars in NCAP. The COP and AOP ratings scored by the sub-compact SUV are 44.52 (total 49) and 32.22 (total 34), respectively. In its last update, the Nexon has been updated with additional safety equipment, including six airbags and Electronic Stability Control (ESC) as standard. Standard safety equipment includes six airbags, an electronic stability programme (ESP), ABS, ISOFIX anchorages and reverse parking sensors. At the time of writing, Nexon’s base Smart Optional variant is available for Rs. 8 lakhs, going all the way up to Rs. 15.79 lakh. Read Also: Discover Why Nexon Is Selling So Much - Insights And Analysis Renault Kiger Body Type SUV (sub-compact) Notable Safety Features  Dual front airbags (four in higher variants), ABS with EBD and rear parking sensors Renault’s only SUV model on sale in India, the Renault Kiger obtained a 4-star rating - 12.34 (AOP) - but managed to score 2 stars in COP. The testing agency has termed Kiger’s bodyshell unstable and not capable of withstanding further loadings. As standard, the sub-compact SUV comes with two airbags (four in higher variants), ABS with EBD and rear parking sensors. Prices start at Rs. 6 lakh to end at Rs. 11.22 lakh, ex-showroom.  Renault Triber Body Type MUV (sub-compact) Notable Safety Features  Dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, rear parking sensors and speed alert warning   Another offering from the French carmaker on this list, the Renault Triber utility vehicle scored a maximum of 11.62 points or four stars in AOP. It got three stars (27 points) in COP and the bodyshell integrity was described as unstable. In the safety department, dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, rear parking sensors and speed alert warning are offered as standard. Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) is also available across the range. The Triber’s price band is from Rs. 6 lakh to Rs. 8.97 lakh. Read Also: Comprehensive Car Buying Guide: Tips and Tricks

Tata Motors has recently revealed the prices of the Curvv Petrol MT (Rs. 9.99 lakh, ex-showroom) and Diesel MT variants (Rs. 11.49 lakh, ex-showroom). Now, the brand has also released the prices for its DCA models, which start from Rs 12.5 lakh and go up to Rs 19 lakh (ex-showroom). Tata Curvv DCA Price List The Curvv is powered by three engines and is mated to both manual and dual-clutch automatic transmission. Here is a detailed price list of the Curvv based on the engine and variants: Variants 1.2L Turbo Petrol DCA (118 BHP) 1.2L TGDi Turbo Petrol DCA (123 BHP) 1.5L Diesel DCA (116 BHP) Pure+ Rs. 12.5 Lakh – Rs. 14 Lakh Pure+ S Rs. 13.2 Lakh – Rs. 14.7 Lakh Creative Rs. 13.7 Lakh – – Creative S Rs. 14.2 Lakh – Rs. 15.7 Lakh Creative+ S Rs. 15.2 Lakh Rs. 16.5 Lakh Rs. 16.7 Lakh Accomplished S Rs. 16.2 Lakh Rs. 17.5 Lakh Rs. 17.7 Lakh Accomplished+A – Rs. 19 Lakh Rs. 19 Lakh The price for the manual variants starts from Rs 9.99 lakh and goes up to Rs 17.69 lakh (ex-showroom). Powertrain Details Tata Curvv is available with two petrol and one diesel engine options. These include a 1.2-litre 3-cylinder turbo petrol engine (118bhp/170 Nm), 1.2-litre direct-injection turbo-petrol (123bhp/225Nm), and a 1.5-litre diesel engine (116bhp/260Nm). These engines are paired to either a 6-speed MT or a 7-speed DCA transmission. Also Read: Hyundai Aura Dual-Cylinder CNG E Variant Launched

Tata Motors has released the revised range figures of its electric vehicle portfolio. This comes after the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has added more parameters to the MIDC test cycles. Tata Motors currently has the largest number of electric vehicles including the Tiago EV, Tigor EV, Punch EV, Nexon EV and the Curvv EV.  Earlier, the range figures released by automakers were based on City/Urban driving cycle. Now, the Ministry has issued a notification to all carmakers to test and declare the range figures that include Urban and extra Urban cycles.  The MIDC range now includes a highway run. In the latest update, the average testing speed has increased to 31kph from 19kph, while the maximum speed has increased from 50kph to 90kph. These two big updates resulted in the decrease of EV range figures. EVs are designed to offer maximum range in the City; however, the range decreased significantly on highways at high speed.  Tata Motors has also released its own range test cycle, called C75, which is claimed to be a near-real-world driving range. Tata claims that 75 percent of its owners can expect to achieve the given range. Adding to it, Tata Motors said that its EVs are tested at higher average speeds of 40kmph and a top speed of 120kmph.  Adding to it, unlike the MIDC cycle, the vehicles tested have AC running, higher loads and greater temperature variance compared to the MIDC cycle. In the MIDC cycle, the EV has the AC running, loads of 150kg and a temperature variance of 20-30 degree Celsius.  The Tata Curvv EV 55kWh version is now claimed to offer a MIDC certified range of 502km, which was 585km in the older MIDC cycle. In the brand's own C75 range test, it offers a range of around 400-425km on a single charge. Similarly, the Curvv EV 45kWh version delivers 430km compared to 502km. Moreover, the brand's own range test gives Curvv EV 45kWh a range of 330-350km.  Similarly, the Nexon EV 40.5kWh and 30kWh versions now offer a range of 390km and 275km, respectively, (new MIDC cycle). The Punch EV 35kWh range drops to 365km from 421km, while the 25kWh version now offers a certified range of 265km as compared to 315km in the previous MIDC cycle. The Tiago EV range drops to 275km. Also See - Tata Curvv EV Outshines Nexon EV As Buyers Seek Upgrades