Thirty-four years after the original Sierra created the template for the Indian lifestyle SUV, Tata Motors has resurrected the nameplate for a generation that has never experienced its wrap-around glass or three-door charm. As Faisal Khan bluntly put it, "this second generation has absolutely nothing in common with the OG other than the name."
After the Curvv's lukewarm market reception, PowerDrift's assessment that "the Sierra has a lot riding on it" rings especially true. With the Hyundai Creta dominating sales, the Citroen Aircross sweeping in, and the upcoming Renault Duster crowding the battlefield, Tata has priced the Sierra into one of the most competitive spaces in the country.
We analysed over 130,000 words of transcripts from five of India's most respected independent car YouTubers — Faisal Khan, Gagan Choudhary, MotorOctane, PowerDrift, and Auto Yogi — and synthesised their findings so you can cut straight to the verdict.
What all five reviewers agree on
Across five very different review styles, a surprisingly tight consensus emerges on both the highs and the lows.
Road presence is unmatched. PowerDrift counted "four thumbs up in the last 20 seconds." Faisal Khan: "People turn around. They're following the car."
Best Tata petrol ever. MotorOctane: "Best petrol engine of Tata Motors till now." Faisal Khan admitted it's "phenomenal" — rare praise from him for Tata.
JBL 12-speaker audio is segment-best. Auto Yogi called it "the best audio experience in a mid-size SUV, globally." MotorOctane agreed: "fantastic."
Rear-seat space is class-leading. 2,737mm wheelbase, longest in segment. Six-footers sit behind six-footers comfortably, with a flat floor.
Fit and finish still has gaps. Panel misalignment, beading coming loose, sharp edges Auto Yogi warned could cut your hand. Pre-production caveat applies.
Touch panel below infotainment is a mistake. Knee contact folds ORVMs at highway speed. No physical fog-lamp buttons. Nobody defended it.
Design & Exterior
The Sierra's boxy silhouette, high-set clamshell bonnet, and blacked-out B- and C-pillars drew near-universal praise. Auto Yogi called design "its strongest point, its magnet." PowerDrift appreciated that it "feels distinct" in a sea of lookalike SUVs. Gagan Choudhary highlighted how the signature yellow paint shifts between grey and green depending on the light.
Dimensionally, Faisal Khan noted the Sierra is the widest and tallest car in the segment, with the longest wheelbase, though not the longest overall. The top variant gets 19-inch alloys — the biggest in the segment — with 18- and 17-inch options on lower trims.
"It attracts a crazy amount of attention — people in Fortuners and Innovas are pulling over to investigate what this is."
— Faisal KhanNot everything lands. Faisal Khan disliked the alloy design and felt the rear looked "chopped off." He also criticised the black rear-quarter panel — a styling tribute to the OG Sierra's wrap-around glass — for creating a genuine blind spot: "Instead of seeing what's outside, you end up looking at the panel."
Interior & Build Quality
The top variant gets a triple-screen setup: a 10.25-inch instrument cluster and two 12.3-inch displays for infotainment and the front passenger. Lower variants replace the passenger screen with an AR-based head-up display. Gagan Choudhary called the UI "the best screen currently available in India" for a car in this segment.
The passenger screen supports wireless headphones, a gaming controller (PlayStation or generic Bluetooth), YouTube, and offline media. Faisal Khan liked the privacy filter so the driver can't see what's playing — a genuine improvement over Mahindra's implementation.
Feature count is genuinely extensive: ventilated front seats, six-way power driver seat with memory, extendable thigh support on both front seats, dual-zone climate, panoramic sunroof, 65W USB-C fast charging front and rear, electronic parking brake with auto-hold, 360° camera, Level 2 ADAS with 22 features, six airbags as standard, and a BOSS mode for the rear passenger.
"The single switch operating both the sunblind and sunroof is maddening — you cannot open just the sunblind without opening the glass."
— Noted independently by both Faisal Khan & Gagan ChoudharyPowertrain & Performance
Three engine options, all 1.5-litre four-cylinders:
| Engine | Power | Torque | Gearbox | 0–100 km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5L NA Petrol | 106 PS | 145 Nm | 6MT / 7DCA | Not tested |
| 1.5L Turbo Petrol GDI ★ | 160 PS | 255 Nm | 6AT (Aisin) | 9.7 sec |
| 1.5L Diesel | 118 PS | 260–280 Nm | 6MT / 6AT | 13.4 sec |
The turbo-petrol is the star. Faisal Khan timed 0–100 in 9.7 seconds. He praised "a nice big chunky mid-range punch" with peak torque from 1,750–4,000 rpm. Auto Yogi declared it "their best turbocharged engine, period."
Fuel efficiency is the catch. Faisal Khan saw 6–7 km/l in mixed driving, calling the 50-litre tank "small for the diet this car has." MotorOctane reported a more optimistic 10–12 km/l city and 15–17 km/l highway after 1,000 km. Expect somewhere in between depending on your right foot.
The diesel avoids AdBlue entirely through a lean-NOx trap setup — a significant long-term ownership-cost advantage flagged by MotorOctane. Auto Yogi still recommends it as the most sensible pick for high-kilometre buyers.
Ride, Handling & Practicality
PowerDrift called the ride "one of their best yet," praising the frequency-selective dampers for soft low-speed compliance and highway stability. MotorOctane described handling "comparable to almost a hatchback" with impressively controlled body roll for a tall SUV.
The caveat: top-variant 19-inch wheels hurt the ride. Faisal Khan, Gagan Choudhary, and Auto Yogi all felt the low-profile tyres compromise comfort over broken surfaces. Expect 17- and 18-inch variants to ride noticeably better on Indian roads.
Practicality is strong: 622-litre boot (expandable to 1,257 litres) is the biggest in segment. Ground clearance sits around 205mm. But note — this is a front-wheel-drive monocoque. No AWD, no ladder frame. Faisal Khan was vocal that Tata missed an opportunity to take on the Thar.
Where the reviewers actually disagree
This is the most valuable section — where five experienced voices diverge tells you what's genuinely uncertain about the car.
| Topic | Camp A | Camp B |
|---|---|---|
| Fit & Finish | Faisal Khan, Auto Yogi: Serious, unresolved Tata problem. Sharp edges, panel gaps, beading loose after 5 openings. | PowerDrift, MotorOctane: Pre-production units; expect production cars to be cleaner. Not alarmed. |
| Aisin Auto Shifts | MotorOctane: Shifts "faster than most dual-clutch automatics." Very impressed. | Faisal Khan: "Not very fast or eager." Paddle shifters failed to respond on his turbo-petrol test car. |
| City Fuel Efficiency | MotorOctane: 10–12 km/l city (post 1,000 km real-world). | Faisal Khan: 6–7 km/l in mixed driving. "Small tank for the diet this car has." |
| Touch Panel ORVM | Auto Yogi: Knee accidentally folds ORVMs at 100 km/h. Dangerous. | Gagan Choudhary: Could not reproduce the accidental activation in a full day of driving. |
| Rear Blind Spot | Faisal Khan: Genuine safety compromise. Design panel blocks rear-quarter visibility. | PowerDrift: Not a major issue — the blind-view monitor compensates adequately. |
Who should buy it
The consensus buyer profile is clear. The Sierra is for someone who wants a mid-size SUV that stands out — a buyer "bored of seeing a Creta," as Auto Yogi put it, who values design, presence, space, and a feature-loaded cabin more than outright precision engineering.
If you primarily drive in the city, the turbo-petrol automatic is the enthusiast's pick — strong mid-range, refined, genuinely entertaining, but thirsty. If you're a high-kilometre commuter or frequent highway driver, Auto Yogi's recommendation of the diesel manual makes the most financial sense, especially given the no-AdBlue advantage.
Alternatives to cross-shop: Hyundai Creta (tighter build, better resale), Kia Seltos (similar turbo performance), VW Taigun/Škoda Kushaq (sharper dynamics), Toyota Hyryder/Maruti Grand Vitara (hybrid efficiency), and the upcoming Renault Duster. For those considering the Scorpio-N or Thar — the Sierra is front-wheel-drive only and is emphatically not that kind of vehicle.