India's love affair with Utility Vehicles may have caught the attention of global automotive manufacturers of late, but there was one company that pioneered it all, way before our market had the maturity to accept them. As you would have guessed from the title of this post by now, we are talking about Tata Motors, then called Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO). Having learnt the art of manufacturing commercial vehicles through its partnership with Mercedes-Benz that lasted for decades, Tata ventured into the world of passenger cars with the Sierra, a Multi Utility Vehicle, in 1991.
When it was launched, the Sierra was a truly one-of-its-kind automobile in India. Not withstanding the fact that it was the first car to be designed and developed completely in India, the Sierra was deemed to be stylish, a tag-line that's been eluding Indian cars to this day. It was the only three-door car in a market that was used to seeing the Maruti 800 and Omni, apart from Hindustan Ambassadors and Premier Padminis. The huge, fixed, see-through rear windows were a rage, the tall stance was a boon on the then non-existent roads, the truck-based suspension could withstand abuse and the interiors with features like power steering, tilt steering, power windows, central air-conditioning and tachometer was much ahead of its time.
With petrol prices that remained at sensible levels, diesel was not the fuel of choice for passenger cars then. The Sierra broke that notion, becoming the first diesel-powered car that was accepted by Indians for personal use. Despite its limitations in the form of a tough-to-access rear seat, huge rear windows exposing passengers to harsh Indian summer, an expensive price tag and an utilitarian fit and finish, the Sierra became popular, more so amongst youngsters. It was, and still is, an automotive enthusiast's delight for a variety of reasons, the most significant one being its design. We at Anything On Wheels just can't help thinking how things would have been for Tata if the Sierra had lived on.
Compared to the nineties, the Indian market today is totally different. Duster has transformed Renault's fortunes, Ford Ecosport's popularity is at an all-time high, Toyota Fortuner is rewriting sales records for cars priced above INR 20 Lakhs, while the Bolero and XUV500, though separated by 10 years, are together making Mahindra laugh all the way to the bank. Sadly, Tata does not have a Utility Vehicle in its lineup that's capable of being popular and bringing in the much-needed volumes. That's where the Sierra could fit in. Unlike the early nineties, time now is perfect for a car like the Sierra.
With an appealing design, tall stance, tough build and a powerful, turbocharged diesel engine, the Sierra Turbo, which was the last version to be produced before the car was discontinued, already had the makings of a winner. With the then-new Indica and Safari promising much more for Tata back then, the Sierra's fate was sealed. But, that's alright. Bring it back, Tata. Do not mess with its design, just give it a few modern touches here and there, plonk in the 2.2-liter DiCOR engine, spruce up the interiors, splash it with cool shades from the latest palette and voila, here is a SUV that could make the Duster, Ecosport and even Tata's own Safari run for cover.
We might sound stupid suggesting Tata to bring back a model that was discontinued a decade back at a time when they are facing the heat with falling sales and market share. But, the fact is the Sierra excites us more than the Indica, Vista, Indigo, Manza, Sumo Gold, Grande and Aria combined.
Who knows? In these trying times, the Sierra could be the savior for Tata! Is someone at Tata Motors reading this post?
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