Tata Sierra vs rivals: Creta, Victoris, Seltos, Grand Vitara, Elevate, Kushaq, Taigun

The mid-size SUV segment in India is nothing less than a wrestling ring and so it should be, it contributes to 2nd highest sales, after the sub-4 metre segment (obviously) and because of this the mid-sized SUV segment becomes one of the most fiercely competitive segment for car manufacturers, and with the launch of Tata’s Sierra the segment is going to heat up even further as it goes head-to-head with established names like the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Honda Elevate, Volkswagen Taigun, Skoda Kushaq, Maruti Suzuki Victoris and Grand Vitara.

How does the new Sierra stack up against its competitors? That is what we will find out in this comparo.

Tata Sierra 

Tata has relaunched its iconic Sierra SUV in a modern avatar that aims to redefine the mid-sized SUV space with its bold looks and feature loaded interior. It features a very distinctive design with its bold, upright stance and clean body lines, a wide grille, and a futuristic LED lighting signature that adds to its modern appeal. 17-inch wheels, a high shoulder line, and a muscular yet minimalist profile give the Sierra a rugged yet premium presence on the road. Overall, it’s a design that stands out effortlessly, paying homage to the original Sierra while stepping confidently into the future. The Sierra also packs in loads of features and segment first triple screen layout in the top-spec variant. It also has multiple terrain modes, Smart head’s up display, Level 2 ADAS and many other features to assist the driver.

Price: Tata Sierra vs Rivals

Full price list for the Sierra hasn’t been revealed yet but the introductory price for the Tata Sierra starts at ₹11.49 lakh (ex-showroom) for the base variant which makes it the costliest SUV of the lot, but Tata has said that even the base variant will be loaded with tech and features which justifies the extra price you pay for the base variant, we expect that the top model of the Tata Sierra can be priced anywhere near ₹20-22 lakh (ex-showroom) 

 Let’s compare the starting, introductory, price of the Sierra with its rivals: 

Tata Sierra ₹11.49 lakh vs Maruti Victoris ₹10.49 lakh (ex-showroom)

Tata Sierra ₹11.49 lakh vs Skoda Kushaq ₹10.61 lakh (ex-showroom)

Tata Sierra ₹11.49 lakh vs Hyundai Creta ₹10.71 lakh (ex-showroom)

Tata Sierra ₹11.49 lakh vs Maruti Grand Vitara ₹10.76 lakh (ex-showroom)

Tata Sierra ₹11.49 lakh vs Kia Seltos ₹10.79  lakh (ex-showroom)

Tata Sierra ₹11.49 lakh vs Honda Elevate ₹10.99 lakh (ex-showroom)

Tata Sierra ₹11.49 lakh vs Volkswagen Taigun ₹11.39 lakh (ex-showroom)

It sits on the higher end of the spectrum, and one thing that should be noted, as mentioned before, is the fact that these prices are introductory ex-showroom, and after a while, they are expected to go up. The Sierra will, therefore, be one of the more expensive mid-size SUVs in its class, period. 

Dimensions, Sierra vs Rivals

Dimensions wise Maruti Victoris is the longest of the lot at 4360mm, but the Tata Sierra is the widest at 1841mm, has the longest wheelbase at 2730mm and is the tallest of the lot with height of 1715mm! And that should translate to more space on the inside than all of its rivals. The Sierra also has the biggest boot in its class, measuring 622-litres.

Engine and Gearbox options Sierra vs Rivals

The Tata Sierra is offered with three different engine options: a 1.5-Litre Revotron naturally-aspirated petrol mill making 104bhp and 145Nm torque with either a six-speed manual or a dual-clutch automatic, a 1.5-Litre Hyperion turbo-petrol with 158bhp and 255Nm torque with only a torque converter automatic, and a 1.5-Litre turbo-diesel that makes 116bhp and 260Nm torque when paired with a manual transmission and 280Nm torque when paired with a torque converter automatic gearbox.

 The Maruti Suzuki Victoris is offered only with a 1.5-litre petrol engine, but buyers can choose between a strong hybrid or a mild hybrid avatar of it: the latter makes is paired to an e-CVT gearbox and makes 116bhp and 141Nm of torque, while the former churns out 103bhp and 139Nm of torque. Maruti also offers its Allgrip AWD system with the Victoris.

Just like the Victoris, the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara is offered only with one engine. In fact it’s the same 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol mill with strong-hybrid or mild-hybrid tech and the Grand Vitara is also offered with all-wheel-drive.

The Skoda Kushaq and Volkswagen Taigun are sister cars. They are offered with the same engines: two turbo-petrol mills: a 1-litre TSI that can be paired with six-speed manual transmission or a six -speed torque converter automatic. This engine makes 114bhp and 178Nm torque. It also can be had with a 1.5-litre TSI engine which is rated at 148bhp and 250Nm of torque and paired with a seven-speed DSG.

The Korean twins – the Hyundai Creta Kia Seltos – are offered with three different engine options: a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated engine paired producing 113bhp and 144Nm of torque, with a six-speed manual transmission or a CVT. It also gets a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine, paired with seven-speed DCT, producing 158bhp and 253Nm torque, and a 1.5-litre diesel engine, paired with six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic, producing 114bhp and 250Nm of torque.

The Honda Elevate is offered with a sole 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine that can be paired with 6-speed manual transmission and 7-speed CVT automatic transmission; this engine produces 119bhp and 145Nm of torque.

The Tata Sierra, Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos are the only cars to offer diesel engine options in this segment while the Maruti Victoris and Grand Vitara are the only cars to come with all-wheel-drive. However Tata has confirmed that Sierra will also be offered with all-wheel-drive in near future, and also in an electric avatar. For now, the Sierra offers the most powerful turbo-petrol and diesel engines in its segment, followed by the Creta, Seltos, Taigun and Kushaq. Where the Maruti twins seem to have an edge over it is on the efficiency front, in the petrol avatar as they are the only SUVs which offer strong hybrid powertrain and even all-wheel-drive in this segment which makes them slightly more practical.

Features: where does the Tata Sierra excel?

In the mid-size SUV segment, features like a 360-degree camera, ventilated front seats, full-LED headlamps and tail lamps, and a comprehensive ADAS safety suite have become standard across most models. What a car maker should do to make their vehicle stand out from the crowd then, is add other features and Tata has exactly done that with the Sierra. It offers a first-in-segment triple screen setup in its top-spec model, a 12-speaker JBL stereo with a soundbar and Dolby Atmos, Level 2 ADAS, the biggest sunroof in its class, an augmented reality head-up display, and even a power tail gate, amongst the usual kit: multiple-airbags (6 on the Sierra), wireless charging, Type-C USB ports, dual-zone air-con and rear sun shades. 
This makes it the most kitted mid-size SUV, period. The Volkswagen Taigun, Honda Elevate and Skoda Kushaq do not come with a panoramic sunroof. The Creta and Seltos omit wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The Grand Vitara and Taigun plus Kushaq miss out on ADAS features and even a 360-degree camera.

All of this puts the Tata Sierra in a league of its own when it comes to equipment. While its rivals each offer a few standout features, none deliver the breadth tech that the Sierra packs in. It doesn’t just match the segment’s expectations — it comfortably exceeds them, setting a new benchmark for what buyers can expect from a mid-size SUV.

Verdict

The Tata Sierra offers best in class features, both petrol and diesel engine options and the best overall cabin space. On paper Tata Sierra looks like a very promising product. What we should note is we can only understand how good the fit finish and overall interior and electronics quality in the Sierra once we get our hands on it.