Tata Sierra

The Sierra was the first passenger car, “if it can be called that” from Telco, better known for commercial vehicles.

The Sierra was a good concept and well suited to Indian conditions of driving. This was the first diesel vehicle to be accepted as a personal car without derogatory connotations associated with diesel cars.

The design, though not classy, is decent and the body and chassis very sturdy. The car is known for being durable and in spite of having a diesel engine, the noise factor is managed well. Its noise is remarkably suppressed and while cruising in high gear it is difficult to tell what’s under the bonnet.

The short wheel-base chassis gives the Sierra a dynamic and squat look. Its top-heavy appearance is accentuated by the near-vertical windscreen, which gives it the aerodynamics of a bus. The fixed side glasses, which curve upwards, look great and characterise the Sierra.

The main changes to the Sierra Turbo 4x4 is the front suspension, which has been changed from the original coil spring set-up to a torsion bar layout to accommodate the front-drive shafts. The rear uses the regular Sierra’s five-link set-up.

The Merc-like steering wheel can be adjusted for height. The instruments are well laid-out and easy to read. The Sierra 4x4 uses the identical 1948cc, 90bhp turbo-diesel engine as the Safari. Even the transmission and four-wheel-drive system is the same.

The Sierra 4x4 is distinctly quicker. The dash to 100 kmph takes only 22.75 seconds while it can go up to a top speed of 144 kmph.

Technical specifications:
 

On road prices

Sierra Turbo
 

Sierra