2025 Tata Sierra Diesel Automatic Driven: Does It Do Justice To The SUV?

The Tata Sierra, which has recently been launched at prices starting from Rs 11.49 lakh (ex-showroom), comes with both petrol and diesel engine options. However, in this segment, diesels often prove to be a popular powertrain choice. How good is the Diesel AT Sierra? Let's take a look:

Not A New Engine

Unlike the 1.5-litre petrol and turbo-petrol engines, the diesel engine is not brand new. In fact, it is the same unit that powers the Tata Curvv, but with some modifications. The modifications have been made to handle the added weight of the Sierra, which is heavier than the Curvv, and the torque has also been increased for automatic variants.

Needs More Refinement

The 1.5-litre diesel engine that the Sierra comes with has decent refinement as per diesel engine standard. The vibrations are present, and so is the noise, but it is not bad in any sense. However, when compared to the 1.5-litre diesel engine used in Hyundai/Kia cars, the Sierra one seems less polished.

It also doesn’t like being rushed, as the intensity of vibrations rises significantly when pushed under load. Higher rpms result in heavy vibrations which do not feel good, and the competition mentioned above has managed to build better refined diesel engines. 

Slow Initial Throttle

Unlike the turbo-petrol engine, which is extremely easy to drive in stop-and-go traffic, this diesel engine feels a bit slow. While driving in slow moving traffic, the initial throttle response is not as fast as you’d want it to be, and you do have to play around with the clutch or give more throttle input for it to start moving and pick up speeds.

This will not cause you any major problems, but you will have to adapt your driving style, especially for city commutes.

Smooth Operator

Once you have open roads to drive on, you’ll realise how smooth this engine actually is. The power is delivered in a gradual manner and it picks up speeds smoothly. This engine is not very peaky, but gets the job done, and even when the turbo kicks in, you do not feel a sudden surge of power that can take you by surprise. 

The automatic transmission also gives you smooth gear changes without any noticeable jerk, and it knows exactly what gear to be on for you to get the best driving experience. This engine is meant for relaxed driving with enough grunt to easily perform overtakes, and it manages to do that well.

Conservative Paddle Shifters

On the other hand, the execution of the paddle shifters needs to be better. They do help in changing gears manually, but there is a noticeable delay, especially while quickly downshifting.

This will not hamper your drive experience, and you’ll still get the convenience of paddle shifters, but the execution does take some fun out of it.

These were our impressions of the Tata Sierra diesel automatic. If you are planning to buy the Sierra, which engine option will you pick? Let us know in the comments below.