Tata Motors has unveiled the production-ready version of Tata Sierra, its new mid-size SUV set to make a modern comeback on November 25. In an interview with ETAuto, Martin Uhlarik, VP and Head of Global Design, Tata Motors, shared the team’s approach to pull off an appealing design that builds upon the Sierra’s legacy.
Edited excerpts:What was the design approach when you were aiming to re-do an iconic model like the Sierra?
While the original Sierra was our inspiration, making a product that is as iconic and memorable, was a challenging task. The new one, therefore, had to be a modern version of the older SUV, but with different technology, platform, and manufacturing processes. So, the new Sierra is a contemporary vehicle that captures the spirit of the original SUV.
What are your top design highlights on the new car?
First and foremost, the new Sierra is recognisable – one could tell it is the Sierra without having the name on it. Moreover, it is a modern design which is forward looking.
Then, it has a lot of technology on offer, considering the very segment (mid-size SUV) is aspirational in terms of the on-board vehicle technology. From a design point of view, since it is a minimalist design, there is a huge attention to the quality of the design itself.
Finally, it is the experience. The Sierra is an emotional nameplate. While it is easy to design a good product, it could have no soul. Thus, creating a product that has an emotion and speaks to people, is another challenge altogether.
We believe it has come out well, and it will not only be recognisable as a Sierra, but also stir that same response from people when they see it.
What are the intricate design elements that were challenging from a manufacturability perspective?
There are some exterior features that are quite unique to the Sierra, for instance, the front DRL, which is a single unit. While most companies would split it into three sections, when we gave the dimensions to the supplier, it raised a few eyebrows. But it was in the pursuit of perfection.
Similarly, we wanted the outside window seal to sit flush, and not look analogue like a traditional seal. We challenged ourselves and the supplier to have the seal hidden in the door and the glass would drop into it. This is something one would typically see in luxury cars –not in this segment.
Moving on, the tailgate or the rear hatch is a single piece as well. It is a clamshell design and we ensured we omitted all unnecessary lines from it. On the inside, the end-to-end screen is class leading for the segment.
So, we challenged ourselves within the price points and cost targets to achieve these things on the production model. When designing a new product, we need to push ourselves, and it can be done on many fronts.
On the Sierra, we pushed ourselves as a company, and we pushed our suppliers. It is like sports. If one is a professional athlete, one needs to fight for every percentile; the difference is in the milliseconds, or millimetres.
What design trends do you see emerging in the industry in the next five years?
The level of design and products is very high; it is hard to find a bad product nowadays. As design becomes universal, it becomes a commodity. If everyone is offering it, a good design is no longer a company’s USP.
Therefore, I believe the next thing is emotion – design must have a connection. In the case of the new Sierra, we are mining nostalgia and telling a story that people have already heard before.
But, an emotional connection with the customer is the future frontier that will separate success and failure.
What was the brief given to the design and colour-material-fit (CMF) teams for the interior styling.
We have been talking about a living room concept for the Sierra, and even in our 2020 concept, we had an abstract lounge living room setup. In the 2023 iteration, we took it farther.
But, it must be remembered that the Sierra is an SUV, and therefore, it needed to offer a certain level of comfort and reassurance on the inside. It was important for it to feel bigger, less claustrophobic and have all the key amenities. Therefore, the sections of the door, instrument panel and glass make it quite airy and unique. The glass truly makes it modern.
When it comes to the human-machine interface (HMI), while a lot of technology from consumer electronics is percolating into vehicles in terms of all-touch interfaces, there is still an appetite for certain controls to remain analogue, especially in ICE vehicles.
It just makes sense functionally or even from the safety point of view as well to have a dial, a rotary knob, or haptic feedback. Therefore we will see a combination of touch and physical controls being used going forward.
Which is your pick from the Sierra colour pallette?
I have a personal investment in the ‘yellow’ that we have introduced. First of all, it communicates SUV-ness, it has a spirit of adventure which could be seen in adventure brands and even outdoor gears. It is like an accent colour which brings a certain functionality with it.
When we were developing this colour, I thought about myself, where was I in 1991 when the first-gen Sierra was launched? At that time, I was in University and had a Sony sports Walkman.
The device had a feeling of outdoor(sy) adventure and that it could go anywhere. The Walkman had a graphical, high-contrast, black-and-yellow shade. I suggested the same to the team, and it just snowballed from there.
On a side note, music is a great unifier and I use music as a fuel when I am designing. It motivates and inspires me.
