'If my career ends tomorrow': How the new Sierra became the defining car for Tata design chief Martin Uhlarik

The new Tata Sierra has won the prestigious Red Dot Design Award.

For Tata Motors' Global Design Head Martin Uhlarik, the new Sierra is the most important project of his three-decade-long career, a car that began as an internal idea, then took shape as a concept that drew strong public interest, and eventually became a production model after sustained market interest.

The Tata Sierra was launched in India on November 25 at a very competitive starting price of Rs 11.49 lakh (ex-showroom, introductory). Pegged as a premium mid-size SUV, it rivals the likes of the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Maruti Suzuki Victoris, Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder and Mahindra Thar Roxx.

In an exclusive interaction with Moneycontrol, Uhlarik said, "The Sierra is not just my personal favourite in my 10 years at Tata, but it is my personal favourite in my 30 years as a designer. If my career stops tomorrow, that is the car that is going to be on the cover."

He recalled that the company started exploring the car in 2019. "We were working on it already back in 2019 as an idea that we should revive this car," he said.

However, once Tata unveiled the electric vehicle (EV) concept at Auto Expo 2020, the reaction changed everything. "It was then the overwhelming response that we got from the market, fans and the public that there was an appetite to revive the name, and then the company actually thought about it," he observed.

What followed was a three-year, organisation-wide effort. "Everybody was working in one direction over the last three years," he said, describing how platform strategy, powertrain choices and design development were realigned around a nameplate that still evokes strong nostalgia.

Reviving an icon, however, brings its own pressure. For the new Sierra, Uhlarik chose to retain only two direct visual cues, the silhouette and the blacked-out B-pillar graphic. "The rest of it has to be a modern car, a modern design. It has the spirit and the same values as the original one. But it is not a retro design in any way," he noted.

The new Sierra brings an extensive list of contemporary features. The exterior includes flush door handles, the front and rear LED signature, hidden rear wiper, clamshell tailgate and 19-inch alloys that give it a planted stance. It is offered in six colours, including Pristine White, Pure Grey, Coorg Cloud, Munnar Mist, Bengal Rouge and Andaman Adventure, depending on variant.

Inside, the focus is on space, calmness and technology, a direction Uhlarik described as an experience in itself. The cabin theme was set three years ago and refined through multiple physical models.

The Sierra has the most premium cabin, arguably, in its class. It gets a triple-screen infotainment layout, a 12-speaker JBL audio system and Dolby Atmos 5.1. The panoramic sunroof and the wraparound glasshouse amplify openness. It also offers ADAS Level 2+ with 22 functions. Interestingly, the Sierra is the first internal combustion engine (ICE) SUV in India with integrated 5G connectivity.

So far as engine options are concerned, the Sierra has three -- 1.5-litre Hyperion T-GDi turbo-petrol, 1.5-litre Revotron naturally aspirated petrol and 1.5-litre Kryojet diesel -- with as many transmission choices -- manual, automatic torque converter and DCA.

For Uhlarik, the Sierra represents the highest level of execution his team has achieved, a sentiment reinforced when it won the Red Dot Design Award. "It is the highest level of design that I achieved with the team," he said.

The Nexon has been among the country's most consistent performers in the passenger vehicle (PV) market. It was India's highest-selling SUV for three years in a row -- FY22 (1.24 lakh units), FY23 (1.72 lakh units) and FY24 (1.71 lakh units). On the other hand, the Punch is the fastest SUV in India to cross the 6 lakh-unit sales milestone, achieving it in less than four years since its launch in October 2021.

"The Nexon started as a concept, and that concept translated very well into a production car. We have done some facelifts with the car that have changed its character over time. It was a little bit softer, then it became a bit sharper, then it became a little bit more SUV, then it became even more high-tech. So design has played a role in Nexon's evolution," Uhlarik noted.

"The Punch was the first programme that I worked on from start to finish. Designing it, refining it, getting it to the level where it is, I think design can equally share a big part of its success," he added.

Despite serving different segments and customer profiles, he insists every Tata vehicle must share a common design DNA. "They have to look like they are part of a family," he said.