The Tata Sierra’s big-bang launch included a special surprise: the brand revealed that all-wheel drive is in development for both ICE and EV variants. Speaking to Autocar India, Tata Motors’s chief commercial officer, Vivek Srivatsa, confirmed a launch for the ICE version in early 2027.
- Tata Sierra’s ARGOS platform supports AWD
- Sierra EV with AWD launch expected in 2026
- AWD ties into Tata’s legacy, says CCO
Tata Sierra AWD potential
Sierra AWD launch will see Tata offer an ICE all-wheel-drive model for the first time in 5 years
Making all-wheel drive possible is ARGOS, Tata’s new monocoque platform that underpins the Sierra. The brand says ARGOS (All-terrain Ready, Omni-Energy and Geometry Scalable Architecture) is a future-ready platform that can support different body styles and vehicle lengths, as well as multiple powertrains (namely petrol, diesel, CNG and hybrid). Though this platform is primarily front-wheel drive, it “can take ICE all-wheel drive”, said the company’s chief product officer, Mohan Savarkar.
While the Sierra EV goes on sale next year in rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive formats right from its launch, the ICE-powered AWD Sierra will be Tata’s first ICE 4×4 offering since the Hexa bowed out in 2020.
Tata Motors did bring back AWD earlier this year with the launch of the Harrier EV, but an ICE 4×4 is not part of the line-up. As reported earlier, the diesel-powered Harrier and Safari could not be made AWD without significant reengineering, costs for which were not justified by projected sales volumes for these variants.
The case for a Tata Sierra AWD
Tata Harrier EV AWD accounts for 35 percent of the flagship electric SUV’s sales
Discussing the case for a Sierra AWD, Srivatsa said, “One of the reasons we went for the ARGOS was to make the Sierra AWD-capable. We’ve seen over the past few years the need for an AWD as a personality increasing among Indian consumers.”
Interestingly, the AWD version makes up 35 percent of Harrier EV sales, a figure that exceeds Tata’s initial projections.
Srivatsa also conceded that an AWD ties in with the brand’s legacy. “If you look back, we were an SUV maker to start with, and there was a lot of pushback when we moved away from 4WD, and we thought this was the right car to bring it back.”
The Sierra has launched in front-wheel-drive form with three engine options: a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol, a 1.5-litre direct-injection turbo-petrol and a 1.5-litre turbo-diesel. Which engine and gearbox combos will get AWD is not known at the moment.