At the launch of its newest SUV, the Curvv coupe, Tata Motors announced that the ICE version debuts the company’s new architecture, which it calls ATLAS (Adaptive Tech Forward Lifestyle Architecture).
Tata Motors says that while the ATLAS can underpin various body styles, like MPVs and sedans, it has been optimised for ‘genuine SUV capabilities’. In a post-launch interview, Mohan Savarkar, chief product officer and vice president at Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Limited, said, “To answer your 4x4 question, yes, it [ATLAS] can be made 4x4 with some changes.”
The news is significant given that Tata Motors currently does not offer a 4x4 in its portfolio, including on the Nexon, from which the ATLAS architecture seems to be derived, going by the commonality of parts such as the powertrain and interior bits like the dashboard.
Moreover, with the next-gen Nexon and possibly the Sierra slated to use the ATLAS architecture, the 4x4 possibilities with an ICE powertrain are intriguing. Other possible SUV traits include a larger tyre size, with Savarkar saying that ATLAS can accommodate a tyre with an outer diameter of up to 740mm, which could thus manage rims up to about 20 inches in diameter. Tata Motors also says that ATLAS can underpin vehicles between 3.7 metres and 4.7 metres in length, with varying wheelbase and width.
Given the limited demand for 4X4 or all-wheel-drive SUVs in this segment, there’s a slim chance that this will materialise on ATLAS-underpinned vehicles. However, the upcoming Harrier EV, with its dual-motor setup, will likely be the first 4X4 in the company’s current line-up.
Dipan Sur
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Suraj Viswanathan
