Tata Curvv Diesel DCA Automatic 700 KM Mileage Review

The engine gets slightly louder when pushed hard but the DCA on the other hand removes some of the lag associated with diesels. There are paddle shifters while it has a rev limit

On our drives, the audio system, cooled seats and the super affective AC kept us company while the customisable display for the driver including navigation is useful.

Source : Somnath Chatterjee

Diesel still accounts for a good chunk of sales even though its appeal has been slowing down. With the Curvv, Tata has provided, for the first time, a DCA option for both diesel as well as petrol. Now, for a diesel to get a dual clutch automatic, is something new since most diesel cars in its class get a torque converter automatic.

The diesel in the Curvv is the tried and tested 1.5l unit with 118bhp and 260Nm. This DCA gearbox is a wet clutch one with active cooling and machine learning while having paddle shifters. At low speed, this engine doesn't have a lot of diesel clatter while the gearbox felt a tad jerky with its quick shifting approach.

That said, it is overall smooth and comes onto its own at higher speeds where you make smooth progress. The engine gets slightly louder when pushed hard but the DCA on the other hand removes some of the lag associated with diesels. It is surely a touch more responsive than a torque converter while being a world away in terms of being much smoother than an AMT. There are paddle shifters while it has a rev limit but the paddles do help when you want instant performance.

There are drive modes too while City is the best as Sport is too aggressive. We feel the Curvv diesel is one of the better diesel automatic SUV combos because of its better ride, better pricing and the efficiency which is quite good. We got around 14-15 kmpl for our heavy footed 700km drive while it might give more when driven sedately. On our drives, the audio system, cooled seats and the super affective AC kept us company while the customisable display for the driver including navigation is useful.

That said, no cupholders on the centre console is a major miss. Of course, the huge 500l boot swallowed all of the luggage easily. At Rs 19 lakh, the Curvv diesel DCA is better priced than rivals and offers better performance while the DCA works too. Yes, the engine isn't the most refined but for long distance use, a diesel automatic is still a good choice while we feel the DCA dual clutch automatic will hold up in the long run.