From a 1991 Sony Walkman to an Icon: The Surprising Story Behind the New Tata Sierra's Design

The Legendary Sierra is back in a modern avatar as it is not just a revival of a nameplate but a unique revolutionary design in the world of traditional SUV designs. The head of Tata’s design, Martin Ultharik highlights how he designed Sierra and envisions it as more than a product.

According to him, the new Sierra will evolve more than a product and will be one of the strongest brands in the Tata lineup, which has the potential to evolve the brand towards new heights. 

Crafting an Icon's Revival

As per Martin Ulharik, his strategy was a perfect blend of authenticity and emotion. He played a masterstroke by delegating the Sierra project to Tata’s Indian design studio, thus channelising the “emotional DNA” while designing the Sierra, in order to design an authentic look inspired by the legendary previous generation Sierra.

The vision of the team was to ensure that the final production model resembles the stunning concept car showcased at the auto expo, which garnered attention from users. Thus the team was using attention to detail from designing the SUV’s command presence and proportions to reigniting the signature design, wrap-over glass and the legendary B-Pillar which give the original look to the traditional Sierra. 

Sierra’s new Spirit of Adventure

Martin Ulharik also described how he utilised the vibrant yellow colour to the new Sierra as it is a nostalgic moment to his 1991 Sony Sports Walkman, finished in bright yellow colour, thus crafting the “Spirit of Adventure”. He utilised this colour on Sierra in order to showcase the characteristics of true SUV design. 

However, Martin is quite ambitious about this project and when asked about the future of Sierra, he expressed his views which sparked a huge revolution in the field of SUVs, “Sierra could be India’s next Sports Car with a design of an SUV”, which perfectly defines the new Sierra.