Tata have introduced the new Sierra with much fanfare and it has captured the imagination of lots of social media influencers, promoters, presenters, journos, and so on. And it’s ignited interest amongst auto enthusiasts and even amongst those with a causal interest in cars.

While I have not driven the new Tata Sierra, going by its pictures I must say its design and styling is topnotch, and the interior looks fab too. The designers have also done well in smartly injecting some of the old Sierra design DNA into the new one, with elements like the classic two box SUV profile and of course the trademark huge rear windows.

But does reintroducing a brand name and incorporating few design aspects from the past, make the original Tata Sierra a legend, icon or cult car? Yes, these are the kind of lofty labels being bestowed on it by both by the manufacturer and also several social media commentators who are possibly not so well informed. Adding to this hype are the Gen Zs, most of who have possibly never even seen the earlier Sierra in flesh, let alone having driven or ridden in it.

In my view, just because something is old, or one of the early ones, does not make it epic, or a phenomenon, or a superstar or marvel. The way the original Sierra is now being portrayed, would have one believe that it was a remarkable innovation or invention, and one of the greatest things to happen to Indian motoring and auto industry. I beg to differ. The original Tata Sierra was no such thing. And I am saying this from firsthand experience, as someone who not just used one quite extensively, but also heavily modified it.

The original Tata Sierra was launched in 1991 as a two-door SUV and was based on the platform from the Tatamobile, also known as the Tata 206 pickup, or Telcoline. A year later, the Tata Estate, a 4 door station wagon version was also introduced as the more practical twin of the Sierra. To its credit, the Tata Sierra was one of the first made-in-India close bodied and air conditioned SUVs designed and engineered almost completely by Telco (now Tata Motors), an indigenous Indian automobile manufacturer.

At that time, if one wanted a made in India SUV the only options were the Maruti Suzuki Gypsy (introduced in 1986) and the Mahindra Jeeps (back then Mahindra still had the licensing agreement  allowing them to officially use the “CJ”  or “Civilian Jeep” name and branding for their vehicles). But both these were primarily soft tops without air conditioning, power steering, power windows, central locking and so on, and were better suited for rural or off-road use, than running around in the city or making long distance journeys on our still to start improving and expanding highways.

Given this, the Tata Sierra with its factory made closed body, A/C, power steering, softer suspension, more comfortable seats and spacious and better equipped interior, was undoubtedly a welcome addition on our roads. When I got the Tata Sierra a year or so after it had been launched, I already owned a Maruti Gypsy, which I had comprehensively customized and even fitted with a specially fabricated removable metal hardtop, aftermarket powerful air conditioner, twin carburetors, front facing seat at the rear, etc.

The Tata Sierra did not require any such massive alterations to make it user and touring friendly and straight from the showroom you could take it on a long drive. But as any candid and reasonably knowledgeable owner who is not overcome by nostalgia nor swayed by current popular opinion will tell you, the original Tata Sierra was not by any stretch of imagination, a well built or brilliantly designed machine. Being based on the Tatamobile pickup platform, it was basically a commercial load carrier, converted into a private passenger vehicle.

Here I will digress a bit and like to share that I have special memories of the Tatamobile, because it was the protagonist of my first ever detailed and comprehensive road-test spanning well over 20 pages (if memory serves me right) published in 1987 in India’s first commercial newsstand car magazine, the Indian Auto Journal or IAJ. And of course as was my passion and hobby then, I even modified a Tatamobile and tried to give it a life stylish look and feel. What I am talking about dates back more than 35 years, when all this was unheard of. Now of course things have changed and some auto enthusiasts have begun using vehicles like the Isuzu pickup, Toyota Hilux, etc, for leisure.

Back to the original Tata Sierra and what was not so great about it, and why in my opinion, it’s far from being a legend or icon. First the much talked about large rear windows that gave a distinct look and massive glasshouse, which spanned almost the entire upper body. Good thing about it was its unmistakable identity, but mind you it was not an original idea and was copied from the 3^rd generation Ford Bronco. And while we are at it, I am sure you can make out, the front half was a Mercedes-Benz imitation.

These easily identifiable large windows also had several drawbacks. They were fixed and could not be rolled down and the huge glasshouse meant heaps of sunlight and immense heat generated in the cabin. Such high temperatures the A/C was incapable of dealing with, so passengers in the back got both baked and tanned. These huge windows also had a tendency to shake and allowed the body to flex, and after a while due to the large surface area, they collected many scratches.

On the move the suspension and ride felt softer and more comfortable than what was the standard, or expectations back then. But the Sierra also had tremendous amount of pitch and roll, and while braking, the nose dipped sharply. The enormous amount of roll, pitch and yaw, often made you feel like you were in a boat. Unanchored boat if you please.

This softness and vagueness was evident in the gear lever and gearbox too, and shifting gears was like using a sloppy stick submerged in gooey slush, to hit a golf ball! Similiarly, the brakes were spongy as was the movement of the accelerator pedal. The pedals looked up to you like in a truck and the steering also had a truck like angle and rake. But please understand that this was a truck manufacturer’s first attempt at making a passenger vehicle, so none of this was really surprising. As for the fit, finish and build quality, I don’t even want to venture there, because a book can be filled with the flaws.

However to their credit, Tata have come a really long way since. How far they have come is evident in the new Tata Sierra. Honestly it’s difficult for me to believe that this SUV is made by the same manufacturer that made the original Sierra. As mentioned right in the beginning, the new Sierra is an attractive and nicely designed vehicle, which in the looks and styling, and presence and proportions department, can rub shoulders with some of the best SUVs in the world. The interior appears impressive too, and I look forward to checking out its performance and driving dynamics.

Notwithstanding all this, the only reason I am writing this opinion piece or article, is because I am shocked by how the passage of time is turning something quite ordinary, into a legend. Being a cricket loving nation many will remember that in the 1970s and 80s, our Indian cricket team did not have any genuine fast bowlers and our bowling attack was helmed by the famous spin quartet of Prasanna, Bedi, Chandra and Venkat. At that time, the pace bowlers or those who opened our bowling, were only there to take the shine off the new ball, and nobody expected them to get any wickets. Would we now call any of these bowlers’ legends or icons? In the same period we had some really bad Hindi films being made too, with few potbellied and unfit heroes, who overacted and could not do action, or even dance or run. Would we call them legends?

In my view the Tata Sierra was there in the right place at the right time, and that is its biggest claim to fame. Having customized one substantially with a wildlife theme and an exterior roll cage and rooftop tent that I am still proud of, I must admit I had a nice time exploring few forested parts of Central India in it. In fact I have fond memories of these road trips. But despite this, I will not call it a legend. As for what actually makes a car a legend or icon, let’s talk about some other time.

Note- The views expressed here are purely personal and you are most welcome to disagree with them. These personal views are only related to my experiences with the original Tata Sierra and not meant to influence anyone else’s opinions or views.