Tata Estate station wagon rendered taking inspiration from the original model and it has expressive nature with unbound subtlety
The Tata Estate station wagon was an icon of its time and it was produced between 1992 and 2000. Having established itself in the heavy vehicle space, it was the first attempt at building a passenger car by Tata Motors. Features like power steering, power windows and tachometer made the Tata Estate more advanced and ahead of its time compared to other PVs on sale back then.
One of the main reasons for its good reception was the exterior as the Tata Estate was based on Mercedes-Benz T-series station wagons. It sat on the same platform as the Telcoline pickup truck that also gave way for the Sumo in 1994. The Estate was powered by a Peugeot-sourced 1.9-litre diesel engine developing 68 PS at 4,500 rpm and 118 Nm of peak torque. It was paired with a five-speed manual transmission.
India has traditionally not been a successful market for station wagons and despite the fanfare, the Tata Estate had its mechanical gremlins and electrical issues. Nevertheless, it is still considered as one of the legendary products from the bygone era. Tata showcased the Sierra EV concept at the 2020 Auto Expo and it did rise the anticipation for a possible production model in the near future.
In the same context, the Estate, which had its production begun just a year after the Sierra, could see the light but until then, it is a wet dream for digital artists. Coming from Sankul Design, the ‘Theme 2‘ was explored by Arghydeep Ghosh, and it comprises of initial form exploration, form development, refinement and three concept designs.
We are here concentrating on the Theme 2 – Concept 2 as all the renderings act as a tribute to the great Rata Tata. Taking inspiration from the original Estate, the designers have imparted futuristic styling and mainly the smooth flowing lines act as the ultimate form factor. The vital elements are integrated neatly into the overall package and they are elegant rather than extravagant.
The sleek headlamps, slender grille assembly, sporty yet subtle front bumper with fog lamps, expressive bulge on the bonnet, pillar less design acting as a glass frame ensuring a large greenhouse (typical for a station wagon), slanting tailgate with large opening for ample trunk volume, a rather busy rear end with appealing full-width tail lamps, beautifully-designed wheels matching the metallic silver body colour are some of the key highlights.