car&bike Awards 2026: Tata Sierra Wins Car Design Of The Year

Tata’s reborn Sierra takes home the car&bike Design Of The Year 2026. First shown as a concept back in 2022, the production-ready SUV made its India debut at last year’s Bharat Mobility Expo, with a launch only happening in late 2025. For the design award, the Sierra went up against the entire field of new vehicle launches in the last calendar year, with finalists including the likes of the Defender Octa, Mini Countryman and the new Hyundai Venue.

The Sierra’s design blends modern styling with the retro-inspired charm of the original, with the boxy and upright proportion a link back to the Sierra from the 90s. The thick black edge-to-edge grille looks to emulate the design of the original, with modern touches coming in the form of a full-width lightbar up top and slim LED projector headlamps incorporated under the grille’s lower edge.

In profile, the thick B-pillar and black finished C pillar and roof try to recreate the iconic three-door design of the original, with its large single-piece rear side glass, while adding the convenience of a five-door SUV. The rear is characterised by a slim edge-to-edge LED tail lamp dividing the tailgate in half.

Inside, the Sierra is packed with all the modern comfort and convenience features, including tech such as ventilated front seats, a powered driver seat, an edge-to-edge panel on the dashboard holding three 10.25-inch screens - including a front passenger display, a panoramic sunroof, Level 2 ADAS features, a head-up display and more.

On the powertrain front, the Sierra was Tata’s first model to get the new 1.5-litre Hyperion turbo-petrol engine option. Buyers can also pick between a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engine option.

The Sierra goes up against the likes of the Hyundai Crea, new Kia Seltos, Maruti Grand Vitara & Victoria and the Honda Elevate in the segment.