The Tata Tiago is the Indian car maker’s all-new product for the mid-size hatchback market.The Tiago has been developed from scratch and is based on an all-new platform. It got global design inputs frm Pune, UK and Italy studios and has a fresh design theme, never before seen on Tata cars. There is a new multifaceted Tata emblem and the signature hexagonal grille takes centre stage up front with angular and swept back headlamps on either side. These look nice and up the ‘classy’ quotient. Well sculpted bumper with chrome surrounds for the fog lamps wraps up the front design.
The side profile of the Tiago reminds us of a lot of hatchbacks but yet, it remains unique. The rear view mirrors get integrated indicators, the shoulder line is crisp and runs upwards into the tail lamps. The car comes with a 175/65 set-up on 14-inch wheels.
The rear design of the Tiago has wrap around tail lamps, angular boot lid and blackened out middle part of the bumper that sets the Tiago apart from the current crop of Rs 4-6 lac hatchbacks.
Step inside the Tata Tiago and it continues to impress you. The fit and finish of the cabin is top notch with the best in its segment. The design of the fascia imparts a ‘classy’ feel and there is enough space to keep your knick-knacks and essentials in cubby holes and cup holders installed throughout the car.
The Tata Tiago gets a driver info display that shows distance to empty ( DTE) , average and instantaneous economies. The steering is on the larger side but gets controls for the audio system and Bluetooth telephony. The talking point here is the fully loaded infotainment system that also syncs with your phone to run navigation signs on a small screen. Audio quality in the Tiago is rather impressive. The bass thump, vocals and overall delivery is top notch.
The manually controlled air-conditioning unit sits below the infotainment system and the overall touch and feel of buttons inside the cabin of the Tata Tiago is satisfactory.
On the space front, the TataTiago feels nice up front. Seats are comfortable offering ample headroom and give an airy feel due to large windows. Move to the back and you instantly take note of the slightly higher seating. This combined with large windows means that rear passengers will not feel claustrophobic at all. Head room is not an issue in the Tiago but limited shoulder room means the rear seat is strictly for well-built adults only.
242 litres of boot space means you can throw in a reasonable amount of luggage in the Tata Tiago.
The Tiago comes with a choice of two new engines. Both the units are 3-cylinder motors and have been named Revotorq and Revotron for 1.05-litre diesel and 1.2-litre petrol respectively. The diesel engine has an aluminium head and a cast iron block that produces 70PS of power and 140Nm of torque. While these are healthy figures, the Tiago is also a heavy car with a kerb weight of 1080 kgs for the diesel version. As a result, outright acceleration is nice but not excellent.
The 5-speed manual gearbox is an improved version of the current TA65 gearbox and works rather well. The petrol motor has a displacement of 1199cc with 85PS of power and 114Nm of torque. and is a great unit that loves being revved. The motor is loud ( on the outside as well as inside) but that’s about the only grouse we have with it.
March 6, 2017: Tata has launched the Tiago’s top end XZA trim with AMT automatic at Rs 5.39 lakh ( ex-showroom Delhi) . That price is Rs 40, 000 more than the XZ with manual transmission, which is a reasonable amount to ask for the convenience.rnTata’s latest hatchback, the Tiago, has done well in the Indian market. Prices for the Tiago start from Rs 3.2 lakh and go up to Rs 5.5 lakh ( ex-showroom, Delhi) . It is available with both petrol and diesel engines. The 1.05-litre diesel engine makes 70PS of maximum power and 140Nm of maximum torque. The 1.2-litre petrol engine dishes out 85PS of maximum power and 114Nm of peak torque. Both the diesel and petrol engines get a 5-speed manual transmission. The Indian carmaker will soon launch Tiago-based sub-4m sedan, Tigor.Engine Performance
The Tata Tiago comes with a choice of two new engines- two 3-cylinder motors, a 1047cc Revotorq diesel and a 1199cc Revotron petrol. The diesel puts out 70 PS of power and 140 Nm of torque. While these are healthy figures, the Tata Tiago has a kerb weight of 1080 kgs which means outright acceleration is nice but not excellent. Mid-range of the diesel version is fantastic and you can build up speeds easily.
The petrol Tata Tiago has a displacement of 1199cc with 85PS of power and 114Nm of torque which is a great motor that loves being revved. The motor is loud ( on the outside as well as inside) but that’s about the only grouse we have with it. Both fuel options come with city and eco modes.
Braking Safety
The Tata Tiago in its petrol and diesel engine options, handles pretty well despite its kerb weight and there is minimum body roll. The Tiago gets an independent front and semi-independent rear suspension set-up. The combination of added weight and finely tuned suspension gives the Tiago a remarkable ride quality. For daily urban usage, the Tata Tiago scores high marks. In the braking department, the Tata Tiago has excellent braking quality on both engine options and inspires confidence to the driver.
The Tiago comes with dual front airbags along with ABS and EBD. It also gets what Tata terms as Corner Stability Control system that enhance safety. Apart from these, the Tiago also gets speed sensing auto door locks, clutch lock, follow me headlamps etc. It also has warning and indicators for door open display, in-gear and shift indicator, low fuel light, driver seatbelt reminder and many more features like the ones present in the competition in the mid-size premium hatchback segment.
Mileage Running Cost
The economy figures are yet to be tested in real world conditions. Tata claims that the 1.2-litre Revotron powered variants of the Tiago have a fuel-efficiency figure of 23.84 kmpl, while the 1.05-litre Revotorq powered variants return 27.28 kmpl
Comfort Suspension
The Tata Tiago gets an independent front and semi-independent rear suspension set-up. The combination of added weight and finely tuned suspension gives the Tata Tiago a remarkable ride quality. We drove the car over various road surfaces in Goa and came back impressed. Keep in mind that this is a 5 lac rupee hatchback and you feel nice as a driver. It’s better than the Celerio but not as good as the Grand i10 though. Further, over broken tarmac, road and suspension noise intrudes into the cabin and was a tad too much for my liking. At triple digit speeds, there is a fair amount of wind noise too. But for daily urban usage, the Tiago scores high marks. The Celerio and Grand i10 have a shorter turning radius though.