All New Tata Tiago – The Fantastico Hatchback Car by Tata Motors

After the launch of their new age engines and designs in the Tata Zest and Bolt, the Indian car maker has launched the Tata Tiago. The Tiago is designed and built to compete in the entry level premium hatchback segment with a host of features like the connect next infotainment system, Revotron and Revotorq engines amongst other features. The ride quality and NVH levels are also greatly improved to the earlier models from Tata in this segment.

Introduction

The Tiago is the successor to the Indica, which has been on sale for 17 long years. Based on the same X0 platform as it’s predecessor, the hatchback is a result of design inputs from the UK, Italy and Tata’s in-house design team in Pune. Following Tata’s ‘Impact’ philosophy, the Tiago is amongst the most well-built and well-equipped vehicles to roll off Tata’s assembly line. The new kid on the block brings a lot of segment-firsts to the party. The customization options and car-specific apps are unheard of in this price bracket. The little Tata has the segment leaders, the Maruti Celerio and the Hyundai Grand i10 firmly in its sights. 

BACKGROUND & EVOLUTION

An entirely new product inside out, the Tiago was developed from scratch over the past 3 years. It continues to share the X0 platform with the age-old Indica and will be the base for a compact sedan that is all set to break cover in 2016.   

Exterior

The Tiago bears resemblance to no other Tata product, which in our books is a very good thing to beginwith. The Bolt and the Vista were plagued by the ‘Indica lookalike’ tag which didn’t go down well with the masses. The hatchback follows Tata’s ‘DesigNext’ philosophy, just like it’s elder siblings - the Zest and the Bolt. It looks fresh, contemporary and modern. It is amongst the widest cars in the segment at 1647mm, second to only the Grand i10. It has a shorter wheelbase than the Celerio, in spite of being a full 146mm longer. However, it is the heaviest car in the segment by a considerable margin. 

Interior

The interiors on the Tiago follow a theme similar to that on its elder siblings, the Zest and the Bolt. Tata has spent a lot of time maximizing cabin space & improving the quality and it does show.

Amongst the first things you notice when you enter the cabin is the soothing black-grey theme that envelopes the dash. Tata tells us they have bid goodbye to beige for good; and we're glad. The quality of plastics used in the interior, especially on the top half of the dash is very, very good. There's a dab of piano black on the centre console and on the surrounds of the side ac vents amongst other small places. Tata say the side AC vents can be colored co-ordinated to the exteriors, which we think is a pretty cool touch.

PERFORMANCE

The Tiago features two new engines, that will go on to power the upcoming compact sedan as well. While petrol engine is entirely new, the diesel motor is a derivative of the CR4 engine that powers the Indica currently. 

Tiago Diesel (Revotorq - 1.05 litre)

The Tiago diesel is amongst the powerful hatches in its class, second to only the Grand i10. What is key to note however, is that the Tiago weighs considerably more than all of its rivals. The extra weight, means that outright acceleration isn’t as strong as in the Hyundai. However, it is definitely more peppier than the Maruti Celerio and the Chevrolet Beat. Peak torque comes in a smooth surge at as low as 1800 rpm; post which acceleration is brisk. The engine does not feel too short-handed out on the highway and it does perfectly well within the confines of the city too. The only sore point with the diesel engine remains it’s refinement. It sounds coarse at high revs, which takes away from the driving experience.

Tiago Petrol (Revotron - 1.2 litre)

The petrol engine on the Tiago loves to be revved! Like most hatches in this price bracket, the little Tata too needs to be driven with a heavy foot to extract performance. It is the most powerful hatch in its class, but only just. Much like the diesel, what tilts the balance away from the Tiago is its higher weight. The Grand i10 is 77 kilos lighter, while the Celerio is almost 200 kilos lighter than the Tiago. However, it does decently well even under heavy load. For instance, we had no issues climbing up a slightly steep slope with a couple of passengers and some camera equipment on board. 

Ride and Handling

The steering is just as light as one would like it at city speeds. At highway speeds, it weighs up sufficiently. It isn’t vague when shoved into a corner and doesn’t feel as light or twitchy like the Grand i10. The suspension strikes a fair balance between ride and handling. While it is on the firmer side, it doesn’t thud over broken roads or potholes. The suspension set-up is better on the petrol Tiago compared to the diesel. The diesel engine weighs an extras 20 kilos, to negate which Tata have used stiffer front springs and dampers. At triple digit speeds, the ride is relatively flat. It does not bounce around like the Hyundai. The added weight comes in handy here, the car feels planted at high speeds.

Safety

The Tiago gets an energy absorbing body structure that will bear the brunt of a crash without transferring much of it to the cabin. It also gets dual front airbags along with ABS with EBD. At this point, it isn’t known whether the safety tech will be available from the base-spec or not. It hasn’t undergone a crash test yet. While we can’t speculate on the safety rating, it’s chief rival - the Grand i10 (in its base spec - without airbags) failed the Latin NCAP crash test scoring 0/5 stars.

 I think The All NEW TIAGO is a fantastic car on middle class budget ..