While most sales for the Tata hatch comes from the petrol, does the Tata Tiago Diesel has the edge with its efficiency and more pulling capacity?
Enchanting –
- One of a kind aesthetics
- Superlative chassis, brakes, engine
- Spacious, comfortable and fuel efficient
- Value for money
Unsatisfying –
- Engines can do with more power
Tata with the Tiago is looking at numbers and brand image rising like it always hoped to do so. The manufacturer wanted to see the same with the Zest and Bolt that came two years back. However, it was unfortunate and the little bit of success that it had with those cars in the personal passenger car segment was short lived. The idea of the cars that the manufacturer created from scratch made the masses realize that Tata could do things so differently that it was hard to believe. Bolt’s pricing pretty much ended the first term but not the second one which started with the Tiago. The sibling of the same is coming soon with a boot and the Tiago with the AMT is also next on the cards.
We tested the Tiago petrol couple of weeks earlier in much anticipation and that continued till date when we waited to get our hands on the diesel counterpart. The diesel with the inherit nature should be more fun as it has more torque and similar horsepower. It’s like having your cake and eating it too. Is it still the ideal hatch you need with a oil-burner under the bonnet? We will concentrate more on the power-train rather than the car as we have covered it in our petrol review. Link to the same is below.
Styling
Design is where the Tiago makes an ‘impact’ with its Impact design philosophy that the Tata design team has come up with. The front is in your face in a subtle way and the rear is sporty and appealing and looks completely magnificent in colors like white and blue. Colors of the test vehicles both petrol and diesel isn’t the ideal choice. Wait for the right color and smiles are guaranteed for more years than expected that are set to come with the car. Side profile is a very important very the clean lines and modern proportions chosen for the hatchback. A word that most people seen using with the car is ‘classy’.
Interior
Interior continues with the same panache that it did in the petrol counterpart. Good plastics all around with a hard one being on the lower part of the car. Nothing as bad as compared to the car that the manufacturer sold decades ago. Smart look stubby steering wheel which does the job really well of making you feel sporty. The great color interior also contributes to that part. Being adjustable is also a great option given by Tata.
The fantastic sound system by Harman keeps you entertained on long highway journey that we ended up doing. As if the hatch’s ‘other’ abilities did not keep us entertained. A/c is a chiller as always. Space is abundance in the Tiago whether it is legroom headroom or shoulder room in both rows, which is a great feat Tata has achieved with the Tiago. Boot space also continues to be on par in this segment and is another plus point in the entire package.
Infotainment system offering two types of central locking options, guide lamp options and many sound system settings that are on offer. A grudge that we have with the car is the steering mounted control that accepts and rejects the call. Every time we pressed it, the call got rejected instead of accepting it, we had to use the screen then forth to accept calls and reject button was used from the steering. Electric mirrors aren’t fully electric as they do not fold electronically. Juke app which offers turn by turn navigation works well too.
Engine and Gearbox
The diesel motor is the highlight here today and boy it is clearly something that Tata has aced completely. Initial driving doesn’t make you feel like this is a turbocharged oil-burner motor. Petrol like behavior, good amount of torque in low and mid revs means you can drive it easily. All of these ‘feelings’ comes from the one major factor, gearing. Gearing is on the taller side (taller than normal) and that makes all of things mentioned before, evident.
Once the turbo kick in which is just around 1800 RPM, the car picks up pace and closes the traffic gap, you will have to downshift and cannot close gaps with the signature ‘third gear roll on’ with this diesel motor. More so if you are travelling with more people on board.
Once in the turbo zone, which is on the highway after 60 km/hr it doesn’t feel lethargic and overtaking is easy (still needs to be planned) Taller gearing means that with just 70 PS and 140 Nm on tap, and a heavy kerb weight (for this segment) the Tiago has a healthy top-speed of 150 km/hr. Clutch continues to be light and smooth with a little taller travel then usual.
Gearbox is another surprise. The throws are still longer but a lot smoother than the petrol counterpart we drove earlier. More torque does a better job? Always welcome! 5’th gear, cruise at 80-100 km/hr and engine is barely audible and the overall NVH infact are great. Except for some wind noise and a bit road noise, the NVH levels are really well controlled for the car of this size and price. Mileage numbers is a major highlight of the car. Our fuel-economy results numbers say that the car did exactly 20 km/l in the city and 23 km/l on the highway. By every means, these are stellar numbers as it offers superior performance and NVH at the same time.
Dynamics
Dynamically, the Tiago continues to be a hoot to drive, the car is balanced and poised in the corners. The agility it showcases is truly remarkable. The tyre are surprisingly are really good in every aspect (size and compound) as most manufacturer cut corners here. Highway stability is top-notch and it stays planed like a car from two segments above.
The nimble-ness offered in the city thanks to quick steering response, tight dimensions will make sure your licence is at risk if you get too involved driving this little potent car. Ride quality is by far the most mature in this category and feels very European in the way it is tuned. Brakes are superb with good bite and feel from the pedal along with superior stopping power.
Tata Tiago Diesel Review, Verdict
There is hardly anything to fault with the Tiago and that already says a lot for the car itself. With sales being way better than expected these are good signs for the brand which is looking for a revival in the country and worldwide when it comes to passenger car sales. With the petrol reviewed, the diesel still continued to impress us as it is sprints faster and has more usable power. Safety and pricing are other key highlight that Tata has also covered with the Tiago.
Families looking for a small car with more pulling power rarely need to look any further than this option which is a rare match as it has design, performance, practicality, space, unique features and the road presence which no car in the market in the same segment can match. With all bases covered it quite actually lives upto the tag line that the company has come up with for the hatch. Fantastico!
Revotorq XB Rs. 4.11 Lakhs
Revotorq XE Rs. 4.60 Lakhs
Revotorq XE (O) Rs. 4.76 Lakhs
Revotorq XM Rs. 5.0 Lakhs
Revotorq XM (O) Rs. 5.17 Lakhs
Revotorq XT Rs. 5.30 Lakhs
Revotorq XT (O) RS. 5.47 Lakhs
Revotorq XZ Rs. 5.86 Lakhs
Ex-Showroom Mumbai
Read this too: PETROL TIAGO REVIEWED, CLICK HERE!
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