Tata Tigor Petrol Review, First Drive

Tata Tigor is a new segment according to Tata which is termed as Styleback and we couldn’t agree more, proven mechanicals and a great design is a win win

Enchanting –

• One of a kind design for a sedan
• Superlative chassis, brakes, engine
• Comfortable, Feature loaded and fuel efficient
• Spacious five seater with a great infotainment system

Unsatisfying –

• Needs more powerful engines

Tata is making sure that it wins the hearts in the passenger vehicle segment that it decades ago. The PV segment went for a toss as sales went for a toss as competition got stiffer day by one. Be it foreign competition or at home itself, Tata was losing ground rather quickly. Tata started working on a new plan to revive its PV segment. The Bolt and Zest came and they showcased what Tata could do, what even market leaders couldn’t. It pushed in so much technology and the typical Tata traits along with it of solidly build cars with great space that it made people buy them once again without a second thought. However, for some reason, the magic did not last long. Tata had a back up plan for that and it was the Tiago.

Tiago was supposed to spawn another vehicle which was a sub four meter sedan and here it is, it is the Tigor. The sedan, which has undoubtedly caught a lot of attention in the market for its look. However, people aren’t aware that it also has the mechanical package to go along with it. We spend some time with the Tigor to tell you what is it like to drive.

Styling

When it comes to the design, it is based on the Tiago, so it is very familiar to the hatchback at the front. Move to the side and look till the rear is where you see the Tigor has grown in size. The rear door is larger, the roof has been raised and the way the roofline goes down and completes in the boot is also like a mini SUV. The design has clearly reminded people of the BMW X6 and the people are right as it has the coupe look with four doors which has been done just right. The tail-lights in particular also catch attention, the diamond cut wheels, the new almond shaped headlights with projectors and blackened out effect make the Tigor stand out.

Interior

Inside it is the Tiago once again so quality of plastics is good in the top area, the bottom area is where a bit hard plastic is encountered, but the build quality is spot on and is far better than its rivals which should make it an ideal trade back that those hard plastics bring along. The overall cabin appeal is excellent and this where it woos its customers. The grey color all around in different shades (Don’t get naughty here) make sure the cabin looks airy and sporty at the same time. The body color painted bezels on the side of for the A/C vents is very artistic touch to the cabin. The way the glovebox opens is attention to detail feature done just right.

The touchscreen system is the highlight and Connect Next system is the best in the category and even above. The sound system is a true highlight and is truly a high point of the car. Touchscreen is slightly slow to react but it has all the features. AUX, USB, Bluetooth, turn by turn navigation, parking sensors, reversing camera, voice commands, steering mounted controls and climate control is on offer.

There is the Juke car app, emergency assist, tinted glass, LED tail lamps, fully electric ORMV’s, which are small in size and need to be bigger for better visibility. The glovebox is cooled, you get a boot lamp and a complete MID which is controlled by pins on the cluster rather than being toggled by the stalks, which would have been better. Seat height adjustable seats and seat belts are on offer.

What is missing is telescopic reach for the steering. There are adjustable headrests at the front, but the back one’s is fixed. There are lot of storage spaces in the cabin which includes multiple cup holders, storage below the front head unit, a wallet holder on the driver side, a lot of space in the middle of the cabin to store smaller and significant daily items. Visibility is good all around but ergonomics could have been better if the seat could have been a bit lower and steering had telescopic option.

Rear seats also get an armrest. Space in the rear too is excellent with adequate leg, shoulder and head room in the car for three passengers. Boot space is segment best at 412 litres. Safety is taken care of with ABS, EBD, CSC along with dual airbags being standard on all variants. Rear defogger is also on offer. Overall, the list is impressive and Tigor cuts the cake just right as it ends up offering quite a feature loaded cabin.

Performance

When it comes to engine, we had the petrol motor on test. The 85 PS and 114 Nm motor was mated to an 5-speed gearbox. As the Tiago is, so is the Tigor. The taller gearing helps it deliver just about manageable driveability in the city. Performance is only seen once you rev the engine to the very max. Third gear can take you upto 120 km/hr and you can expect a top-speed of 150 km/hr.

NVH levels are good for a three-cylinder motor. Road and wind noises are also kept away and cabin is relatively silent at higher cruising speeds too. Gearbox shifter has gotten smoother over the Tiago and it is a joy to use.

Clutch is light, but the throw is a bit longer. We don’t have any numbers, but going by the Tiago, the 0-100 km/hr should come up in 15 seconds and it should deliver around 13-15 km/l in the city 18 km/l on the highway. The engine does sound quite interesting at redline as it is very sporty. There are two driving modes on offer. City is default and Eco is optional. Eco saves you more fuel, while City offers the max performance it can offer while providing daily driving with a heavy foot either.

Ride and Handling

Driving dynamics are again tuned over the Tiago for the Tigor as there is a weight and size again. It continues to ride stiffly, but still the ride quality is spot on as there is hardly any vertical movement from the suspension. There is a negligible amount of body roll and the Tigor loves to be pushed. Tyres give up earlier than the chassis. Steering feel is good at high speeds and at low speeds it is super light to make city driving easy.

Brake pedal bite could be more sensitive but there is no lack in power and Tigor stops in time without fuss. Highway stability is spot on thanks to a very mature setup. Overall, the Tigor is also a joy to drive at any speed, time, road and condition.

Tata Tigor Petrol Review, Verdict

Tigor is yet another product from Tata Motor that is here to impress. The manufacturer is already raking sales and bookings for the Tigor in large numbers which are beyond expectations. The Tigor speaks for itself as it is great to drive, engines offer adequate performance and practicality, the feature list is quite big and the cabin impresses immediately.

The design has a special emphasizes on its customers and is another ace card that Tata Motor’s Tigor holds up its sleeve. Tata has many more cards in the future, but for now, Tigor is the ideal sedan if you are on a tight budget but do not want to compromise on anything, which makes it a deal you cannot refuse.

Revotron XE Rs. 4.93 Lakhs
Revotron XT Rs. 5.71 Lakhs
Revotron XZ Rs. 6.22 Lakhs
Revotron XZ (O) RS. 6.53 Lakhs

Ex-showroom Mumbai prices