After an unsuccessful attempt at the
sub-compact sedan segment with the Zest, Tata Motors is back with the new
Tigor. Is it any good? Read the review to find out.
Tata Tigor
Last time Tata Motors tried its hands at getting a slice of the
compact sedan market with the Zest, things didn't turn out to be to their
desire. The Zest, despite indicating a transforming Tata Motors, failed to grab
the consumers' attention, primarily due to lack of a totally fresh design. Now
though, Tata Motors is having another go at the segment with the Tigor, which
was earlier known as the Kite 5. We've driven the Tigor and its different
variants to find out if Tata Motors has the right ammunition this time to go against
the likes of Maruti Suzuki Dzire, Hyundai Xcent, Volkswagen Ameo and Ford Aspire. The brief
drive around Delhi NCR turned out to be quite a revelation in itself and you
might be surprised to find out why.
Tata Tigor Design
They say 'first impression is
the last impression' and by that yardstick the Tigor looks unlike earlier Tata
cars with a fresh and unconventional design language. The first thing one would
notice is the rear, wherein the key difference lies in the way the boot runs
from the C-pillar to the bootlid, more like a notchback. Hence, the rear
section of the Tigor looks neatly integrated into the rest of the design,
unlike other compact sedans, which have boots that look like aftermarket
fitment with the exception of the Ford Aspire. At the front, the styling is
similar to the Tiago but that's not a bad thing since it's common for carmakers
globally to now have a homogeneous design language across models with some
differentiators. The front fascia at first look is the same as the Tiago but
then one notices the blacked-out projector headlamps with a different cluster
design inside and that is the only significant change you'll find at the front.
While some carmakers even in the premium bracket tend to overdo the homogeneous
design bit across the car, Tata designers stopped at the front.
Tata has ensured the silhouette
of the Tigor is different, lending it a visual character of its own. The only
part, which I found a bit out of place was the tip of the arc created by the
roof as it looks a bit small and a bit too round for my taste. But then again,
design is a subjective thing and often my wife loves what I dislike and
dislikes what I love. The double-spoke alloy wheels wear a gunmetal finish and
are aptly sized at 16-inches for the top variants. The lower ones get 15inch
wheels. Overall, the design team at Tata Motors has managed to do an
impressive job with the Tigor, especially at the rear. Only thing is that from
many angles the Tigor looks as if it could've been more wow but things were
held back a teeny weeny bit. It's always the minor differences that separate
greats from the goods so it'll be interesting to see how the consumers react to
it.
Tata Tigor
Last time Tata Motors tried its hands at getting a slice of the
compact sedan market with the Zest, things didn't turn out to be to their
desire. The Zest, despite indicating a transforming Tata Motors, failed to grab
the consumers' attention, primarily due to lack of a totally fresh design. Now
though, Tata Motors is having another go at the segment with the Tigor, which
was earlier known as the Kite 5. We've driven the Tigor and its different
variants to find out if Tata Motors has the right ammunition this time to go
against the likes of Maruti Suzuki Dzire, Hyundai Xcent, Volkswagen Ameo and Ford Aspire. The brief
drive around Delhi NCR turned out to be quite a revelation in itself and you
might be surprised to find out why.
Tata Tigor front
Tata Tigor
Design
They say 'first impression is the
last impression' and by that yardstick the Tigor looks unlike earlier Tata cars
with a fresh and unconventional design language. The first thing one would
notice is the rear, wherein the key difference lies in the way the boot runs
from the C-pillar to the bootlid, more like a notchback. Hence, the rear
section of the Tigor looks neatly integrated into the rest of the design,
unlike other compact sedans, which have boots that look like aftermarket
fitment with the exception of the Ford Aspire. At the front, the styling is
similar to the Tiago but that's not a bad thing since it's common for carmakers
globally to now have a homogeneous design language across models with some
differentiators. The front fascia at first look is the same as the Tiago but
then one notices the blacked-out projector headlamps with a different cluster
design inside and that is the only significant change you'll find at the front.
While some carmakers even in the premium bracket tend to overdo the homogeneous
design bit across the car, Tata designers stopped at the front.
Tata has ensured the silhouette of
the Tigor is different, lending it a visual character of its own. The only
part, which I found a bit out of place was the tip of the arc created by the
roof as it looks a bit small and a bit too round for my taste. But then again,
design is a subjective thing and often my wife loves what I dislike and
dislikes what I love. The double-spoke alloy wheels wear a gunmetal finish and
are aptly sized at 16-inches for the top variants. The lower ones get 15inch
wheels. Overall, the design team at Tata Motors has managed to do an
impressive job with the Tigor, especially at the rear. Only thing is that from
many angles the Tigor looks as if it could've been more wow but things were
held back a teeny weeny bit. It's always the minor differences that separate
greats from the goods so it'll be interesting to see how the consumers react to
it.
Tata Tigor interiors
Interiors
The Tigor features a similar cabin to
what one finds in the Tiago, albeit with some additional features. Infotainment
system is an important consideration while buying a car these days in urban
areas and Tata has addressed that need very well. The Harman infotainment
system comes with a touchscreen and eight speakers (4 speakers, 4 tweeters). It
can mirror navigation from your smartphone and offers Bluetooth, Aux-in, USB
and FM radio as well. The sound quality of the system is possibly the best in
its segment and the touch response too is good.Seats too are good in the front
and back and headroom and legroom is ample at both ends. The rear seat is quite
wide and flat, which makes it easier to seat three people, if needed. There are
two 12V sockets in the front, out of which the 2nd can be
used by the rear passengers too. While the door pockets on the rear door are
large enough to hold 1 litre bottles, the front door pockets can only store
small bottles. Essentially, the bottles we have mostly at home just won't fit
in.
Plastic quality is good in most places but the lower dashboard could've
done with a little bit better plastic quality. Another problem I faced was that
the driver-side sun visor does not have a cover for the vanity mirror. When
using the visor, the reflective surface of the mirror can be quite distracting
as it's on the border of the driver's field of vision. The boot space at 419
litres is the largest in the segment and it has been designed smartly too.
Instead of using, gooseneck hinges, which intrude into the luggage space, the
Tigor makes use of a four-link setup. This ensures all links remain outside the
boot compartment and hence do not eat away any of the space.
Powertrain
The Tigor compact sedan is
powered by the same powertrains found in the Tiago and before you get worried
about the lack of performance due to the additional weight of the boot, the
Tigor only weighs 50 kg more than the Tiago. Hence, the effect of weight isn't
much on the overall performance. The 1.2 litre Revotron petrol engine develops
85 hp, while the 1,050 cc Revotorq diesel is good for 70 hp. The diesel motor
looks underpowered on paper but in the real world, it has just enough power to
move the Tigor with ease. While performance isn't brisk, once past 1700 rpm,
the engine delivers better power but tapers past 4,000 rpm. This motor is meant
for city usage primarily and occasional highway runs only. The petrol motor is
the more lively of the two and lets one have some bit of fun as well.
Power delivery is linear and beyond 3,000 rpm is when the power surges in. The
engine is a refined mostly but feels rough towards the top end of the power
band.
Tata Tigor
Last time Tata Motors tried its hands at getting a slice of the
compact sedan market with the Zest, things didn't turn out to be to their
desire. The Zest, despite indicating a transforming Tata Motors, failed to grab
the consumers' attention, primarily due to lack of a totally fresh design. Now
though, Tata Motors is having another go at the segment with the Tigor, which
was earlier known as the Kite 5. We've driven the Tigor and its different
variants to find out if Tata Motors has the right ammunition this time to go against
the likes of Maruti Suzuki Dzire, Hyundai Xcent, Volkswagen Ameo and Ford Aspire. The brief
drive around Delhi NCR turned out to be quite a revelation in itself and you
might be surprised to find out why.
Tata Tigor front
Tata Tigor
Design
They say 'first impression is the
last impression' and by that yardstick the Tigor looks unlike earlier Tata cars
with a fresh and unconventional design language. The first thing one would
notice is the rear, wherein the key difference lies in the way the boot runs
from the C-pillar to the bootlid, more like a notchback. Hence, the rear
section of the Tigor looks neatly integrated into the rest of the design,
unlike other compact sedans, which have boots that look like aftermarket
fitment with the exception of the Ford Aspire. At the front, the styling is
similar to the Tiago but that's not a bad thing since it's common for carmakers
globally to now have a homogeneous design language across models with some
differentiators. The front fascia at first look is the same as the Tiago but
then one notices the blacked-out projector headlamps with a different cluster
design inside and that is the only significant change you'll find at the front.
While some carmakers even in the premium bracket tend to overdo the homogeneous
design bit across the car, Tata designers stopped at the front.
Tata has ensured the silhouette of
the Tigor is different, lending it a visual character of its own. The only
part, which I found a bit out of place was the tip of the arc created by the
roof as it looks a bit small and a bit too round for my taste. But then again,
design is a subjective thing and often my wife loves what I dislike and
dislikes what I love. The double-spoke alloy wheels wear a gunmetal finish and
are aptly sized at 16-inches for the top variants. The lower ones get 15inch
wheels. Overall, the design team at Tata Motors has managed to do an
impressive job with the Tigor, especially at the rear. Only thing is that from
many angles the Tigor looks as if it could've been more wow but things were
held back a teeny weeny bit. It's always the minor differences that separate
greats from the goods so it'll be interesting to see how the consumers react to
it.
Tata Tigor interiors
Interiors
The Tigor features a similar cabin to
what one finds in the Tiago, albeit with some additional features. Infotainment
system is an important consideration while buying a car these days in urban
areas and Tata has addressed that need very well. The Harman infotainment
system comes with a touchscreen and eight speakers (4 speakers, 4 tweeters). It
can mirror navigation from your smartphone and offers Bluetooth, Aux-in, USB
and FM radio as well. The sound quality of the system is possibly the best in
its segment and the touch response too is good.Seats too are good in the front
and back and headroom and legroom is ample at both ends. The rear seat is quite
wide and flat, which makes it easier to seat three people, if needed. There are
two 12V sockets in the front, out of which the 2nd can be
used by the rear passengers too. While the door pockets on the rear door are
large enough to hold 1 litre bottles, the front door pockets can only store
small bottles. Essentially, the bottles we have mostly at home just won't fit
in.
Tata Tigor features
Harman infotainment system comes with a touchscreen and eight speakers
Plastic quality is good in most
places but the lower dashboard could've done with a little bit better plastic
quality. Another problem I faced was that the driver-side sun visor does not
have a cover for the vanity mirror. When using the visor, the reflective
surface of the mirror can be quite distracting as it's on the border of the
driver's field of vision. The boot space at 419 litres is the largest in the
segment and it has been designed smartly too. Instead of using, gooseneck
hinges, which intrude into the luggage space, the Tigor makes use of a
four-link setup. This ensures all links remain outside the boot compartment and
hence do not eat away any of the space.
Tata Tigor 1.2 litre
Revotron engine
Powertrain
The Tigor compact sedan is powered by
the same powertrains found in the Tiago and before you get worried about the
lack of performance due to the additional weight of the boot, the Tigor only
weighs 50 kg more than the Tiago. Hence, the effect of weight isn't much on the
overall performance. The 1.2 litre Revotron petrol engine develops 85 hp, while
the 1,050 cc Revotorq diesel is good for 70 hp. The diesel motor looks underpowered
on paper but in the real world, it has just enough power to move the Tigor with
ease. While performance isn't brisk, once past 1700 rpm, the engine delivers
better power but tapers past 4,000 rpm. This motor is meant for city usage
primarily and occasional highway runs only. The petrol motor is the more lively
of the two and lets one have some bit of fun as well. Power delivery is
linear and beyond 3,000 rpm is when the power surges in. The engine is a
refined mostly but feels rough towards the top end of the power band.
Watch the Tata
Tigor video review:
Tata
Tigor First Drive Review - Express Drives
Both engines are mated to a
five-speed manual transmission, which offers easy shifts and coupled to the
light clutch, driving the Tigor in heavy traffic won't be tiring. Both versions
also come equipped with City and Eco driving modes, alter the engine mapping to
perform as the name suggests
Ride & Handling
Tata has always delivered well
on the ride quality part in the past and the Tigor is no different. Road
undulations and potholes are dealt with ease and the occupants mostly remain in
comfort. Even at high speeds the car feels stable and doesn't feel as if it's
floating, like it happens with many cars with a soft suspension setup. Around
corners too, the Tigor remains composed, although body-roll is evident when
pushing hard. However, the car isn't positioned as a sporty vehicle so for its
target audience, the Tigor shouldn't pose any stability problems.
Round-Up
Overall, the Tigor is an
impressive product on many accounts, especially exterior design and the
infotainment system. Smart features such as the smart four-link boot too
reflect the focus on providing functionality to consumers. There are bits that
could've been better but most of them aren't going to make any major difference
to the cabin experience.
Where the Tigor stands out is
its design because in a segment challenged by dimensional restrictions, we've
become used to seeing ugly vehicles mostly. The Tigor on the contrary comes
across as a handsome vehicle despite the challenges.
Design is one of the first
impressions that a consumer gets about a car and the Tigor creates one better
than any other car in its segment. It's got other areas too covered well so in
the end it boils down to pricing. The car will be launched towards the end of
March and if Tata Motors can price the Tigor competitively, there's no reason
why it can't become the a major contender in the sub-compact sedan segment.
With its fresh design and
impressive features, the Tigor after the Tiago and Hexa is a strong signal to
the change that's taking place within Tata Motors. The company is becoming
young and that's the only way forward in the Indian market given the fact that
more than 60 % of our population is under the age of 35 years.
No comments:
Post a Comment