Looks
The biggest challenge in the segment as is evident from a lot of cars is making a three box car look appealing. And here is where Tata feels that they have a winner on their hands. So according to them this isn’t a hatch or a sedan. It is not even a notchback as it looks like, but it’s being called a style back. A first look at the Tigor especially from the front reminds a lot of the car it is based on: the Tiago. The grille though looks the same, has a different texture on it. The smoked projector headlamps though are exclusive to the Tigor and were not seen on the Tiago. There are chrome highlights on the window line and the diamond cut alloy wheel design is also a class apart. However it is only the Petrol which will get the nicer looking 15 inch wheels. However it is the rear which is the most appealing on the Tigor. The style back is evident in the way the roof merges into the boot and makes the car stand out in the segment. The boot gets hydraulic struts, which means that you can use almost the entire luggage space of 419 liters. However this design can be a bit misleading from the outside as there is no access to the boot from the second row.
Interiors
The steering wheel gets a different treatment when compared to the Tiago, as it gets a piano black finish instead of the satin seen on the latter. The body colored AC vents also give the interiors a much needed appeal. The infotainment unit is developed jointly with Harman and the big difference here is the rear parking camera. This is helpful as the rear design of the Tigor somewhat hampers the rear view for the driver. The music system comes with better and increased number of speakers and that works well for the car. The “connect next system” is also good but for the time being is only compatible with Android devices. There’s climate control on the top variant while the AC itself performed well in the limited time we had with the car. When compared to the Tiago the wheelbase has gone up by a good 50 mm and that directly translates into more space on the second row. Overall the seat comfort is good on both the rows and there are as many as 24 storage spaces all round the cabin.
Engines
The Tigor shares its engines with the Tiago. There’s a 1.2 liter 85 PS petrol mill while the Diesel is a 1.05 liter motor and is less powerful at 70 PS. The surprising part is that despite being heavier than the petrol by more than a 100kgs the Diesel doesn’t disappoint with its drive experience. This is also partly because of the 140 Nm of maximum toque versus the 114 Nm delivered on the Petrol. And when compared with the Tiago even the 40 kg increase in Kerb weight does not affect the way the car pulls ahead. On the Diesel the overall gearing has been shortened which explains the peppier drive on this one. Still it is best to drive this Diesel in the range of 2500 to 3500 rpm as here is where it performs the best. At higher speeds though it is the Petrol that feels more refined. Also the NVH levels on the Diesel can be worked upon to give the occupants a much quieter cabin like it is on the Petrol. Despite the Tiago having an AMT variant, the Tigor still has only 5 speed manual gearbox variants to choose from.
Drive 2 Modes
It’s not something that’s seen in a lot of cars in the segment and it’s just about squeezing a bit more from the car. The Tigor has 2 driving modes namely Eco and city. While the former delivers a better fuel economy the latter is a good mix of performance and economy and is the default driving mode on the car. While on the Petrol you can expect a mileage of 20 kmpl the Diesel delivers an even better 24 kmpl. A light steering wheel is also a big boon in the city traffic. It comes to aid pretty well when it comes to changing lanes and easy maneuvering. The car feels stable and planted at high speeds and handles well. The suspension is tuned for the Indian road conditions and soaks in bumps pretty well.
Verdict
The car gets good safety features as well as all the variants get airbags and ABS standard. And despite that Tata has priced the Tigor starting at Rs. 4.7 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi) which just like the Tiago is spot on. It’ll appeal to the buyer just like the Tiago did in ways more than one and that means the Tigor is set out to do what the zest could not — challenge the reign of the Swift Dzire and Hyundai Xcent.
Shams Naqvi is an anchor/producer for the News X motor show Living Cars