Tata Motors Unveils Tigor Compact Sedan Starting At Rs 4.7 Lakh

Tata Motors Ltd. launched the Tigor compact sedan on Wednesday as it takes on rivals like Ford India Pvt. Ltd., Maruti Suzuki India Ltd., and Honda Cars India Ltd.

The company unveiled the Tigor at an introductory price of Rs 4.70 lakh for the petrol version and Rs 5.60 lakh for the diesel variant, ex-showroom Delhi. It will compete with Ford’s Figo Aspire, Maruti Suzuki’s Swift DZire, and Honda’s Amaze, among others.

Tata Motors had entered the compact sedan or the notchback segment – between a hatchback and a sedan – with the Indigo in 2002. After many upgrades and refreshes through the years, the Zest was launched in 2014. While Indigo largely found buyers in fleet operators, Zest sales have been tepid.

The company is confident that the coupe-like styling of the Tigor would set it apart from competition, Tata Motors said at the vehicle’s pre-launch test drive.

Here's a brief look at what the new product has to offer.

The Look

Tigor is based on Tata Motor's hatchback Tiago, and till the B-pillar (the pillar splitting the two doors) there’s not much to differentiate between the two, barring a few cosmetic changes.

Beyond the B-pillar, Tigor begins to take form, with neatly sculpted lines right up to the far end of the rear bumper. The highlight of the vehicle in terms of what meets the eye is how well the third box (luggage compartment, or boot) is accommodated.

Unlike many existing products in the market such as the Swift DZire, and the Amaze, the transition from the C-pillar to the boot is coupe-like, and done rather well. The rear of the vehicle does set it apart from rivals.

Tigor gets chrome additions on the front and rear bumpers. It also gets a 50-millimetre longer wheelbase compared to Tiago, which translates into more legroom for the passengers in the backseat.

Inside, the Tigor shares its dashboard with Tiago. The top-end trims get a Harman touchscreen infotainment system that needs a little more than a touch to respond, and reflects almost anything on its surface.

The steering feels comfortable to hold, but the seats don’t have that positive a feedback. In the backseat, legroom and headroom are sufficient to seat two adults, but don’t offer the comfort like the Swift DZire or the Ford Figo Aspire.

The Drive

The engines in Tigor, also carried forward from Tiago, still feel as underpowered and under-refined as they did in the hatchback.

Tata Motors spent a long time developing the 1.2 litre Revotron petrol motor and the 1.05 litre Revotorq diesel engine, but both still seem to be equally under-powered. The engines, being three-cylinder heads, have vibrations typical of smaller motors. The diesel engine is noisy.

Between the two, output is better in the petrol-powered variants, with the drive being smoother, thanks to a more linear power output. The one positive while driving the Tigor is its pleasantly light clutch, coupled with an accurate shifter. Also, if you want to ever overtake anything, do not shift to the ‘Eco’ mode, where the electronic computing unit (ECU) works towards enhancing fuel economy.

Handling mannerisms, on straight roads and while negotiating corners, are top notch in the Tigor. The vehicle feels planted while making turns, even at moderately high speeds.

In terms of fuel efficiency, while Tata Motors hasn’t officially declared figures, the petrol and diesel mules this reporter took for a test drive, returned average figures of 13.3 km a litre and 15.6 km a litre, respectively.

The Price

The price of Tigor is competitive as compared to peers in the segment such as Ford Figo Aspire, Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire, among others, which come in the range of Rs 5.27 lakh to Rs 8.58 lakh.