Tata recently launched the Tata Tiago EV hatchback in India, essentially bringing the cost of owning an EV under Rs 10 lakh. The compact dimensions of a hatchback also bring along profound benefits in terms of usability in the growing urban jungle. The Tiago EV is very well kitted out for its class and is offered with funky colour options to increase its youthful appeal too. It hence becomes an easy choice, except, its strongest competitor is its own stablemate, the Tata Tigor EV sub-4m compact sedan. We clear the air on which EV city runabout should make it to your next shopping list.
Tata Tiago EV vs Tata Tigor EV: price
The Tata Tiago EV is currently the most affordable mainstream EV four-wheeler money can buy in India and starts at an introductory price of Rs 8.49 lakh (ex-showroom). The vehicle is offered in two battery pack options with the base 19.2kWh battery pack model topping out at Rs 9.09 lakh (ex-showroom). The larger 24kWh battery pack model starts at Rs 9.99 lakh (ex-showroom) and goes all the way up to Rs 11.79 lakh (ex-showroom) for the range-topping XZ+ Tech LUX variant. It is good to note that these prices are valid only for the first 20,000 customers.
The Tata Tigor EV too is aggressively priced for what it offers, and starts at Rs 12.49 lakh and going up to Rs 13.64 lakh for the top-end XZ+ DT variant.
Tata offers a standard 3 year / 1,25,000 km warranty and an 8 year / 1,60,000km warranty on the battery pack and the motor.
Tata Tiago EV vs Tata Tigor EV
Design
The Tata Tiago and the Tata Tigor are closely related vehicles and their resemblance is fairly strong up until the B-pillar. Where the Tiago adopts a hatchback stance, the Tigor’s rear flows into what Tata calls a Sportback rear. While both look fairly stylish, the Tigor EV, thanks to its longer boot section gets more storage in the trunk.
Tiago and Tigor both look smart and are distinctively different from their ICE-powered counterparts thanks to blue accent highlights, aero wheel covers and tri-arrow embellishments that signify their electric powertrain.
That said, the Tigor EV is longer than the Tiago EV by 223mm and offers a total of 315 litres of boot space as compared to the Tiago EV’s 240 litres.
Specifications
The Tata Tiago EV and the Tigor EV are closely matched and share similar powertrain options. The new Tiago EV edges ahead with the flexibility to choose from two battery packs, a 19.2kWh and a 24kWh unit. The smaller battery pack helps the Tiago EV to produce 61hp of peak power and 110Nm of peak torque. The larger battery pack generates a healthier still 74hp of peak power and 114Nm of peak torque.
The Tata Tigor gets a slightly larger 26kWh battery pack that is paired to an electric motor that produces 74bhp and 170Nm of peak power and torque respectively. Given that the Tiago is slightly heavier and the fact that the larger boot could translate to a higher load, the difference in performance can be expected to be negligible.
Tata has not yet publicly presented the top speed of the Tiago EV, but could likely be limited to 120kmph much like the larger Tigor EV. Tigor EV’s slight torque advantage helps it to claim a 0 to 60kmph time of 5.7 seconds as compared to the Tiago EV’s 6.2 seconds sprint. However, real-world results could be even closer.
Range and charging
The lighter Tiago EV claims to return a range of 315km as per the MIDC cycle which is slightly higher when tallied alongside the Tigor EV’s 306km range. This comes from the Tiago EV’s 24kWh battery pack and the 26kWh battery pack on the Tigor EV. The smaller battery pack-equipped Tiago EV, which gets the 19.2kWh unit, does approximately 250km on a single charge as per standard test cycles. All three figures are adequate for daily city usage.
The Tigor EV compact sedan with its larger battery pack takes about 8 hours and 45 minutes to juice up from 0 to 80 percent via a household socket. However, use a CCS2 charger and the Tigor EV could charge up to 80 percent in just 65 minutes. The Tiago EV on the other hand gets four charging options – a 15A household socket, a 3.3kW AC home charger, a 7.2kWh AC home charger, and a DC fast charger. The 7.2kW fast charger allows the Tiago EV to fully charge in just 3 hours 36 minutes while a DC charger can juice it up from 10 to 80 percent in just 57 mins.
Features
The Tata Tiago EV has been loaded to the gills despite having an affordable market audience. It gets multi-level regenerative braking, cruise control and sports mode. Tata also includes premium features such as white leatherette perforated seats, auto climate control, rain-sensing wipers, auto headlamps, power windows, cooled glove box, push button start stop, rear wash wipes and defogger, fog lamps, LED DRLs, projector headlamps, digital instrument cluster, a Harman sourced touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and an 8 speaker system. Moreover, Tata Motors is also offering, Tata’s ZConect technology that allows remote AC control, vehicle tracking and geofencing, charging station locator, drive data analytics and more. It will also get smartwatch connectivity.
The Tigor EV compact sedan too in true Tata fashion comes equipped with goodies such as regenerative braking, Hill ascent and descent assist, projector headlamps with DRL, front fog lamps, automatic climate control, and more. Comfort and convenience-oriented features such as a cooled glovebox, charging sockets, steering mounted audio controls, are also available on the Tigor EV.
Both cars offer safety features such as dual airbags, 4-star GNCAP-certified body, ABS, EBD, rear parking camera and sensors.
Tata Tiago EV vs Tata Tigor EV: verdict
With the introduction of the Tiago EV, Tata has managed to bring down electric drivetrain technology to the masses. Both the new Tiago EV and Tigor EV hence are strong value-for-money propositions, especially for buyers looking to drive within city limits. The new Tiago EV being a nicely styled hatchback offers a funkier vibe and is backed by Tata’s strong Ziptron drivetrain and loads of features. The Tigor EV however makes more sense to buyers who regularly travel with more luggage or people.
If a city-friendly EV is what you’re looking for, both the Tiago EV and the Tigor EV prove to be excellent options.
