Tata Tiago Road Test Review

At the heart of this wild cat is an eager 1.05 litre, 3 pot, diesel mill which despite being small has enough oomph to thrill your senses. The eager 3 pot puts out 69bhp at 4000rpm, which may seem to be less but is actually not the case. The engine posts its peak power once crossing the mid range on the rpm band and at 4500 revs there is nothing more on offer. This does make things a bit complicated as you end up working the gears a bit but then again if that is an issue for you only an automatic will solve the problem. The exciting bit on the Tiago is its 140 Newton meters of torque which is available from 1800-3000 rpm. Between this range a smooth and gradual increase in speed is adequate to woo you. The diesel variant of the Tiago returns almost 27kms to the litre making it one of the most efficient hatches in its class. So if cruising on highways is your thing or you need speed for zipping in city traffic the Tiago has you covered on both fronts.

The Tiago sits on 175/ 65 R14 tyres which have a profile matching the proportions of this car. The tyres grip the road well and the McPherson Strut in the front and Twist Beam with coil spring in the rear cater for a smooth and stable ride. The suspension setup extends a pleasurable drive experience and the car has great capability on road. Tata being an Indian company also knows the country's road conditions very well, their Tiago hatchback can take on bad roads with ease. Riding over potholes, bumps and broken roads is not that troublesome and the suspension soaks in most of the jolts and jerks. Braking on this hot hatch is facilitated by discs in the front and drum brakes in the rear. We performed multiple panic braking test in controlled environments and not once did the Tiago disappoint us in this department. 

When you enter the cabin of the Tiago you will be treated with a mix of great quality and modern design philosophy. The Tiago features a very executive looking dash with plenty of chrome tit-bits and a sumptuous use of piano black finish. I am not a big fan of the piano black finish as it leaves finger prints but then again it does look really handsome on the dash, complimenting the looks from every angle. The quality of plastics used and the build of the Tiago from the inside is good. From certain angles the design language of the dash seems to have been borrowed from Jaguar Land Rover. The contemporary looking interiors along with comfortable seating provides a wholesome package for customers of the Tiago.

The Tiago also comes packed with features which are quite handy and improve the overall user experience of this car.  The Tiago comes with a multi-function steering wheel, Harman surround sound multimedia infotainment setup with Bluetooth, AUX and USB connectivity, vanity mirrors, electrically adjustable ORVMs, day-night rear view mirror, cooled glovebox, navigation and mobile phone integration. On the safety front the Tiago comes with ABS, rear parking sensors, driver and passenger airbags, crash sensors, follow me home headlamps, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EDB) and Corner Stability Control.  The overall package of the Tiago is infact a great one, which makes it one of Tata's revolutionaries in changing the company's image in the market. This compact hatch offers plenty of comfort, space, features and performance all at a price point of Rs. 5.5 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).