We test drove Tata Tigor and this is what we feel

Tata Motors with its new cars are making a loyal fan base these days. After Tiago, the hatchback that rose to popularity in a whisk of time, here is Tigor, the sub 4 meter sedan.

It won’t be much of an exaggeration if we term Tigor as a rockstar, taking into account its looks, performance and handling.

The price starts at Rs 4.7 lakh, which is way lower than most rivals in the sector.

Looks could kill

If not a killer, Tigor looks sporty. The nose is just like Tiago because at the end of the day it’s built on the same platform. However better grille with hexagonal design elements, a twin barrel headlamp with a projector low beams and halogen high beams – bring all the difference. Day-time LED lamps would have done more justice to its look. However Tata is focussing on the semi-round front style, which shouldn’t be made a staple for all cars in this range. That is after all one major reason why many stylistas would frown initially when you suggest a Tata car to them.

From behind the car seems to have adapted some design elements from BMW 3GT. The high mounted subtle roof spoiler with the built in tail lamp that extends from end to end gives the sedan a dash of elegance.

Interior

As you get inside the car, you don’t need to stoop too much, thanks to the higher ground clearance. Seated in the driver’s seat, you can see the car dash looks quite distinct and unlike any other cars in the category. You can pair your phone with the touch screen infotainment system.

Connecting to Bluetooth was easy but there was slight difficulty that arose when we installed Tata Connectnext app. Tata needs to work out a bit more on this. Once you have that app, you need to download tons of other apps including navigation one. Our suggestion would be Tata get an app that would be independent by itself.

The front corner AC vents get body colour and look outstanding. The 8 speaker music system is from Harman and delivers good beats.

The instrument cluster looks a bit cluttered and lacks elegance.

The rear seat is big with enough leg room to keep you up for long drives. There is also a cup holder, which can be used as hand rest. This would keep the corporate passengers stay hooked. There is also a 12V socket for rear passengers. However Tata misses out on rear AC vent, which is almost an industry standard these days. Also we feel, there should have been a pair of reading lights for the rear passengers.

The Rear Packaged Tray is sloping and that’s not a good place to put your book or bottles. But we get the point that to make room inside the trunk the manufacturer had to compromise here.

Tigor gets a 419 litre boot, the biggest in the category. Tata cars are known for large boot space and Tigor does enough justice to the reputation. Also Tata has given up traditional gooseneck hinges and replaced them with hydraulic ones when it comes to opening of the boot, thus ensuring bigger opening.

Performance and handling

Tigor gets an indigenous 1.2 litre petrol engine Revotron, the one that Tata is powering its cars since 2014. The engine delivers 84 bhp of power and 114 Nm of torque. There is no AMT version of the sedan yet. But the manual is quite fairly softer. The clutch is light and well responsive thus making you zoom well even on bumper to bumper traffic. The steering is butter light but stays in place when driving at 120 kmph on highways.

The gearbox however staggers and needs some refinement. While going up gear is easy, coming down a notch is clashy.

Fuel efficiency

The petrol variant though claims to deliver 23 kilometres a litre, got us 13-14 kilometres a litre on city drive and 17 kmpl on highways.

Safety

The top variants of Tigor are loaded with dual air bags, ABS and rear camera for parking assistance.

Who deserves this car?

Tigor is best suited for family of four and if you are planning to upgrade from hatchback to sedan you can consider this car.