Review: Tata Tiago EV

The year 2022 has been a landmark year for electric vehicles in India. Many new cars have been introduced across various segments but the one that has perhaps generated the maximum interest is the Tata Tiago EV. The most affordable electric from the home grown auto maker has garnered more than 20,000 bookings since its launch a few months ago and now just before the year ends we have got our hands on this silent hatch.

Design

The face of the Tiago EV is quite modern and appealing. The signature Tata element, the tri arrow pattern can be seen at a few places including on the new grille. You also get projector headlamps, fog lamps as well as DRLs. The blue elements including the EV specific 'humanity line' are visible all over the car that tell you that this one is an EV. The car gets 14-inch steel wheels and on the higher trims you get these nicer looking that Tata calls as Hyperstyle wheels.

The rear is attractive as well with nice looking LED tail lamps while the top trim also gets an electric tailgate release. This Midnight plum color on our test car looked good especially with the contrast roof which is available only on the top-of-the-line variant, it almost gives the feeling of a dark edition on the hatchback. There are 4 other colours you can choose from, including the signature teal blue seen on many other electric cars from the brand.

Tech & Interior

According to Tata Motors the idea behind making a car like the Tiago EV is to not just offer an affordable electric car but to also ensure that the hatch remains premium enough. And you do get that in the top XZ+ Tech Lux trim of the car. This is the only one that gets leatherette seats and leatherette steering wheel. You also get the teal blue surrounds on the AC vents, again something that tells you that this one is an EV from the brand. The all-digital cluster gives all the necessary information and buttons on the dash are laid out well and are within the reach of the driver. You also get features like a start stop button, height adjustable driver seat, cooled glovebox and cruise control.

The 7-inch Harman touch screen infotainment system not only finds a place in the top trim but is there in some lower variants as well. It is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto though it is wired. And then there's the Zconnect suite that comes with 45 connectivity features, many of them can be accessed remotely via a smartphone or a smartwatch.

Ergonomically though the cabin could've been better as there's limited storage space all around, especially the door pockets which are quite narrow, and can house smaller items like wallets, The 2nd row is just about adequate when it comes to legroom though making 3 people sit here will be a bit of a stretch. Headrests cannot be adjusted in this row and the AC vent is absent too. The hatch has a boot space of 240 litres.

How Does It Drive?

Tata didn't do this with the Tigor EV but with the Tiago EV they've launched the car in 2 different versions. The mid-range model gets a lighter battery pack and lower range while the long-range version gets a bigger battery pack and higher range, 315 kms to be precise. The latter is the one we are driving, and it comes in higher trims which get more features. The 24 kWh battery pack runs on a 55 kW motor and makes 114 Nm. The smaller 19.2 kWh battery pack gives a peak torque figure of 110 Nm which isn't bad either. You get an ARAI certified range of 255 kms on this one.

The numbers are enough for making that quick overtaking maneuver or doing fast acceleration. The good thing is that with this torque figure you feel in complete control of the car which helps, more so in the slow-moving city traffic. 0-60 kmph is achieved in 5.7 secs, another number that works in favour of the hatch. The Tiago EV gets multiple levels of regeneration and depending on the conditions you're driving in; you can choose your level to attain the maximum range out of the car. For example, on the highway when the car is cruising level 0 helps but in bumper-to-bumper traffic level 3 can come into play.

In case you don't have to travel too far, there's always the Sports mode that makes the drive more spirited, of course the range will go down faster in this mode. Tata says when you combine the Sports and City modes with 4 levels of Regen you get 8 drive modes in all, which will aid in different driving conditions and requirements. What also helps in getting a slightly higher range is the Zconnect app. It analyses the driving behavior and tells the areas where you can improve as a driver. The more time you spend with the car the more you understand how the system works and therefore the anxiety of using an EV goes down.

Ride & Handling

Handling has never been an issue on the Tata Tiago. It's a small hatch that does the job well. Even on the EV with the added weight of about 100 kgs and low centre of gravity the car inspires confidence be it at high speeds or while taking corners. On the other hand, a low turning radius of 5.1 meters has always helped the Tiago in being an efficient city car. The ride too is at par with the Petrol counterpart if not better. On our drive in Goa, we've mostly driven on good quality roads, but even while crossing a speed breaker or a bad patch the car hasn't given us a reason to complain.

Safety

The Tata Tiago boasts of a 4-star safety rating from Global NCAP so the EV as well might come across as a safe car. You also get 2 airbags, ABS with EBD and TPMS. The battery pack is IP 67 certified and comes with a warranty of 8 years or 1.6 lakh kms whichever is earlier.

Charging

Tata is providing many charging options with the Tiago EV. The mid-range model comes with a 3.3 kW AC charger while the high range model also has the option of a 7.2 kW AC charger which charges the car from 10-100 % in 3.6 hours. A 15 A socket takes about 8.7 hours to do the same while a DC fast charger goes from 10-80 % in 58 mins.

Prices & Verdict

The Tiago EV was launched starting at Rs. 8.49 lakh, ex-showroom for the mid-range version and the prices went up to Rs. 11.79 lakh for the top long-range variant. But these were applicable for the first 20,000 bookings and the brand will announce the updated prices in January, which is when the deliveries will also begin. For now, the field is pretty much clear for the Tiago EV as there do direct competition for the car, but the eC3 from Citroen is coming soon and based on what it offers things could get interesting.

If you're still undecided about buying an electric car and have concerns about things like range anxiety or driving dynamics, the Tiago EV addresses these well. It gives you the confidence of using an electric vehicle and doesn't cost a bomb. The hatch comes across as a good alternative in the market especially for urban commutes.