Tata Motors entered the CNG market with the Tiago and Tigor back in January 2022 though since then quite a bit has changed. The Tiago received a notable update last year that saw the carmaker drop the single large CNG tank in favour of twin smaller units freeing up boot space. This was followed up with the introduction of the first-in-the-CNG-market automated manual transmission (AMT) option earlier this year and this is the car we have now. So what’s it like on the road?
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The Tiago remains a smart-looking hatch though it's now starting to look dated.
Right off the bat, nothing has changed for the Tiago iCNG on the surface. The design is untouched since this facelift rolled out in 2020 and as with the CNG model launched in 2022 you still do not get the 15-inch alloy wheels of the petrol Tiago on the top model. Its no doubt that the Tiago does look like a well-proportioned hatchback though the exterior design is getting a bit long in the tooth.
As before top-end CNG gets 14-inch wheels with stylised covers.
It’s a similar tale for the cabin where the basic design and layout has stayed unchanged since the Tiago first arrived on the scene way back in 2016. Updates over the years has added more tech to the cabin from the digital instrument cluster and the central touchscreen but there is no getting away from the fact that this is an ageing design. The clean layout though is a plus. While the CNG with the manual gearbox is offered across nearly all variants, the AMT is offered only in mid-spec XT and top-spec XZ+ spec - the latter is which we got to drive.
Cabin design too is a bit long in the tooth though it gets all the essentials.
Being a top-spec XZ+ variant there is quite a bit of kit on offer from auto headlamps and wipers to auto climate control, height adjustable driver seat, a 7.0-inch touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and even a reverse camera. So all the important bits of kit are there at your disposal. Though a few omissions stand out - the CNG hatchback seems to miss out on a rear parcel shelf and the 15-inch alloys from the standard Tiago too are a no-show.
Tata's CNG cars uniquely let you start the engine on CNG mode while others start on petrol and switch to CNG.
Continuing with the boot, the new twin CNG cylinders now sit under the boot floor which has been raised quite some ways above the loading lip. Despite this, the twin cylinders take up notably less space than the previous single large cylinder. This has meant that boot space is up from a dismal 80 litres to 107 litres. Sure it’s not the full 242 litres of the petrol Tiago, but it's still enough to squeeze in a medium-sized suitcase - though it does intrude into the view out the back - or a few soft bags and still carry five passengers.
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Twin cylinder technology frees up 107 litres of storage - up from the older Tiago iCNG's 80 litres.
Another change that some will note is to the spare wheel. While previously accessed by dropping the rear bench and reaching under the cylinder, it now sits in the underbody tucked away behind the rear bumper.
Twin tanks sit below the raised boot floor; can hold around 8 kg (combined) of CNG when full.
The Tiago iCNG AMT features the same 1.2-litre, three-cylinder engine as its manual counterpart and even the power figures stay unchanged. It delivers 73 bhp and 95 Nm of peak torque in CNG mode and a peppier 85 bhp and 113 Nm in petrol mode. Performance is more than adequate despite what the numbers suggest. There is ample grunt low down to get a move on and the engine is also comfortable as the speeds climb with even highway speeds attainable without much strain on the unit. The engine though is audible inside the cabin even at low RPMs and you get a fair bit of road and wind noise as speeds climb.
AMT gearbox does make city driving more convenient though not without its shortcomings.
Given the congested nature of a lot of our cities the AMT goes a long way in reducing the burden on drivers by taking away the need to constantly change gears. As far as AMT units go, the Tiago CNG’s unit is quite smooth in its operation for the most part and even the creep function is handy. That said there are still a few negative points. As with all AMT units, gear shifts do feel lethargic and it’s not a unit that likes being hurried. The gap between gears does become apparent under hard acceleration and sometimes even on an incline as you feel the vehicle slow before the next gear is engaged.
Another gripe with the AMT we had in our test car was the length of the first gear. When kept in A, the AMT waits to near the 20kmph mark to shift into second and that can make the driving experience at low speeds jerky. You can overcome this by dropping the car into ‘M’ to manually shift up gears though the car is likely to angrily beep at you should you try changing gears below 15 kmph. That said, during deceleration, the unit does hold onto second gear till speed is in the low 10s so accelerating off is a lot smoother.
Tiago iCNG AMT is best for relaxed driving; the ride is still quite well sorted.
The unit also looks to be tuned to shift up based on speed during part throttle driving. The second gear engages around 20 kmph, third just past 30, fourth just past 40 kmph and fifth takes over at speeds of over 60 kmph though if you hold your foot down it will hold the gear longer.
Tiago iCNG AMT offered a range of up to 145 km on a full CNG tank in everyday driving scenarios.
We also tested the fuel efficiency of the Tiago iCNG AMT and found the hatchback to deliver around 18.86 km/kg in the City and close to 20.07 km/kg on the highway. These figures are of course subject to change based on the weather, traffic and driving style of an individual. That said, in our daily use we saw the Tiago iCNG run through a full tank of CNG in as much as 145 km on some days and under 100 km on others. The twin tanks hold about 8 kg of CNG.
The Tiago iCNG AMT is priced from Rs 7.90 lakh up to Rs 8.80 lakh (ex-showroom) for this top-spec XZA+ variant making it about Rs 55,000 more expensive than its manual counterpart. For that premium you do get a hatchback that offers greater convenience thanks to its automated manual gearbox and that is something you don’t get in any other factory-fitted CNG hatchback in the market. Then there is the fact that it's decently spacious inside, rides quite well and has a useable boot big enough for a medium-size suitcase.
The iCNG AMT is a decent package and shortcomings notwithstanding is a good option for a daily commuter.
Yes, the Tiago does have some downsides such as its ageing design, lack of flashy features, and the AMT feels lethargic, but these are certainly not deal-breakers. If you can live with these shortcomings this is very much a car to consider for your city commutes.
