Tata Tiago.EV Facelift Driven: Best Tiago Ever!
Me to Tata Motors' feedback team: After driving the Tiago.EV, I find it hard to recommend the Tiago Petrol or iCNG trims. If you insist, I'd rank the Tiago.EV first, the iCNG AMT second and Tiago Petrol Manual third. And if I have to buy a Tiago today, it will be the EV without even hesitation. It's far superior to the petrol and iCNG trims, in literally every aspect.
It's easily the best electric car that money can buy for under Rs. 10 lakh. Yes, way better than the Punch.EV when it comes to driving dynamics. The perfect city car if you will.
MG Comet over the Tiago.EV? Nope, not happening! The Tiago is not just the better car, but also offers way more value. The 360 camera blunts the only advantage the Comet used to have: Super compact size. As for ride and performance, it's no contest. It's the Tiago all the way.
Let me explain.
The Tiago.EV delivers excellent response, and goes up to 120 Kph very quickly. That's also its top speed, which is more than adequate for city driving. Roll-on acceleration, which is what really matters, is very strong. Staying ahead of urban traffic is effortless.
It costs very less to operate if charged at home. Rs. 1 per kilometer is the running cost excluding service and tyres. Drive more, save more. If you drive for 60-70 Kms a day, simply pick this over its internal combustion engined (ICE) siblings.
I wasn't impressed in the pictures leading up to launch. I reserved my opinion until I saw it at the drive. In the flesh, it looks quite good, mainly due to the pastel colours that it comes with. Funky yet not overdone. And imaginative naming. Good job, Tata!
Steering feedback is fantastic. It's a very sweet handler thanks to the weight sitting low. You can take corners at really high speeds. It is way more involving than ICE cars. In fact, it's the best driver's hatchback money can buy save for say the Golf GTI. Yes, I said it!
It handles beautifully. Here's an example: There's a long sweeper at the end of Bangalore airport road, towards Devanahalli. I took that at about 80 Kmph, and went up to 87 Kmph. And wanted to go faster. On the petrol and iCNG, maintaining about 72 Kmph induced lots of body roll. enough to make me want to back off!
Ride Quality: Again, a big, happy surprise here. Can you believe that an EV rides better than its ICE and CNG siblings? That was what I experienced on the Tiago.EV. Ride quality has improved from the 1st gen variant (which was good to start off with), and that's very impressive considering how well this car handles due to the low center of gravity.
The interior revamp makes it feel quite upmarket. I quite like the fabric trim. Tactility of the drive selector has improved dramatically. It was quite pathetic (almost loose) on the older Tiago.EV.
Fit and finish was good for most parts. I found a paint imperfection on the hatchlid spoiler, and showed it to the Tata team at feedback. Tata's QC has to improve.
Another big miss: No one touch up for driver window. Lame! Footwell can get cramped for heavier people thanks to the new driver door arm rest design. 360 camera feed intrudes into maps.
Example: When you're turning with the turn indicators on, 360 feed comes on and blanks off maps Not good. Infotainment needs a firmware update to have a split screen for this.
Re-bolstered seats are comfortable with good underthigh support for the front. The rear is okay too, but the tall transmission tunnel means it's a tight fit for 3. Rear AC vents: Nice addition.
I drove it nearly all the time in sport mode, quite aggressively, testing both top speed and roll-on acceleration, multiple times. And the AC was never turned off, even while the car was stationary and we were shooting outside. I got a range of about 150-160 Kms. Driven normally, this car should deliver about 200-220 Kms per charge. Adequate for city use.
Short highway stints now get easier thanks to the faster charging speed of 1.2C. That's nearly double of the older Tiago.EV, whose maximum charging speed was capped at 0.7C. To buyers: Please buy the Long Range 24 kWh trim as it not only offers more range (little extra flexibility) but also the crucial lifetime battery warranty.
Stereo quality is very good. Nearly no distortion even at max volumes. Pairing your phone is quite easy. No fiddling there.
And finally, Tata has listened and fixed what I've been flagging at nearly every feedback session: Piano black steering wheel goes out, Matt black finish comes in. Huge relief. Horn easier to use. Steering buttons get recessed and don't foul with the palms. Phew, finally!
It's the same scene with center console of the EV. Piano black out. Matte black in. I also like the fact that AC controls remain totally analog. Easy to use without having to look at them.
The rated unladen ground clearance at 165 mm, may not seem big but I took it to some really uneven surfaces: the farmland/wetlands beside Avathi lake. This is tractor territory with deep ruts, massive potholes. I wouldn't dare taking a sedan here.
The Tiago.EV didn't scrape even once and handled the terrrain very well. Ground clearance and bad road performance is more than ample. Check out CarToq's insta/yt short reels for more.
The car feels tight overall, and rides like a larger hatchback. Cabin insulation is good for most parts and since it's an EV, the only thing that you hear are the tyres. It's a good experience overall.
Wireless charging: Check. Driver armrest: Check. And the revised doorpad armrest is quite nifty. It makes the driver's seat an armchair, and the inclined bottle holders make sure that you can fit a 1 liter bottle too. Neat. Boot: Adequate for a city car. No spare tyre trend continues!
Even under harsh sunlight, both the new driver MID and infotainment touchscreen remain very legible. 360 camera quite sharp (still not Korean level sharp) but surprisingly, I found it sharper than the Punch.EV. Both are same units but it's perhaps the touchscreen viewing angle on the Tiago.EV that makes it seem sharper.
Pricing: For 9.49 lakh for the mid LR trim, it's terrific value. Top end is just about Rs. 10.5 lakh, on road. Again fantastic. You get more car than before, lifetime battery warranty, better ride quality and much more upmarket interiors. And it's cheaper than before. Post script will explain more.
PS: In early 2023, we bought a Tiago.EV LR XT trim, which was meant to be a daily beater car. Landed price of the mid LR trim in Bangalore: About Rs. 10.5 lakh, which is now about the same price as the top end trim. Over the next 3 years, we put about 1 lakh kms on it. Zero niggles for 3 years. Only accessory: Reverse cam. Then sold it off at 4.9 lakh and bought a BE6 Pack 2 79 kWh. Fast forward to 2026, the Tiago.EV gets a 360 camera, lifetime warranty at a cheaper price. Enough said. Go test drive one. And then drive the ICE trims. You'll know what I'm talking about.