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Old 21st December 2022, 10:00   #1
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Tata Tiago Electric Review

Tata Tiago Electric Review


Tata Tiago EV Pros



• A well-rounded EV package at a sub-10 lakh rupee starting price. Total value-for-money
• Zero tailpipe emissions & green image will appeal to the environmentally-conscious
• Real-world range of ~200 km is adequate for city commutes & urban dwellers
• Stupendously cheap fuel cost of 1 rupee / km (if you charge at home)
• Peppy behaviour in "S" mode! "D" mode is rather tame though
• Selectable regenerative braking is a very welcome feature
• Sorted road manners due to the lower center of gravity & firmer suspension
• Smooth drive, no gears, light controls & compact size make it an ideal city car
• Well-designed interiors are likeable & user-friendly
• Features like the 8-speaker Harman audio system, cruise control, auto headlamps & wipers, connected car tech & more
• Solid build & construction. Tigor EV's 4-star GNCAP result is reassuring

Tata Tiago EV Cons



• A stiff 4-lakh rupees more expensive than the Tiago Petrol AMT. You're paying for the tech & being an early adopter
• Needs a charging point installed at your home parking. This is not doable for many people
• ~200 km range means this is strictly a city car. No long highway runs
• Stiffer suspension than the regular Tiago means you feel more of the road. Bad roads are felt
• Power tapers off after 100 km/h; top speed of just 120 km/h
• No spare tyre, you will have to make do with a puncture repair kit. We suggest buying a spare
• Long “full tank” charging times in comparison with an ICE car. Overnight charging is best
• Some misses such as "P" mode on the shifter, alloy wheels, adjustable rear headrests, etc.
• Rear headroom is tight. Also, a rare Tata car that cannot seat 5 (best for 4 adults)
• Tata's after-sales service quality is a hit or miss. Remains a gamble
• It's a brand-new technology, so there will be issues & niggles

This review has been jointly compiled with Eddy. Thanks to him for the expert observations!

Introduction



In the past few years, Tata Motors has managed to turn the heads of a lot of Indian car buyers and make them seriously consider buying an electric car. It was in December 2019 that Tata unveiled the Nexon EV, which was followed by Tigor Electric and then the Nexon EV Max. After going through all the data and feedback from the customers, in September 2022, Tata launched its entry-level electric vehicle, the Tiago EV. It is equipped with plenty of features, has a decent range for a city car and good power too. It is also the most affordable electric car currently on sale, which is why it has attracted quite a lot of attention.

Interestingly, Tata has gone with two battery options for the Tiago EV - a 19.2 kWh battery pack with a claimed range of 250 km and a 24 kWh battery that has a claimed range of 315 km on a single charge. Speaking to some of the Tata officials, we were told that a majority of the bookings received to date are for the long-range variant. Deliveries should commence in January 2023. Powering the Tiago EV is a Permanent Magnet Synchronous motor that puts out 60 BHP & 110 Nm in the medium-range variant and 74 BHP & 114 Nm in the long-range variant. The Tiago EV is available in four variants (XE, XT, XZ+, and XZ+ Tech LUX) and five body colour options (Signature Teal Blue, Daytona Grey, Tropical Mist, Pristine White, and Midnight Plum).

Tata Tiago EV Price & Brochure


Tata has managed to have a sub-10 lakh-rupee starting price for the Tiago EV. The medium-range version is available in 2 variants: XE - Rs. 8.49 lakh & XT - Rs. 9.09 lakh. The long-range version is available in 3 variants: XT – Rs. 9.99 lakh, XZ+ - Rs. 10.79 lakh, and XZ+ Tech LUX – Rs. 11.29 lakh. Further, you can opt for a 7.2 kW AC charger with the XZ+ and XZ+ Tech LUX variants for an additional amount of Rs. 50,000.

Compare these prices with the equivalent petrol-powered variants of the car and there’s obviously a massive difference. Variant to variant comparing top-ends of both, the price premium is ~Rs. 4.3 lakh (petrol automatic vs electric)! This is a lot & clearly just for early adopters, but for someone who’s looking at an entry-level electric car, the Tiago EV is one of the cheapest options on sale currently. It’s also worth noting that the Tigor EV is priced not too far away (~Rs. 1.8 lakh more).

You can download the 2022 Tata Tiago EV brochure here - Tata Tiago EV Brochure.pdf

Incentives



Central government incentives for electric vehicles are accounted for by the manufacturer when quoting the price at the time of purchase. These FAME II subsidies will be valid until March 31, 2024. State-wise incentives have encouraged a lot of people to buy EVs. However, given the growing popularity of EVs, some states have stopped giving out subsidies. The state government of Goa ended all the subsidies for electric cars on July 31, 2022. Make sure that you check the official government notifications regarding electric vehicle incentives as well as the dealer for more details. Income tax benefits are still available under section 80EEB (only applicable for vehicles registered by individuals) - click here to read a detailed article on the same.

Running Costs



Given the high prices of fossil fuels, the cost of running a vehicle has been a pain point for many. Let’s run down simple math for the Tiago EV. The battery capacity is 24 kWh, which means it will need 24 units of electricity for a 100% charge. The per-unit cost of electricity depends on the slab that you are in & your location, but on average, it’s about Rs. 8 per unit. In this case, you’ll be paying Rs. 192 for a full charge. While the claimed range is 315 km, you can expect a real-life driving range of ~200 km under normal driving conditions. Translated, you’ll be paying just Rs. 0.96 per km which is an incredibly sweet figure.

Want to know more about EVs?



Read GTO's excellent article (Electric Cars...through the eyes of a diehard petrol-head) on the topic.

Last edited by Aditya : 23rd December 2022 at 12:52.
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Old 21st December 2022, 10:00   #2
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Exterior




Design & Styling



Most people appreciate the looks of the Tiago. It’s likeable and has good proportions overall. With the Tiago EV, Tata has added a few accents to differentiate it from the internal combustion engine variant. For starters, the Tropical Mist and Signature Teal Blue paint shades are exclusive to the Tiago EV. You also get a blue accent below the grille and ‘.EV’ badges on the grille and fenders. The best part for owners will be the green number plate, which many wear as a badge of honour!

Build Quality, Fit & Finish



The overall build is solid and the car doesn’t feel flimsy. The doors have a good heft to them and close with a reassuring thud. Comparatively, the tailgate feels a bit light. With a kerb weight of 1,149 kilos, the Tiago EV is heavy. The heavy battery pack contributes significantly to its weight.

The fit & finish of some of the parts could have been better though. The paint quality of the car is good for its segment. The metallic paint shades have a lot of flakes and look nice in person during the daytime.

Wheels & Tyres



Like the Tigor EV, the Tiago EV also comes with 14-inch steel wheels and 175/65 section tyres. Sadly, no alloy wheels! Our test car was shod with Apollo Amazer XP series rubber, which are low-resistance tyres specifically designed for efficiency. The steel wheels are offered with wheel covers that make them look like alloy wheels. The recommended tyre pressure for all wheels is 33 PSI. Note that the Tiago EV doesn't come with a spare wheel, instead you get a puncture repair kit. We'd recommend buying a spare wheel just to be on the safer side in case of a tyre blowout. A spare wheel + tyre should cost you ~Rs. 6,500 (Rs. 1,500 for the steel rim and Rs. 5,000 for the Apollo tyre).

Ground Clearance



To bear the additional weight of the battery, changes have been made to the suspension. The Tiago EV has an unladen ground clearance of 165 mm which is 5 mm lower compared to the regular Tiago. However, it's good enough for Indian road conditions and we didn’t scrape the bottom anywhere during our test drive even on some rough roads.

Standard & Extended Warranty



The Tiago EV is offered with a standard warranty of 3 years / 125,000 km. You can extend it by 2 years, and you must make an entry in your to-do list to take the extended warranty (new technology after all). You get an 8-year / 160,000 km warranty on the battery pack and electric motor as standard.

Maintenance



The Tiago EV has a service interval similar to that of the Tigor EV which is 6 months / 7,500 km. EV maintenance is far simpler than ICE cars as there are no oil changes & filters (air and oil) to replace. Also since a lot of the braking is done while regeneration, the brake pads should last much longer than the regular Tiago. You can expect the service costs of the Tiago EV to be probably half of the Tiago petrol or even lesser.

Safety



The car comes with dual airbags, ABS + EBD, reverse parking camera only (no sensors) on the higher variants and parking sensors only on the lower variants, iTPMS (alerts if tyre pressure is low), auto battery cut-off on impact / accident, and a puncture repair kit. It also gets hill start assist, which is not to be mistaken with hill-hold. The car will roll back on a slope, but the feature basically bumps up the torque when it senses that it’s rolling back to help you get over the incline. So, be careful with the throttle when on an incline or you will be spinning the wheels. Similarly, the hill descent assist will bump up the regeneration when coming down a slope. Apart from this, the battery pack and motor get an IP67 rating which means they are dustproof & waterproof. The Tiago EV hasn't been crash tested by Global NCAP yet, but the Tigor EV has scored a 4-star rating. We expect Tiago EV to perform similarly.

Interior




Cabin Design & Quality



The interiors are similar to the regular Tiago and, IMO, they look a bit dated. The overall design and layout have been the same since the Tiago was launched in 2016. A few updates have come along the way like a dual-tone black & white dashboard, flat-bottom steering wheel, and a 7-inch touchscreen. The Tiago EV gets some functions specific to electric vehicles and some blue accents too. You also get white leatherette seat upholstery, which feels premium for the segment.

Unique & Noteworthy Features



If you are spending upwards of Rs. 10 lakh on a car, you will expect it to be loaded with features and the Tiago EV doesn’t disappoint in this aspect. It has a host of features like a 7-inch touchscreen head-unit with Android Auto & Apple CarPlay and a digital instrument cluster, projector headlamps, LED DRLs, cruise control, auto headlamps, auto wipers, automatic climate control, and an 8-speaker (4 speakers + 4 tweeters) sound system.

Apart from these, there’s the updated version of connected car features – ZConnect (powered by IRA). This includes features like remote climate control, lamp on/off, door lock/unlock, geofence alert, drive analytics, vehicle health check, charge limit set, roadside assistance, remote diagnostics, smartwatch connectivity and more.

Boot Space



The Tiago EV has a boot space of 240 liters, which is 2 liters less than the regular Tiago. However, the Tiago EV doesn’t get a spare wheel underneath the boot floor. This space is occupied by the battery. The portable charging cable is also placed in the boot, which eats some amount of space.

Driving the Tata Tiago EV


The car that we got to drive was the long-range variant with the 24kWh battery pack. It has a Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor that puts out 74 BHP & 114 Nm of torque:


Before we get to the driving part, let’s get some basics right. There are 3 main components in an EV – the battery, the motor, and the controller/charger. The battery is what stores the energy and the motor is what uses that energy to move the car. The controller/charger converts the energy from the battery into a usable form to power the motor. In more technical terms, the power grid from your house or a charging station is usually an AC current. The lithium-ion battery can store electric energy in DC form. So while charging, there’s an AC/DC converter that will convert the power grid's AC into DC and store it in your car’s battery. The DC fast chargers that you see usually have the AC/DC converter inbuilt, which is how they can charge your car’s battery faster. The controller typically sits on top of the motor. In the case of the Tiago EV, the controller and motor are placed under the bonnet.

The Tiago EV shares its powertrain with the Tigor EV. However, there are a few differences. The torque rating is down by 56 Nm in the Tiago EV. Both have a claimed 0-60 km/h time of 5.7 seconds, despite the Tigor EV being heavier. The tuning is different on both cars and it’s worth noting that the maximum motor rpm of the Tiago EV is higher than that of the Tigor EV. Now, let’s get to the driving part. People driving an EV for the first time will need to get used to the eerie silence after pressing the start/stop button, but it takes just a couple of drives to feel comfortable with it. There are 4 transmission modes to choose from – D, R, N, and S. ‘D’ mode is more designed for city driving conditions, while ‘S’ mode is when you want that extra power (at the cost of FE, which in this case, is the battery charge level). The rotary dial for transmission modes is not very intuitive and a traditional AT gear lever with slots would’ve been preferred. Tata has integrated their recent electric cars with a useful feature to go with this rotary transmission dial. Say you’re at a traffic signal, you no longer have to switch to ‘N’ and pull the handbrake. You can just pull the handbrake in ‘D’ mode and the creep function is disengaged, so the car won’t move. Neat integration, but the customers will have to be educated about this.

As a safety feature, the car will always start in "N" mode. Engage D, take your foot off the brake pedal and the Tiago EV gets off the line in a perfectly smooth manner, crawling at 6 km/h. It’s very linear and without any jerks. Driving around in "D" mode within the city is a super convenient affair. No clutch, no gears, no turbo lag & no noise means even a newbie driver will seem like a smooth one. The motor has sufficient torque, but it is used conservatively in "D" mode for a smoother driving experience & to maximize driving range. Think of "D" being more like "ECO" mode. Performance in D mode is decent, but that's it. You won’t have any issues keeping up with city traffic & power is sufficient for day-to-day commuting. When you want to suddenly accelerate from say 40 - 50 km/h though, you will feel the power deficit & it feels like a 1.2L NA petrol! If you want quicker acceleration, simply switch to "S" mode and you’ll notice a BIG difference in the way the power is put down. The throttle response is much sharper and you get a stronger surge of power. Added bonus = in "S", you'll see the power gauge on the left showing a redline at the limit (via 3 red bars), just like a conventional rev counter.

Out on the open road, D mode is adequate for regular drivers. You can cruise comfortably on the expressway. However, if you need to execute an overtaking manoeuvre quickly, S mode comes in handy. You'll also find yourself engaging "S" mode whenever you are in the mood for some fun. The Tiago EV feels peppy in Sport mode, even on the open road. Power is delivered strongly till 100 km/h, after which it starts to taper off. The Tiago EV's top speed is limited to ~120 km/h and progress from 110 - 120 km/h is quite slow. Must add that electric cars aren't good at high-speed cruising, from the range point of view. Drive continuously at 110 - 120 km/h in "S" mode and you'll see the battery level drop alarmingly fast. That's one of the reasons you'll see most EVs driving at 80 - 90 km/h on the expressway in the middle lane. If you’re wondering, how it compares to the Tigor EV with the torque deficit, don’t worry. The Tiago EV feels very similar to drive due to the lower kerb weight (86 kg lighter) and the tuning of the motor. All in all, it is a smooth car to drive in the city and on the occasional inter-city highway trips at 80-100 km/h.

Regenerative Braking



Remember when we said Tata is updating its cars based on customer feedback? Here’s an example. The Tigor EV that we drove last year didn’t have adjustable regenerative braking. The Tiago EV gets this feature and the latest Tigor EV also has been updated with the addition of adjustable regenerative braking. Way to be proactive Tata Motors! There are 3 levels of regeneration that you can choose from. You can also turn it off completely and depend on the brakes for stopping the car. Driving with maximum level 3 regeneration, you can feel your head nod when you lift off the accelerator. It’s good for maximizing range, but not so good for smooth driving. You can switch to level 1 or 2 for smooth deceleration on lift-off. One-pedal driving is very much possible in the city with level 3 regen as the deceleration is quite strong. However, the car won't come to a complete halt. It will crawl forward and you have to apply the brakes to stop it. This is again an individual preference and we were told that depending on customer feedback, Tata will or will not make the change in the next update. This change will merely be a software update, so it can be incorporated easily.

A thoughtful integration is that in level 3 regeneration and sometimes in level 2 (if the deceleration is strong), the brake lamps light up to let the car behind know that the Tiago EV is slowing down. Another point to note is that the level 3 regeneration will not be as strong when the battery percentage is 85 and above. It’ll show that the car is on level 3, but it won’t decelerate as strongly.

Noise, Vibration & Harshness (NVH)



Well, there’s no engine noise for starters! The only sound coming is a faint whirring by the electric motor. No gearshifts & minimal mechanical parts mean no jerks or vibrations. On the highway, tyre noise starts creeping into the cabin early at 80 km/h. You'll hear it more because there is no engine sound to drown some of it out.

Range



Range anxiety is a big concern with EVs. However, it’s only when you are pushing the car hard that you'll notice the range and battery percentage falling at a rapid pace. Tata Motors claims that under standard test conditions the Tiago EV has a range of 315 km, but under normal driving conditions, you can expect a range of ~200 km. This is enough for those intending to drive primarily in the city.

The range displayed on the MID varies based on the driving style of the previous driver. So, we couldn’t depend on the range readout on our test drive. There’s another useful bit of information on the MID next to the speedometer marked as ‘AEC’ which stands for average energy consumption and has a Wh/km reading. We managed to get around 140 Wh/km with ~60% driving in S mode and 40% sedate driving with maximum regeneration. If you want to calculate what that translates to in range, just divide 24,000 (24 kWh battery capacity) by the AEC reading. In this case, we got ~171 km of range, which is not bad considering the amount of time we spent in S mode. Keep the AEC number close to 120 Wh/km and that should translate to ~200 km of range which seems doable.

Charging



Tata Motors has been working with its sister company, Tata Power, to improve the charging infrastructure levels. Also, there are multiple independent players popping up with charging stations everywhere. That said, we can tell you that the best place to charge your EV is at home. Cheapest + most convenient. At an average cost of Rs. 8 per unit, you’ll be paying Rs. 192 for a full tank at home. The estimated charging time (10% to 100%) from a 15A plug is around 8.7 hours. You can opt for the 7.2kW AC charger at your home or office for Rs 50,000 to bring down the charging time to 3.6 hours. A DC fast charger would top up the charge from 10% to 80% in just under an hour.

Suspension




Ride Comfort



The Tiago EV gets a MacPherson strut suspension with dual-path struts at the front and a twist-beam suspension at the rear. It rides on 14-inch rims shod with 175/65 section tyres. The recommended tyre pressure rating is 33 PSI all around.

Like most fossil fuel cars converted to electric, the Tiago EV's suspension has been stiffened up due to the heavy battery pack it is carrying. You'll notice the firmer suspension as soon as you start driving the car. Over some mildly uneven roads in the city at slow speeds, there is a fair bit of movement in the cabin and it even feels jiggly at times. However, the suspension is quite absorbent at low speeds and you can carry some speed over rough roads. You feel more of the road in the Tiago EV, but still, the ride quality is liveable & compliant enough on most city roads. It's only the really big bumps that come in strong, as do the sharp road dips. On the other hand, the Tiago EV rides rather flat on the expressway. At high speeds, i.e. 100 km/h, you have to be careful of the road undulations and expansion joints.

Handling & Dynamics



There are a couple of things that aid the handling characteristics of the Tiago EV. Firstly, it’s the firmer suspension, and secondly, the heavy mechanicals (battery pack + motor) that lower the center of gravity. High-speed stability is very good and you’ll be doing 110 - 120 km/h on the expressway without feeling nervous at all.

Get on some twisty roads and you’ll appreciate the stiffer suspension. The car feels agile and you can carry good speed into corners. The suspension setup does complement the chassis well and the Tiago EV holds its line nicely. Changing direction on back-to-back corners is no problem either. You will like how the EV feels well-balanced in corners. In comparison to the Tigor EV, you don’t have the additional weight on the rear axle which is why it feels a tad bit more composed. Earlier, I had apprehensions that the heavy battery pack might cause some imbalance, but we didn't face any problem on our (admittedly) limited test drive. The only issue is the 175/65 section rubber, which is meant for maximizing range and not for pushing hard into corners. You will hear the tyres chirp when powering out of tight corners.

Steering



The electric power-assisted steering is a nice unit and is super light at parking speeds. The turning radius of 5.1 m is user-friendly and you can manoeuvre the car easily with gentle inputs on the steering. It weighs up adequately as you gain speed. It also has that typical trait in Tata’s steering where the weight is not added gradually. At ~50 km/h, you will notice that the steering wheel suddenly gets heavy. Very weird! The EPS is dead and there’s not much feel or feedback from it.

Braking



The Tiago EV gets disc brakes at the front and drum brakes at the rear. Their performance, in general, is satisfactory. However, we feel that wider tyres would definitely improve the braking performance of the car. Another sore point is that, like most EVs, the brake pedal has a spongy & rubbery feel. It feels weird at first, but you will get used to it.

Last edited by Aditya : 23rd December 2022 at 12:50.
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Old 21st December 2022, 10:00   #3
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Tata Tiago EV Exterior Images


Familiar face of the Tiago gets some EV treatment. The ‘.EV’ badge next to the Tata logo and the blue trim below the grille distinguish it well from the regular Tiago:


Not much is different at the rear except for the ‘TIAGO.EV’ badge on the tailgate:


Clean-looking side profile. The Tiago EV rides on 14-inch wheels shod with 175/65 section tyres. 15-inch alloy wheels on the regular Tiago aren’t offered on the EV:


The Tiago EV is quite a bit heavier than the regular Tiago due to the battery. The suspension has been retuned to balance the additional weight:


The Tiago EV measures 3,769 mm in length, 1,677 mm in width, and 1,536 mm in height with a wheelbase of 2,400 mm. The unladen ground clearance is 165 mm:


You get a solid grille at the front with a single opening in the middle and a wide air dam below. Both get the characteristic tri-arrow detailing:


Top-end XZ+ & XZ+ Tech Lux variants get automatic projector headlamps. LED DRLs are placed below, next to the foglamps:


‘.EV’ badges have been pasted on the fenders as well. ORVM covers are finished in black for dual-tone variants:


14-inch steel wheels with wheel covers that make them look like alloy wheels. The design feels too busy though and would’ve looked better if the silver extended till the middle:


Contrast black roof is offered on the top-end XZ+ Tech Lux variant. Outdated wire antenna sits at the front of the roof section:


175/65 R14 Apollo Amazer XP tyres are efficiency-focused:


HMSL is neatly integrated into the spoiler:


Tiago.EV badge looks good in person. Placement of the reversing camera and boot release isn't very ergonomic. You'll be brushing your hand against the camera while opening the hatch and the probability of it getting damaged in a rear collision is high:


No exhaust pipe here. You can see the lithium iron phosphate(LFP) type battery pack below. Also, note that there are no parking sensors on the higher variants (XZ+ & XZ+ Tech Lux):


High-voltage cables should've been covered up properly. Leaving them exposed is unsettling:


You can get a 7.2 kW AC fast charger for an additional amount of Rs. 50,000, which will charge Tiago EV from 10-100% in 3.6 hours. The car that you see here is in the Tropical Mist paint shade:

Last edited by Aditya : 23rd December 2022 at 12:45.
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Old 21st December 2022, 10:00   #4
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Tata Tiago EV Interior Images


Interiors are largely similar to the Tigor EV. The overall design is quite likeable and user-friendly. However, IMO, it has started to show its age:


Flat-bottom steering wheel is nice to hold and even gets leather wrapping. Buttons for the audio system, telephony, and voice commands are placed on the left spoke, while cruise control buttons are placed on the right spoke:


The Tiago EV is equipped with auto headlamps and auto wipers too:


Fully digital instrument cluster gets a blue EV highlight around it. The meter on the left shows how much power is being used or regenerated (dependent on the accelerator input, similar to an ICE car's rpm counter). You have a battery level indicator on the right and above that, you get the regen level indicator (3 bars). The screen in the middle displays the speed, charge level, transmission mode, range, average energy consumption (AEC), etc. The ‘Ready’ sign below the transmission mode indicates that the car is ready to drive:


A/C vents get some blue highlights as well:


Dual-tone theme from the dashboard continues to the door pad. Driver side window gets an auto-down feature and the ORVMs are electrically foldable:


Leatherette seats look premium but will get soiled easily due to their light colour. The driver seat is adjustable for height:


Dead pedal is tiny and almost unusable. I wear a UK10 size shoe and I could barely use half of the dead pedal. People with a big shoe size might even find the pedals placed too close to each other. Pedal travel is on the shorter side. Notice the exposed wiring above the pedals:


7-inch Harman touchscreen head-unit is easy to use and gets Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity. The infotainment system, however, feels old and some cars in the budget hatchback segment have a better interface and display. You also get a rear-view camera display with adaptive guidelines (no parking sensors though). Camera quality is good for a car of this price:



Tata has updated the ZConnect app. It now gets 45 connected car features like remote door lock/unlock, remote cooling, remote vehicle diagnostics, etc. Below, you can see some of the information regarding driving behaviour:


You can even set a maximum charging limit, do a diagnostic scan, set a geofencing radius, and more. While all this looks good and feels intuitive, we found that the remote functions took a long time to execute. Might be a one-off case. We’ll wait and see owners' experience with the connected car features:


Buttons for adjusting the regeneration are placed on the left. The button next to the foglamp switch is to lock the charger (to prevent theft). Say you are charging the car overnight in the parking lot, pressing the button locks/unlocks the charger from the port:


Automatic temperature control is standard across all variants:


Single USB port next to 12V socket above the cubbyhole:


The rotary gear shifter has 4 modes - R, N, D & S. We wish there was a "P" (park) mode that would lock the car in place. There is a gap between the desired gear being selected and the drive mode actually being engaged. This will get to you while executing three-point turns. Also, the backlight for the selected drive mode is not at all visible under direct sunlight. You will have to depend upon the display on the MID:


Seatbelts are equipped with pretensioners, load limiters and crash-locking tongue. The pretensioner wire, however, could have been tucked in neatly. This just looks shoddy:


A look at the rear bench with the leatherette upholstery. Two fixed headrests have been provided:


A look at maximum and minimum legroom. Front seats get scooped out seatbacks which liberate more knee room. Note that seatback pockets have not been provided:


I’m 5’10” tall and with the front seat adjusted to my driving position, I had just about enough legroom. The headroom was also barely enough for someone of my height and taller people would find their heads touching the roofline. The recline angle is comfortable and the under-thigh support is satisfactory. The fixed headrest was too short for my height and I would prefer the safer and more comfortable height-adjustable headrests:


Door pockets are quite tiny and can hold only half-liter bottles. Rear passengers will have to use this open storage area in the middle for a big bottle:


Puncture repair kit is placed under the front passenger seat:


Boot space is 240 liters, which is 2 liters less than the regular Tiago:


Since the battery is mounted underneath the boot floor, there is no spare wheel on offer. We'd suggest buying a spare wheel and tyre just to be on the safer side in case of a tyre blowout:


Some boot space is taken up by the charging cable:

Last edited by Aditya : 23rd December 2022 at 12:44.
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Old 21st December 2022, 10:00   #5
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Re: Tata Tiago Electric Review

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

Last edited by Aditya : 21st December 2022 at 10:05.
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Old 21st December 2022, 10:52   #6
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Re: Tata Tiago Electric Review

Great review Omkar. Would give 5 stars as always. Aspects of Tiago EV were nicely covered.

I would like to Appreciate Tata motors for taking the first mover advantage in bringing Electric versions of some of their popular cars. Surely some areas In Tiago EV could have been finished better. But again this one's not a complete mess.

I just hope issues related to charging which were reported by few members using Tigor EV and Nexon EV have been rectified.

Waiting to see An EV version of Punch and Altroz. Surely customers need to have wide options to choose.
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Old 21st December 2022, 12:11   #7
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Re: Tata Tiago Electric Review

Great review and detailed pictures overall.
The brakes on regeneration is a very nice touch, and very important an inclusion. It's nice to have so many features included. Auto AC, Auto headlights, Auto wipers is pretty good in a small car.

Meta comment: With the advent of EVs, I feel like the pros and cons list for EVs should be specific to EVs, and not comparing against ICE vehicles. All EVs will have some common downsides in comparison to ICE vehicles (charging time, and so on). Maybe we could have a link to all the common Pros and Cons between EVs and ICE vehicles in general, and the list in the review only compares it to other EVs (Akin to how we do it for facelifts or minor updates where we link the review to the original)
Just my 2 cents.
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Old 21st December 2022, 12:35   #8
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Re: Tata Tiago Electric Review

Nice and crisp review.

I would have appreciated if TATA could have put 4 airbags atleast, given that GNCAP has updated its testing methodology and the current TATA Tigor/Tiago platform with 2 Airbags might not score > 2 stars with updated GNCAP regulations.

I still think, the EV technology is evolving, but (thankfully) at good pace. I would still not opt for an EV as my primary car, unless it has a practical range of about 400-500 kms in city and is (even)more powerful. Think about it, affordable EVs with 0-100kmph in roughly 8 seconds and topping at about 150kmph, with 4/6 Airbags and 4/5 Star GNCAP ratings, would be a dream to drive not just in cities but on highways too. I see that dream becoming true in next 4-5 years.
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Old 21st December 2022, 13:56   #9
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Re: Tata Tiago Electric Review

I assume that the Exide battery shown in the photo is not used to power the main motor. In which case what is it used for?
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Old 21st December 2022, 13:58   #10
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Re: Tata Tiago Electric Review

Not having proper headrests at the back is a major miss. Getting rear ended will lead to rear passengers breaking their necks or suffering serious whiplash.



In India, they don't crash test rear impacts so I guess Tata figured they could just skip them since it won't affect safety rating.
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Old 21st December 2022, 14:01   #11
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Re: Tata Tiago Electric Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by th2 View Post
I assume that the Exide battery shown in the photo is not used to power the main motor. In which case what is it used for?
The only possible use could be to power the ICE and other electrical systems. But even then, its a lame design. This will reduce the range as it adds to the weight, both the battery and the charging system.
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Old 21st December 2022, 14:04   #12
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Re: Tata Tiago Electric Review

I think the hill start assist might be a deal breaker for some. Even though its a city car and probably there won't be a situation where it has to be driven in the hills, we still have malls, flyovers and other situations that can cause panic during the roll back. The nexon ev max gets hill hold. Not sure why it wasn't given here. The roll back can be quite a lot as demonstrated at time 23:00 in this video on a 14 degree incline:

Last edited by oli.ferns : 21st December 2022 at 14:07. Reason: editing the link timing
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Old 21st December 2022, 14:05   #13
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Re: Tata Tiago Electric Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by th2 View Post
I assume that the Exide battery shown in the photo is not used to power the main motor. In which case what is it used for?
All the car's electrical systems (headlights, central locking etc) work on 12V and the exide battery is for that. Even Tesla uses a 12V battery for all its electrical requirement. This battery is also used to switch on the motor when you 'start' the car.
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Old 21st December 2022, 14:06   #14
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Re: Tata Tiago Electric Review

True value-for-money EV indeed . A proper EV at a price of 9 lakhs on-road Mumbai (base medium-range variant). The WagonR 1.0 AMT costs 7.5 for the starting variant! With the Tiago, you get safety, a super smooth driving experience & 200-km range that is more than enough for a city commuter.

What you also get is the benefit of experience, Tata has been building EVs for a while now. I had enjoyed driving the Tigor EV and am sure the Tiago EV will be no less.

Great review, thanks for sharing!
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Old 21st December 2022, 14:23   #15
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Re: Tata Tiago Electric Review

Thanks for the wonderful review. I do not have the experience of using an electric car. More particular my question or thoughts are around the charging station and types. Do they vary based on each car? If they are designed to support any car model, I think that's more practical. Also once I invest in a good fast charger and have set it up, it should be supportive to use any car model and customers should not be forced to buy a new one each time. I may even share my charging station between two of my electric cars or may share it with a neighbour/friend. Charger cost - is this free from insurance cost, road tax, additional Cess? If yes and buying a charger is compulsory, then each time we end up paying more money with no proper justification to some of the taxes.
This is also applicable for many other features in the car where we end up paying a taxes for Road/Additional cess and insurance. Insurance I may tend to agree if they cover some of the car's features/ But other two, I am doubtful.
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