[invidious]

Originally Posted by simplyself

Zest is a more powerful vehicle, atleast in its 90HP guise.

I believe Zest's days as a private vehicle are over. They might be targeting taxi market with Zest once Tigor gets a firm toehold in CS market.

I wish Tigor has a more powerful engine.

Originally Posted by simplyself

In addition to a more powerful Tigor and a taxi market Zest, what Tata essentially needs is a sedan.

There is no use pinning hopes on Zest, it's like flogging a dea horse. The attributes of Zest, except for its boot, make it ideal for taxis.

That explains why I've had two Zest Ubers recently. Maybe the Zest was a stop-gap till the Tigor arrived. I've not had the opportunity to sit in a Tigor but at least to the naked eye, it seems like a more contemporary vehicle.

Does it need a sedan to compete in the Ciaz/City segment? I doubt Tata would make much inroads in that market.

[keeprevving]

After reading the review and comments of fellow Team-BHPians, it's no brainer that Tigor needs powerful engines.

Tata can offer powerful engines at least as an option. I know this will hike its price and can dent Zest's volumes, but anyways Zest isn't selling much, so it shouldn't be a problem.

Adding powerful engines will definitely draw more crowd for sure. Especially from the higher CS segment.

[amrutmhatre90]

People for those asking and comparing Tigor with the Zest my 2 cents on these.

1) Tigor has no *real* competition so far,the only proper car to compare would have been the Chevy Beat Sedan only if Chevy would have launched Sedan.
2) Tigor is much smaller than the Zest, also a segment lower than Zest.

Everyone complaining about the engine, I feel you should drive this car and come on conclusions. Yes, it is 3 cyl so it is noisy, but you wont feel the clatter once your inside and turn on the music system. Yes it needed a bit of more power, but for your daily drives in Urban cities it is adequate.

Coming on to Zest, it was a good car but the egg shaped attributes and Tata's half baked attempts to sell it,went against them.

Tata soon will be launching a car to take on City and Ciaz keep your eyes open.

[Nagesh Bhatt]

Absolutely fantastic review Omkar ! In keeping with the great tradition of outstanding reviews from TBHP, your's is as unbiased, covers all aspects in entirety with nuanced inputs, this one makes for a great reading.

Agree, Tata's have been making a terrific effort on making any car a successful venture on Indian soil & Tigor is an perfect example of that. In a highly polarized,lop sided competition, it's really more of a brain game than producing engineering masterpieces.

Originally Posted by needforspeed88

Sadly Tata's have gone in for three cylinder options which lack both performance and refinement. The compact sedan segment is cut throat competitive and the consumer has plenty of choices.

2] The inability to fit in a third passenger comfortably in the back seat is a setback in this segment.

3] Not having even an option of Airbag in lower variants a big no no.

4] Tigor looks good, has good dynamics, excellent ride quality, good interior, music system but it is fighting an uphill battle with those mediocre engines, lack of Airbags in lower variants and Tata's questionable sales and service experience.

Originally Posted by PraNeel

Just look at the long list of + points which are negated by a single -ive point of 3 cylinder engines. Common Tata you already had a good base set by Tiago. Instead of projector headlamps, auto ac, led tail lamps etc proper 4 cylinder engines would have given a good chance to this car to grab some numbers from other compact sedans.
Some might say that price is low and it it trying to create a new segment of it's own, but sedan with a weak engine will put most of the customers off!! Tata is not in a position to create new segments, they need to establish themselves.


All recent Tata products have USP, however they need to realize that an all rounder nature is required for the product to succeed. Just take a look at new Maruti Dzire, which has a 3 months waiting period. Reason standard safety features, wide pricing range and choice of AMT and manual gearbox.

When does a customer who's just entering the world of sedan's looking whether the engine is a 3 cylinder or a 6 cylinder one. Mass of people do not make choices based on engine, power, safety; at least the evidence does not show that. Otherwise the likes of Zests/Figos/Puntos would have flooded the marketplace by now.

Also, a word on safety, forget people looking for an air bag to make a safe buying choice, how many people belt up on their own ?

Tigor weighs a whole 150 kg more than the market leader, goes to show the amount of steel gone into making a stronger shield.

Originally Posted by COMMUTER

If only Tata brings up effective measures on giving their existing customers peace mind for a minimum of 10 years then only they will see their sales gain steam. They need to make the service transparent, acknowledge the manufacturing defects even after end of warranty period, make their spares affordable and make their dealers toe the line. They have to take each and every niggle like a life threatening incident and act upon them diligently even to the point of issuing recalls or at least in making the process of getting replacements less hindered by fleecing dealers.

They should not bank on just making the car more VFM and feature rich but on keeping their sales starved dealers in check to make their products a grand success.

Isn't this precisely what they are aiming to be doing ?
From the slew of models they are trying to bring in rather than clinging on to their age old machines Tata's are looking like people on a mission. Manza was a semblance of a success aside of being a fabulous car, in came "Zest" & then "Bolt" both of which are decent enough vehicles with a pioneering manual AMT, yet these did not create any ripple whatsoever.
Here's is Tiago & now Tigor & we are already bashing it for three cylinders.

On this very forum many people have only good things to say about the much improved TASS effort & also that the uncaring, callous attitude is a thing of the past. At least I have not had any complaints whatsoever in my six years ownership of a Tata vehicle.

Originally Posted by vishy76

The 3 pot engines are a bit of a disappointment really. Tata is developing a new diesel for the Nexon, why not plonk that into the tigor?

Slightly disagree here !

The 3 pot "Kwid" is a success here even in the presence of the mighty, "Alto", albeit from a different segment & exactly the same set of comments were then expressed on the forum.

[greenhorn]

In my opinion, there may be another reason behind the 3 pot beyond FE.
For some reason, while tata seems to have taken leaps and bounds in making the rest of the car, the tiago & the tigor still seem to be stuck with the TA65 gearbox that was used in the Indica/Indigo and the vista TDI.
The Indica NA had some 53 bhp with the TC bumped up to 63, and the TCIC bumped up to 68.
When the Dicor was launched, everyone was very underwhelmed to find out that it had only 70 bhp (ie 2 more) when the previous versions has made much more substantial strides. The culprit?

Originally Posted by RSR

It's NOT about the power, it's about the torque! In fact, it's about the torque that can be handled by their TA65 gearbox.

It's a known fact that the TA65 can safely handle only around 140Nm of torque or thereabouts. This gearbox with some tweaks will continue to do duty with this 1.2 Revotron, apart from the 1.4 CR4 and TDI engines.

Tata's 1.4 lit. CR4 (an improved DiCOR engine) is a pretty advanced unit, with 16 valves, twin cams and a variable geometry turbocharger. Yet it churns out a modest 70PS only, which is similar to the old 8v SOHC indirect injection turbo-diesel. This is because the torque had to be limited to 140Nm due to the limitations of the TA65 gearbox. Therefore, Tata concentrated on improving fuel efficiency and drivability of the engine, instead of going for maximum output.

It seems that given the gearbox constraint, they have tried to simplify the engine instead, taking out one cylinder, and still managing similar power and torque, hopefully giving better FE through reduced weight and friction (and FE is what this segment is all about)

I hope that tata is developing a refined CR4 to replace the MJD in the zest/bolt, and a more powerful GB that can unleash the full power of their engines!

[parth.jain]

Fantastic review! Really enjoyed reading it.

It's a pity that TATA was not able to provide a test car to T-BHP. When I went to purchase my Zest back in Aug'15, they had made a banner advertising that Zest has won 'The car of the Year' award from T-Bhp. Now they don't have the decency to provide a test car!

However, I really like what Tata has been doing with their cars. Back in 2015, the Zest was the cheapest and the most VFM car in the segment. It had projector headlamps, Touch-screen infotainment, DRLs, LED taillamps, etc. which none of the competitors provided at that time. Also, it had the 90 PS variant of the popular 1.3 L Fiat engine (Also, it is the heaviest. Even heavier by 70 kg as compared to Ciaz ).

Zest had some shortcomings also like, Wierd small boot, Absolutely no bottle holders and storage spaces in the cabin, No rear armrest. I believe Tata took note of all the short-comings of the Zest and made it right in Tigor.

I am worried about the Zest's future. The placement of Zest and Tigor in the same segment(theoretically) looks funny.
They have addressed all the problems of Zest in the Tigor, developed a new engine themselves(No royalty to Fiat!) and priced it lower than the Zest. The only strength of Zest in comparison to Tigor is a better engine.
Is the Zest going to end?

[PraNeel]

Originally Posted by Nagesh Bhatt

When does a customer who's just entering the world of sedan's looking whether the engine is a 3 cylinder or a 6 cylinder one. Mass of people do not make choices based on engine, power, safety; at least the evidence does not show that. Otherwise the likes of Zests/Figos/Puntos would have flooded the marketplace by now.

The 3 pot "Kwid" is a success here even in the presence of the mighty, "Alto", albeit from a different segment & exactly the same set of comments were then expressed on the forum.

If that would have been the case then Tigor would have been flying off the shelf and Zest would have been a super duper hit!! For entry level hatch 3 cylinder engines are the norm and even then Kwid came out with the 1 litre variant. Kwid had all the features and styling, why did Renault bother?
Maruti tried with 2 cylinder diesel engine in Celerio and they had to discontinue the model. Tata Nano's biggest gripe is 2 cylinder engine which doesn't sound well. So my dear friend engine does matter and remember the mango man is now much more informed and evaluates several parameters before buying a car.

Also, a word on safety, forget people looking for an air bag to make a safe buying choice, how many people belt up on their own ?

Tigor weighs a whole 150 kg more than the market leader, goes to show the amount of steel gone into making a stronger shield.

Just a heavier structure doesn't guarantee a safe car. While better sheet metal thickness is appreciable, lack of standard safety features can't be justified by it (better sheet metal thickness). Not so long time ago MUL chairman commented "More safety in cars will mean less road safety", while today Maruti is leading the pack in terms of standard safety features!! This shows a shift in customer preferences and going against that will not help Tata.

Manza was a semblance of a success aside of being a fabulous car, in came "Zest" & then "Bolt" both of which are decent enough vehicles with a pioneering manual AMT, yet these did not create any ripple whatsoever.
Here's is Tiago & now Tigor & we are already bashing it for three cylinders.

You need an all rounder product to succeed in market today.
1. Manza had styling and quality issues.
2. Zest was a very good attempt and it helped change perception of Tata, but with Bolt they got the pricing totally wrong!
3. For Tiago a 4 cylinder engine was desirable, but with Tiago and with additional weight the lack of power and NVH becomes apparent. And if you look at pricing the more accomplished Zest petrol top model is just 60k away from Tigor top petrol model (Delhi ex-showroom prices). With ongoing discounts on Zest this gap further reduces!! The new Dzire VXI variant is just 10k dearer and VXI AGS is 47k away. The V model is decently equipped and has the acclaimed 1.2 K series engine and standard safety features. You just can't ignore the competition!!

On this very forum many people have only good things to say about the much improved TASS effort & also that the uncaring, callous attitude is a thing of the past. At least I have not had any complaints whatsoever in my six years ownership of a Tata vehicle.

Your experience is good and accepted, however it is not same for everyone. I registered for Zest and Hexa test-drives when the vehicles were launched, and none of the dealers cared to call back forget about TD.
I went to Tata showroom for Tiago test drive and the dealer arm twisted me to sign a declaration that if vehicles meets an accident during TD then I will have to bear the expenses and dealer will not claim insurance!!

In the end most of the members want Tata to succeed (including me) and their current efforts are laudable, however their shortcomings can't be ignored.

[silverado]

Thanks for a detailed review.Maybe we should have a You tube review from Team Bhp in future ( I am sure Mods are thinking on those lines already ).

Tigor is a Compact sedan in true sense with compact length, compact width and compact engine. On paper it looks unbeatable at this price point.
The overall good feel of Quality at the price its selling in simply amazing.

Build quality of Tiago/Tigor is exceptional, just try lifting bonnet from either one of them to feel it. Both of them have a longish dashboard and the view from driver's seat is not something which I personally liked.

TATA is working with Jayem automotive to bring in sporty versions of Tiago/Tigor, which should fill in the need for more power.

Tigor is an allround product which can do with subtle improvements like :

1) Bigger touchscreen ( People get attracted to touchscreens these days )
2) Wider choice of engines
3) Option for armrest at front ( asking for too much )
4) Sport mode
5) Push button start/Keyless entry

TATA should bring this car on par with other sub-4m sedans and not keep it in lower segment than Zest, to unleash its true potential.

[simplyself]

I do believe the reviews when it said the Tigor's diesel engine is quite drivable.

Xcent was launched with a 3 cylinder diesel, if I remember correctly. And it did sell.

I do not know about warranty aspect of Tigor's but I do feel Tata must provide it with an offer like that of Zest's when they launched it.

[greenhorn]

Originally Posted by PraNeel

Just a heavier structure doesn't guarantee a safe car. While better sheet metal thickness is appreciable, lack of standard safety features can't be justified by it (better sheet metal thickness). Not so long time ago MUL chairman commented "More safety in cars will mean less road safety", while today Maruti is leading the pack in terms of standard safety features!! This shows a shift in customer preferences and going against that will not help Tata.

That may be true, but I would reserve judgement until the crash test results are out. Tata has a history of building very robust bodies (they own some of the best steel mills after all!). Active safety is just one of the components of making a car safer!

Why, Just recently, the zest with 2 airbags scored 4 stars in NCAP while the swift with 6 airbags scored just 3

[Latheesh]

They even have in-house crash test facility at their Pune plant.

Had a chance to follow berry red Tigor. This car is a beauty.

Rear and side view looks awesome, but front looks too much like Tiago. Different grill design can make this car looks great. Throw bit wider and low profile tire, and you have second best looking compact car in the country after Merc A-Class.

[Dieselritzer]

Hi, can i know the speed / gear / RPM combinations?

Top gear, 100, 120, 150 come at what RPMs?

Also, will really a sportier version of Tigor come anytime soon?

[Mitul1979]

Great review. Very comprehensive and detailed.
However, I failed to zero in on a single worthy USP which will make consumers buy this vehicle.
- The design...yes. But don't believe Indians buy cars for their design...the first gen Dzire was outright ugly and still sold like hot cakes.
- Music system...yes again. But we don't buy cars for that purpose either.
- Improved quality...happy to know this. But this is a relative thing.
- Price...may be the biggest USP. Lets see how far it takes this product.
Things I think should have been reconsidered:
- Engines: A weak heart is the most disappointing thing to find in any car.
- Refinement: Don't think they are up to the mark.
- Safety: Really? No airbags except for the top end?
- Service: The most painful thing (speaking from my own personal experience as an ex owner). Tata needs to put their act together.

[keeprevving]

I went for a Tiago AMT test drive. It was not available. FYI, there are none in Bhubaneswar. Nevertheless, I need to check with the other dealer in Cuttack. So went for a Tigor XZ(O) Petrol test drive. Following are my views:

Likes:
Looks appealing for a sub-4m sedan.
High quality paint.
Interiors are well put up - console and dashboard
High seating = Better visibility.
Light steering (easy for city maneuvers).
Satisfactory driveability within city limits.
Handling - Neutral.
Easy Ingress and Egress (I'm 5'11").
Ride quality is good.
Impressive Harman ICE.
Safety features - 2Airbags+ABS+EBD - Top end version only.
2+2 Year/1,00,000kms Warranty

Dislikes:
Petrol engine clatter is intrusive. Car needs better insulation.
Badly needs a 4-Cyl Engine at least as on option.
Suites sedate driving style.
Sticky 2nd gear.
Rear seat is best for 2 adults and a kid.
Steering too light for my taste.
Horn pad position.
AC Blower is too noisy. Best kept at 1-3 level.
Seats are on the softer side. Especially the rear bench.
Dealer (Bharat Motors) needs to spruce up their showroom experience.

Tata aims to grab prospective hatchback buyer or wants them to upgrade without spending much. A 4-cyl if given as an option can grab people from lower as well as higher segments.

Tigor shouldn't be compared to other sub-4m sedans (Dzire, Xcent, Amaze, Aspire, Zest), unlike some websites and magazines. Many automobile sites have compared Tigor vs. Dzire vs. Xcent. Some have pitted Tigor head-on with Dzire. Why? Tata is almost 1.5-2 lakhs cheaper. It's like comparing apples with oranges. If Tigor vs. Dzire vs. Xcent is possible, then why not compare Dzire vs. Rapid, Ciaz, City, Verna. The price difference isn't much.

[vsrivatsa]

Originally Posted by keeprevving

Tigor shouldn't be compared to other sub-4m sedans (Dzire, Xcent, Amaze, Aspire, Zest), unlike some websites and magazines. Many automobile sites have compared Tigor vs. Dzire vs. Xcent. Some have pitted Tigor head-on with Dzire. Why? Tata is almost 1.5-2 lakhs cheaper. It's like comparing apples with oranges. If Tigor vs. Dzire vs. Xcent is possible, then why not compare Dzire vs. Rapid, Ciaz, City, Verna. The price difference isn't much.

Only thing though, the price maybe introductory and Tata may follow the Tiago strategy of doing regular frequent price hikes. The Tiago has had its price hiked 5-6 times already. On the other hand, they may not as well, since the Tigor is not selling as much as the Tiago...We will have to wait and watch.