CNG Hatchbacks: Tata Tiago vs Maruti WagonR vs Hyundai i10

I did love the Tiago CNG's implementation though. This is no CNG kit added as an afterthought. The execution is brilliant. It's very driveable in the city, the car's build is solid, interiors are good and the suspension is sorted.

Tata Tiago iCNG

What you'll like:

• An extremely well-implemented & well-tuned CNG kit
• A CNG car with factory-backing, factory warranty & OEM standards of safety / quality
• Available in the top variant, unlike most other CNG models
• Cheap running costs that are way lesser than petrol hatchbacks
• 24% lower CO2 emissions & greener image will appeal to the environmentally-conscious
• Sorted road manners, including on the highway
• Great styling; a very chic-looking hatchback at a fair price
• Solid build & construction, unlike most of its flimsy competitors
• High quality, well-designed interiors feel nice
• City friendly nature: light controls, agreeable ergonomics & good driveability (in CNG too)
• Amazing 8-speaker Harman entertainment system
• 4-star GNCAP safety rating is praiseworthy

What you won't:

• No boot space at all due to the CNG tank. Get a carrier for those long journeys!
• Reduced power output is evident on the highway. CNG mode has lesser top-end performance
• Many Indian cities & towns don’t have CNG pumps. Queue for CNG can be long in metro cities
• Firmer suspension & higher tyre psi rating means you feel more of the bad roads / potholes
• 26.49 km/kg FE is noticeably lower than direct competitors like the WagonR & Celerio CNG
• Higher maintenance costs & upkeep (overall) in comparison with regular petrol variant
• AMT / AT unavailable with the CNG kit, although we expect it to be introduced in due time
• Removing & putting back the spare tyre is a tricky affair due to the CNG tank location
• Rear headroom is tight. Also, a rare Tata car that cannot seat 5 (best for 4 adults)
• Some deleted features = no alloy wheels and parking sensors
• All passengers need to get out of the vehicle while refilling CNG
• Tata's after-sales service quality is a hit or miss. Remains a gamble

Review Link

Maruti WagonR CNG

Launch Thread

Hyundai Grand i10 Nios CNG

News Article

Maruti Celerio CNG

Launch Thread

Maruti S-Presso CNG

Launch Thread

Hyundai Santro CNG

Launch Thread

Here's what GTO had to say about the matter:

I will be upfront that I have driven just one car on this list, the Tiago CNG. The other CNG cars I have no first-hand experience with. That being said, Omkar did talk to me about Maruti's CNG implementation and it was just "okay". Am sure Hyundai - being Hyundai - has done a better job with the Grand i10 & Santro CNGs, but again, haven't driven them.

I did love the Tiago CNG's implementation though. This is no CNG kit added as an afterthought. The execution is brilliant. It's very driveable in the city, the car's build is solid, interiors are good and the suspension is sorted.

No hesitation in recommending the Tiago CNG to any economy-oriented person with high running. It's the car that gets my vote.

Here's what Bhpian Sanidhya_mukund had to say about the matter:

Each of them offer something unique. The S-presso is the cheapest, the WagonR and Celerio have relatively better boot space, the Hyundais are feature packed and the Tatas are safe and offer CNG across all variants. This makes the choice very subjective because different factors among these may appeal to different people.

However, when one compares them purely on the basis of CNG implementation, Tata and Maruti rank much higher than the Hyundais in my opinion. While Maruti and Tata use in-house developed kits, Hyundai depends on a company called CEV engineering. The previous Grand i10 and Xcent also had kits from the same company and in those cars, the installation was like a typical aftermarket fitment (filling through the bonnet, no integrated CNG gauge). The newer models may have addressed the issue of the kit looking like an aftermarket fitment, but I haven’t heard good things about it. I asked a couple of cab drivers I know and they told me that CNG related problems are not rectified within the Hyundai dealership, they send you to a different service centre belonging to CEV. I don’t know how far is this true, owners can clarify. A few drivers who drive Xcents also said that “Gaadi bohot jaldi jhatke dene lagti hai”, which I assume, means that it starts misfiring very soon. These made me apprehensive about Hyundai CNG cars. One must also note that both Tata and Maruti cars have a kill switch at the fuel filling nozzle, which prevents the car from starting if the fuel filler cap is left open inadvertently. The Hyundai cars don’t have this. Here in Delhi, all taxis are CNG cars and the general consensus among drivers (at least the ones I have talked to) seems to be that the WagonR and Dzire are more trouble free cars compared to the Hyundai CNG models.

As far as the others are concerned, the S-presso is unsafe and the WagonR is offered in a single bare bones trim level. Even the Celerio comes with doubtable credentials with respect to safety. That only leaves us with the Tiago.

Another thing I noted was that neither Hyundai, nor Maruti offer test drives of the CNG models. Not sure about Tata though.

Here's what BHPian quattroa4 had to say about the matter:

It's better to carry a 10 KG bomb( CNG tank ) in an 4 star GNCAP car rather than in tin boxes of Maruti and Hyundai . Convenience with safety that is in a Tiago .

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.