Tata Tigor EV

Where Does It Fit?

Tata Motors has gone product offensive when it comes to EVs in India. Ranging from compact hatchbacks to SUVs, Tata Motors has an EV in nearly every segment, and the diversification has helped it be the top EV manufacturer in the country. One of its electric products is the Tigor EV, which currently is the only electric subcompact sedan on sale in India. And yet, while it faces little to no competition, it isn’t one of the most successful products in Tata’s arsenal. Does it deserve more attention than it gets? Read on to find out.

Tata Tigor EV Pros and Cons 

Tata Tigor EV Exterior Design

The Tigor EV gets a few touches that set its design apart from the ICE Tigor, and most of those details are at the front. The front grille is now closed off, and it is lined on the lower side by a light blue insert, signifying the EV credentials. There’s a ‘.EV’ badge on the grille too. Lower down the bumper, the air-dam is body coloured instead of black, and sports Tata’s signature tri-arrow cutouts. Flanking fog-lamp housings also get blue inserts. Apart from a blue strip in the diffuser, the rear remains unchanged. 

Being the Tiago’s sibling, the front 3/4th of the Tigor looks almost identical to the Tiago, which is a good thing. Just like the Tiago, the Tigor’s — and subsequently the Tigor EV’s — fascia looks fresh yet traditional and clean. The roofline flows into the C-pillar, which is where the Tigor distinguishes itself from the Tiago. And while the rear of the Tiago is rather natural and appealing, the silver coloured tail lights and chrome strip that separate them aren’t as eye-pleasing. Having to comply with being under four metres long to fit in the tax bracket has also taken a toll on the overall proportions, and where the Tiago has a definitive hatchback silhouette, the Tigor doesn’t have a very sedan-like silhouette. The inclusion of the number plate on the boot lid instead of the bumper also makes the rear look busy and overdesigned, and it is one of the least attractive rear ends of any Tata car on sale presently.

Tata Tigor EV Interiors 

A similar story continues on the inside, where save for a few highlights, the design is identical to the ICE Tigor. There are blue outlines around AC vents and the instrument cluster, and the gear lever makes way for a rotary drive selector. But apart from that, the interior is near-identical to the ICE counterpart. The dashboard gets an island-like area on the centre which houses the air-con vents, infotainment screen, and a few other quick access buttons, including buttons to adjust regen levels. The dual-tone finish looks premium, and while some surfaces are finished in hard plastic, they don't feel low quality. The seats also get a light beige coloured leatherette upholstery with blue stitching. The overall design is very natural and premium.

The cabin is good on the practicality front as well. There’s plenty of storage spaces all around, including a cooled glovebox. However, the bottle holders in the door pockets aren’t large enough to hold one-litre bottles. The boot — at 316 litres — is fairly generous considering the battery pack is placed underneath it. But that is thanks to the omission of a spare tyre. The Tigor EV instead packs a puncture repair kit, which can suffice until you find a proper puncture shop. And since this car is expected to stay in the urban environment, the lack of a spare wheel is not a deal-breaker. 

Tata Tigor EV Comfort

The Tata Tigor EV has a compact footprint, and that is very evident on the inside. The cabin is fairly narrow, and as a result front passengers are seated pretty close to each other. Front seats are wide and offer a good amount of comfort, and the rear seats are also decent when it comes to support. The cabin though is not wide enough to accommodate three passengers at the back comfortably, and passengers will have to squeeze in to make space. Knee and leg room is sufficient, and headroom is good. Interestingly, the batteries of the Tigor EV are not under the floorboard, so the floor is not raised like in most other EVs. This allows rear passengers to have a better seating position. The suspension though isn’t the most comfortable, and while the higher section tyres absorb a fair bit of bumps, most larger undulations filter through into the cabin.

Tata Tigor EV Performance and handling

The Tata Tigor EV is offered in just one battery–motor configuration. The motor puts out 74 bhp and 170 Nm of torque. As the numbers suggest, the Tigor EV doesn’t deliver neck snapping acceleration. Instead, the power is built up in a more gradual manner. It gets two drive modes which you can toggle between using the rotary drive selector. The sport mode adds pep to the driving experience of the Tigor EV, but for most urban driving conditions, city mode is sufficient. While the power and torque is sufficient for urban requirements, the Tigor EV is not necessarily a peppy car, and is best enjoyed at city speeds. Performance tapers off post triple digit speeds, and the top speed is around 120 km/h. On the handling front, the Tigor EV does in fact do a good job. The steering is light at low speeds, and it weighs up nicely at higher speeds. It also does a fairly good job while cornering.

Tata Tigor EV Battery, Charging, and Range

The Tata Tigor EV gets a 26 kWh battery pack, which is slightly larger than the one in the long range version of the Tiago EV. Its claimed range of 315 km on a full charge though, is identical to the Tiago EV long range, and should translate to a real world range of around 200-220 km. This means that for the best part, the Tigor EV will be restricted to the city, and inter-city trips will require planning for charging stops. The battery pack supports DC fast charging, and a 10–80% top up takes just under 1 hour. Charging it at home from 10–100% will take over 9 hours, so it is best to plug it in overnight.

Tata Tigor EV Key specifications 

Tata Tigor EV Safety Features

The Tata Tigor EV received a respectable 4-star rating when it was crash tested by GNCAP for both adult as well as child crash protection. It is equipped with all the safety features that you’d come to expect from a car in its segment, like dual airbags, ABS, EBD, corner stability control, rear parking camera with sensors and dynamic guidelines, and a tyre pressure monitoring system. 

Tata Tigor EV Technology and Infotainment

The Tata Tigor EV is fairly well-equipped when it comes to features. It gets a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and the system is paired with an immersive 8-speaker Harman sound system that delivers segment-leading audio quality. Behind the steering wheel is a small digital instrument cluster, which displays most of the basic information, including the tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) readouts, trip computers, speed readouts, and more. The layout is a bit confusing at first — thanks to the compact size of the display — but you will get used to it in a short while. The Tigor EV is also equipped with a cooled glovebox, and a USB charging port.

Is the Tata Tigor EV for you?

The Tigor EV is sandwiched between the Tiago EV and the Nexon EV in Tata’s electric line-up. While it acts like a good bridge between the two, the existence of the other two models is what complicates things for the Tigor EV. For a significantly lower price, the Tiago EV offers almost the same amount of car, save some additional boot space and legroom for rear passengers. In fact, the Tiago EV is a better handler, and is more comfortable and spirited. The range figures on the long range Tiago EV and the Tigor EV are identical too, so the Tigor EV’s significantly higher cost is not entirely justified. On the other hand, for a premium on top of the Tigor EV, the Tata Nexon EV offers way better looks, practicality, and performance, and a slightly higher range figure too. For the select few EV buyers who also want a larger boot space but are not willing to stretch up to the Nexon EV, the Tigor EV is a good choice, but most others would be better off choosing either of the other two electrics from Tata’s offerings.