People find the Tiago EV a well-rounded package but also have high expectations from the upcoming Tata Punch EV.
BHPian Omkar recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
MG Comet
What you’ll like
- An affordable EV that focuses on personal mobility
- Ultra-compact size, light steering and small turning radius make it perfect for crowded cities
- A well-built hatchback that doesn’t feel cheap
- Real world range should be 150 – 160 km which is enough for an urban commuter
- Adjustable drive modes and selectable regen braking are useful in various driving conditions
- Zero emissions, cheap running costs & green image will appeal to a lot of people
- Good-looking cabin that has adequate space for 4 people to drive around town
- Tech includes a 10.25-inch touchscreen with wireless Android Auto & Apple CarPlay, connected car benefits, cool starting procedure (no button to press), digital key sharing, etc.
- Good feature list includes LED headlamps, indirect TPMS, keyless entry, split folding rear seat, reverse parking camera with sensors, etc.
- Plenty of customization options and accessories to make your car truly unique
What you won’t
- Weird, funky styling may not appeal to everyone
- Not for people who want to do highway runs. This car is strictly for the city only
- 2-door design means difficult rear seat access. Also, it is a 4-seater, not 5
- 41 BHP motor isn’t fun-to-drive
- Can be used only as the 2nd or 3rd car of the house. Surely not your primary vehicle
- Zero boot space with all the seats up. You’ll have to fold the rear seats if you want to carry any luggage
- No DC fast charging or even AC fast charging options. Just home charging is available which takes 7 hours for a full charge (10 – 80% in 5 hours)
- The usual EV challenges (charging infrastructure, range anxiety, setting up home charging etc.)
- Missing features like seat height adjustment (tall drivers would want to lower the seat), rear washer and wiper, spare wheel!!
- 2-speaker sound system is just sad
Tata Tiago EV
What you’ll like
- 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
What you won’t
- 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
Citroen eC3
What you’ll like
- Funky looking electric hatchback. Crossover styling cues will appeal to the masses
- Real world range of ~200 km is good enough for city driving and urban commutes
- Zero emissions, cheap “fuel” costs, no gears, light controls & compact size make it an ideal city car
- Sorted handling characteristics, due to the lower center of gravity
- Good-looking cabin that is practical too
- 315-litre boot is very usable and fits a 15-inch spare wheel underneath
- 10-inch touchscreen with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Now gets connected car tech as well
- Lots of customization options and accessories to make your car truly unique
What you won’t
- Missing plenty of features – adjustable regeneration, electric ORVM adjustment, climate control, rear wiper & defogger, reversing camera, alloy wheels, etc.
- 56 BHP motor isn’t very fun-to-drive. Top speed is limited to just 107 km/h
- 200 km range makes the eC3 strictly a city car. Not ideal for long-distance traveling
- No fast AC home charging even as an option. Either wait 10 hours or find a DC fast charger nearby
- The usual EV challenges (charging infrastructure, brand new tech could mean niggles, range anxiety)
- Just 2 variants at launch (no true top-end variant)
- Quality of cabin materials doesn’t feel great; cost-cutting is pretty evident in certain areas
- Cabin width makes the interiors suitable for 4 adults, not 5
- Long-term reliability & after-sales service quality are big unknowns; dealer network is tiny
Here’s what GTO had to say about the matter:
Tiago EV, indisputably. As the poll also shows. I quite liked the Comet EV as a cheap commuter EV for the price, until MG played dirty and then announced the 8-lakh rupee price was for the lower variant. They took us for a royal ride with the launch.
Vote might change to the Punch EV which has just been spotted. Waiting to check out how it drives.
Here’s what BHPian DicKy had to say about the matter:
Wait out for the Punch EV.
Or if, the Comet came from a non-Chinese company at 5-6 lakhs, would have gladly voted for the Comet. Mahindra, why ye not bring thou Atom.
Here’s what BHPian Shreyans_Jain had to say about the matter:
An absolute no contest, a complete one-man show if there ever was one. Tiago EV is the most complete and well-rounded hatchback (not just EV) for daily urban use. It looks great, is solidly built, is well equipped, has sorted suspension, good street cred and a superbly implemented EV drivetrain, all at an attractive price point. City cars don’t get much better.
Tiago EV holds all the aces today and will continue to do so till the time when Punch EV is finally launched. Then, it will become a question of price and if subsidies/benefits still continue.
Here’s what BHPian bijims had to say about the matter:
The Tiago EV remains the more practical and cost-effective of the lot, definitely the winner here. The C3 EV although a good option isn’t priced as sensibly as the Tiago, the Comet on the other hand just doesn’t look like it belongs in this comparison, maybe it is the funky styling which doesn’t appeal to me as much.
Keyword: MG Comet vs Tata Tiago EV vs Citroen eC3 vs others