Tata’s electrification of its existing car lineup continues to progress at breakneck speed. The latest ICE model to go down the full electric route is the Mumbai firm’s entry-level Tiago hatchback.
So what all has Tata Motors changed to make the Tiago go from a dino burner to a Greenpeace darling? And is the switch to electric worth burning a bigger hole in your pocket for a compact hatchback? We drove the all-new Tata Tiago EV in Goa to find out…
Tata Tiago EV Design & Features – An Electric Blue Upgrade
In terms of overall looks, the Tata Tiago EV has been given a few tweaks to help differentiate it from its internal combustion siblings. The biggest of these changes can be found in the teal blue accents that are seen on the Tiago EV’s exterior and interiors.
At the front, the grille is now a closed-off section finished off in black plastic with Tata and EV badging along with arrow-shaped on each end. The headlights are connected to each other by a teal blue stip that runs underneath the closed-off grille. The DRLs sit lower on the front bumper and sport teal blue highlights as well.
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The sides of the new TIago EV feature body-coloured door handles with a piano black strip providing a bit of contrast. The other new design feature seen on Tiago EV’s exterior include the contrast black roof and the new 14-inch Hyperstyle wheels that look rather elegant and feature teal highlights. The rear section is mostly unchanged except for the EV badging.
Step inside the new Tiago EV and you’ll find more teal accents on the surrounds for the air-con vents along with a digital instrument cluster. Also seen is a new flat-bottomed steering wheel and chrome inner door handles.
The touchscreen infotainment setup is the same 7-inch unit and features Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity. The infotainment system can also be used to access Tata’s ZConnect suite of 45 connected car features which includes access to telematics for the first time in the segment. Owners can also access the ZConnect suite on their phones and on compatible smartwatches.
The new Tiago EV also comes packed with safety gear including dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, reversing camera, tyre pressure monitoring and more.
Tata Tiago EV Powertrain & Driving Impressions – Electric Zippyness
The Tata Tiago EV is offered with a choice of two battery packs. The smaller 19.2kWh battery pack has a claimed range of 250km and comes with a 3.3kW home charger as standard. This version of the Tiago EV gets a single electric motor with 60.3bhp and 110Nm of peak torque and can go from 0-60km/h in a claimed 6.2 seconds.
We drove the higher-specced Tiago EV with the larger 24kWh battery pack which is offered with both 3.3kWh and 7.2Kwh AC home charging options. Both versions of the Tiago EV support 50kW DC fast charging which can recharge the battery pack from 10-80 per cent in just 57 minutes.
This higher-spec Tiago EV is powered by a single electric motor with 73.75bhp and 114Nm of peak torque. Tata claims that this version of the Tiago EV can go from 0-60 in 5.7 seconds while offering a claimed range of 315km.
During our time with the Tiago EV, we found the 0-60km/h sprint times to be quite believable as the electric hatchback accelerates like nothing else in the price bracket. There are two driving modes on offer – City & Sport – but we found the only major difference between them to be the sensitivity of the throttle pedal.
The Tiago EV also offers four levels of regen ranging from Mode 0 to Mode 3. In Mode 0, regen is non-existent while Mode 3 allows for single-pedal driving. However, regen is not available if the battery charge is above 80 per cent. Also, one-pedal driving is not on offer under 9km/h as the Tiago EV’s creep mode kicks in allowing for easier driving in bumper-to-bumper and stop-and-go traffic.
We found the steering to be quite light and easy to use at slow speeds and in city traffic. When we did get time to put our foot down, the steering also weighed up nicely which inspired quite a bit of confidence.
The suspension setup on the Tiago EV has been softened to help the slightly heavier electric hatch deal with the potholes and bumps on our roads. However, despite the slightly softer suspension, we found that Tiago EV was quite stable in the corners thanks to the negligible body roll.
The braking performance of the Tiago EV is quite adequate and the feel from the pedal is rather accurate. While we didn’t have much time to test the Tiago EV’s range claims, we feel that with the larger battery pack and a good bit of heavy regen, the Tiago EV can easily deliver a driving range of around 220 to 230km.
Tata Tiago EV – Final Impressions About The EV For the Masses
The Tata Tiago EV looks to be the perfect choice for somebody looking to head into the world of EVs to test the electric revolution for themselves. The new Tiago EV is zippy and we would recommend splurging a bit a going for the larger battery pack version of the electric hatchback.
Keyword: Tata Tiago EV First Drive Review - Electrifying The Masses