Tata Tiago

Tata Motors has been working on building a replacement for their decade old product, the Indica. Under ‘Project Kite’, Tata has developed a budget hatchback and a budget compact sedan to be positioned under the Bolt hatchback and Zest compact sedan. Tata Motors teased the budget hatch Tiago in the first ad video featuring their latest brand ambassador Lionel Messi, revealing Tata’s big plans for the Tiago.

Exterior

The Tiago hatchback follows Tata’s HorizonNext design language with a wide mesh grille and swept back headlamps that resemble the Tata family face seen in the Bolt and the Zest. Though the side profile is reminiscent of the Indica, the tail is redesigned for modern and fresh looks with horizontal tail lamps.

Interior

With the Zest and Bolt, Tata have taken car interiors seriously and we expect the Tiago to be no less. Tata cabins have always been roomy but now it will get a touch of good quality and build along with equipment. The top end car should come with the ConnectNext infotainment system like the Nano with Bluetooth compatibility if not the touch-screen unit from the Bolt.

Engine and gearbox

The Tiago will most certainly get the 1.2-litre Revotron engine sans the turbocharger mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. The diesel engine will be a turbocharged three-cylinder mill with a cylinder chopped off from the old 1.4-litre Indica engine. We expect the car to weigh under a tonne and in that case, a torquey engine developing close to 60-65bhp should be enough to power the car. The Tiago may also get an Auto-Manual transmission (AMT) as it gains popularity in the lower segments.

Price and Competition

The Tiago will be positioned between the Nano and the Bolt with the old Indica continuing sales only for the fleet and cab market. The Tiago will compete with the likes of the Renault Kwid, Datsun GO, Maruti Alto K10 and the Hyundai Eon 1.0 and will be expected to be priced between Rs 3 to Rs 3.5 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) between the Nano and the Indica.