[janakiram_m]

Hello Bhpians, meet the new member of our family, my very own Flame Red Tiago. I have tried to review my car unbiased even though I love it to bits. A big thank you to the mods for making me a member and guiding me to complete this review. After more than half a decade of reading reviews and user experiences on this forum, it's a great moment to put up your own. So here goes.



Likes

• Safety. The only GNCAP 4-Star Rated B1 segment hatchback.
• Looks. The facelift got an attitude change which I loved. Smashing colors too.
• Quality. Materials used in the interior are great for the price point.
• Engine & Handling. Peppy engine with great initial pickup and firm suspension in a small car is just a hoot to drive in the city.
• AMT. It is much more refined than the BS4 model.
• Music system. Harmann’s Connectnext with 8-Speaker is the absolute best even compared to a segment above. Great features included.

Dislikes

• Engine. Although great for city use, it feels a bit lethargic at high speeds with Aircon on. For those quick overtakes, you might need to shift down a gear to two to get to the power band.
• Cost Cutting. Feature deleted which I miss the most is Projector HL. Sport mode also done with.
• Fully Digital Instrument Cluster. Functionally okay but I am an Analog fan especially on night drives. Also if going digital, why use the calculator font?
• Exposed mechanicals under the dashboard area for passengers. Everyone who sat in the front seat commented on this.
• AMT Lever and its surround stick out like a sore thumb in an otherwise clean interior.
• TATA brand perception. Knew I would get asked “So a TATA Family, huh?” “Why a TATA?” questions but never expected this much !

Background

My car background starts with our family’s 2006 Alto Lxi which I took over the driver seat after getting my license.


I was very eager to get as much driving as possible so if I was in the car I would be in the driver's seat and won't let anyone else drive. Alto is a great car to start off with in my opinion. Easy to handle, small proportions, good visibility and those planned overtakes "Switch off A/c - Overtake - Switch on A/c and Repeat" .

In 2014 we upgraded to VW Polo Comfortline 1.5 TDI which was a major upgrade in terms of power, safety, and fuel of course.


Car was primarily used by my father for his work and by me on every other occasion. I had an Activa during those times where my commute for studies was just 3km one-way. After the Polo came I was handed down my father’s ‘90 RE Bullet. In the growing absence of knowledgeable mechanics in our area and a rising number of RE users, we decided to sell off the Bullet and I got a BS3 Himalayan at the time of it's launch in 2016 (loving but rough relationship, needs a separate post altogether).

Once you get the liking for that diesel torque it's very hard to let it go. We clocked 1 Lac kms on the Polo before exchanging it for a BS4 Harrier Dark XT in 2019.


I did think of keeping the Polo for myself but the infamously huge VW service bills and impending clutch replacement made me question that alternative.

The Need and the Contenders

In August 2019 I got married and my wife and I work in the same city, Trivandrum, roughly 120 kms away from our home town. Both of us being young and out of our sane minds would travel 120 km one way by my Himalayan every fortnight to our parents. Even though my family trusted my motorcycle and riding skills, they were all in some way or another giving me hints to getting a new car. I love my motorcycle and my daily commute was merely 3 km so I would still use my motorcycle daily. Wife had her office cab for the office commute. I decided that if I am going to invest in a new car I should consider my wife driving it as well in the future. Also we didn't need a big highway mile muncher, we had the Harrier at home for that. The running would be less than 1k Kms per month with 90% highway and rest being rainy office commutes and city errands. The decision was a hatchback (automatic preferred) in the under 8 Lac budget. So for 7 odd months after my marriage I was weighing my options and considering my finances for a new car. I really wanted to go the pre-worshipped route but most of the family including my wife were against it. During the hunt there were several contenders. I am listing in order the ones that I considered and some pre-worshipped ones I nearly bought:

1.Ford Figo Titanium/Blu

Really liked the Figo and was a fan of Ford’s drivability. The Titanium trim was really VFM and the Blu variant had 6 airbags which was a class exception. Initially I was worried about the Mahindra-Ford JV but made up my mind and enquired at the local dealer. This was in mid January and I wasn’t able to get any quotes from the dealer because of production halting of the BS4 model owing to BS6 transition.They had even sold off the TD car before I went there. But there was a 2018 Titanium AT with 15k on the Odo that came by me at an attractive price but it was all too late as I received the call while I was going to the yard for the PDI of my Tiago !

2. Tata Altroz XT

I was smitten for the Altroz ever since I saw pictures of the production version. When I started my hunt for a car the Altroz was all the hype and was the leading contender for a long time. I took a test drive when I went to check out the Tiago JTP. and there were no complaints there either. Even though there was no autobox, the features, safety and looks made me a fan. Model within budget was XT and I had only one grime with it. No height adjustable driver seat which was essential for my wife. During my test drive I knew that the dash area was placed high and therefore the seat height would cause issues for front visibility. It could have been added on with a Luxe Pack factory fitted but then it would be less VFM than the next variant.

Also did not want to risk my biggest financial decision till date on a freshly baked Tata product. Nightmares of the buying freshly made products such as the BS3 Himalayan and BS4 Harrier kept me from signing that advance cheque.

3. Tiago JTP New/Used

Went to the nearest JTP available Tata dealer 80km away at Cochin. Only to be declined Test drive because the keys to the car were with the dealer owner's driver as the car was used by the owner from time to time. Felt disappointed because I called and messaged the previous day to the sales advisor about my intention to test drive. He was apologetic and offered to bring the car home if I can guarantee the booking then and there. Obviously said no. I would have still gone for it but was waiting for the Altroz prices to be announced. By that time the rumours about the future of JTSV kept on spreading and I didn't want to gamble.

Saw only one Ad for a used JTP. It was the first model launched with 5" Infotainment and no Climate control. Contacted him and tried to negotiate but the guy was asking too much for what it's worth. We couldn't reach an agreement and it was dropped.

4. 2008 Corolla Altis
An odd one on the list,right? Received a listing for 3 Lac on 90k ran ‘08 Altis. What did I do? Said yes! But after I told my father he reacted like he would disown me if I brought it home so had to drop it too. Even though a 12 year old Toyota was okay in my mind, the family was offended.

5.Honda Jazz 2015 CVT
Received a pricey offer. Before I could get back it was sold. The car was remarkably well maintained with low mileage and belonged to a family with lots of cars including a Toyota Camry Hybrid. Missed opportunity for sure.

6.Honda Brio
I loved the Brio’s design with its large back glass and the latest iteration with gloss black grille. Had a good engine. Disappointed that it was discontinued. I tried with the used car market but good top trim models were hard to come by. Did not come across good listings and it was dropped off involuntarily during mid hunt.


Other Manufacturers

I never considered Maruti Suzuki because of the weak build quality and the only model I liked and fitted my need was the Ignis and it was overpriced for the segment and its features. All other Maruti models never even came up for discussion. Hyundai was okay but the service seemed to be a bit costly and the i10 Nios was pricey than Tiago. It was marginally above justifiable premium and also out of my budget. Not a fan of the Hyundai EPS either.

Buying Experience, Registration and Lockdown

Casually went to a Tata dealer in the city, Derik Motors, one day after work. They did not have a BS6 car for test-drive so I took a BS4 one. The very well abused vehicle was depressing to drive and jerky in every movement I made. The advisor who accompanied me didn't have much to say and nor did the lady at the showroom. They were not really interested in sales of Tiago as they wanted to push Altroz and Harrier. Tata’s incentive system needs a revamp for sure. Didn't even get a copy of the price list. Took photo of the price list, gave my number and said bye.

Next day itself I booked a test drive through Tata’s website and I selected the only other dealer in town, Trivandrum Motors. They showed up with a flame red Tiago XZA+ . Coincidentally the SA who showed up with the car was the one with whom we bought the Harrier. I took a 20 minute test drive and he gave me brochures as well. I told him about the other dealer and experience and he said "Whatever they quote , I will give you at a lower price" . So with the newly found leverage I planned my finances.


The Tiago I test drove. I was just blown away how smooth the transmission was as compared to the BS4 one I had driven. Maybe I was a little cautious too and didn't accelerate hard. I was sold with the TD.


The auto transmission which I preferred was only available with the top two trims XZ and XZ+. The difference between the two variants being Auto climate control, Reverse camera, gloss black ORVM and the 15" alloys compared to 14" stylised steel wheels(not a bad looker either). And price gap just Rs.40k only. Hence I took the plunge and went for the top model. Black roof was an option at Rs.12k . But I knew the roof would get hot and thereby cabin too when parked out by my office during daytime. Living with a dark Harrier makes you learn things.

Few days later, I requested a proforma invoice from Derik Motors to be submitted to the bank. They gave me one and on enquiry said there will be no discounts as the facelift was just launched. I called my guy from the other dealer and sent the proforma invoice via WhatsApp and told him Derik Motors said they would give me 5k discount. I know I could have asked for more but I had to make it believable. He called me the next day and said he would further reduce 5k and will give me basic freebies of carpets and mud flaps. In effect I received a 10k discount on a car where the company itself was not giving out any offers. It was finalised.

The final price:
Ex-Showroom..................6,49,000
Road Tax............................59,225
Registration and Fastag............755
Insurance...........................25,424
Total Cost.........................7,35,004

I wanted to get the car delivered before March 31st because from April 1st onwards taxes would be dearer by 13k for my specific variant. Little did I know about the impending lockdown and its consequences. ;( I would have gotten a much cheaper loan and even from Tata itself. Damn you Covid-19.

Few days before delivery visited the dealer's yard for the PDI. Kept a checklist I prepared from T-Bhp PDI Checklist in my phone. Everything was in order.

At the dealer's yard.



Got the car delivered on 14th March . The delivery experience was just average and uneventful. I went alone, was briefed by the SA on the documents and basic features. Odo was showing 34km and fuel level at last blip which was 5 ltrs. Shook hands, took over the keys, thanked them, broke the lemons and returned home.


Went to my hometown to register the car with RTO and was allocated a number through SMS within 5 days. Also went to temple for the pooja. Came back for work to Trivandrum and two days later PM announced the Janata Curfew. Anticipating a short lockdown we went back home and was trapped there with my Tiago clocking 500km and no number plate for 2 months. Here I was being the idiot who bought a car just before lockdown .

I had to drive the car back for work during lockdown because of a work emergency. I took a pass from our collectorate and during that lockdown drive it was a free highway for 120kms. Switched to manual and the car made me forget all my lockdown blues.

[janakiram_m]

My Ownership Review


Exteriors

I loved the Flame Red and Victory Yellow. Opined with the family and red was selected. The front fascia got an attitude lift with the BS6 update. Looks like Altroz in it's highschool years.


The new grille with the tri-arrow element finished in gloss black. Bonnet is a bit raised than the BS4 model. Designed this way considering the pedestrian safety norms. You can see the raised bonnet design sloping down into the grille.


The projector headlight is definitely missed. You can see the start of the chrome humanity line right behind the Headlight cluster.


Fog Lights housed in with chrome inserts. The blacked out portion is where DRLs are for the Tigor. Some fake air vents also present below the fog lamps. The small square cover is where the tow hook would be attached.


Autofold ORVMs design is same as the previous model. You get gloss black finish on the top trim. Earlier it was for dual tone options only.



Side profile is exactly the same save for the mediocre sticker job on the C pillar.



There is a crease here but the designers may have copy pasted from the Altroz design file and ended up including the raised backdoor handle of the Altroz too.


The 15" dual tone alloy wheels are the same from 2019 models. 175/60 section tyres, an upgrade to 185 would be aesthetically pleasing. They came with Bridgestone B250s. Tyres are noisy at speeds north of 60kmph. The TD and display cars had Apollo Assurance on them.


The rear has the bumper and the ugly looking reverse camera placement as new additions. Too much stuff at the centre.


The camera placement looks similar to what the first Elite i20s used to have. Tiago badging had been moved to the center and the trim badging omitted. I do not like the center placement. Planning to move it to the side or even remove permanently.


Interiors

The interiors have a clean design. Tiago has a black and light grey colours throughout the interior including the doors. The black portion is a soft textured plastic which feels premium. Even our old Polo had scratchy plastics here.


For my top trim the body colour is included in the two air vents on either side. Don't really care about them but it is an "about the car" conversation starter when someone new hops on.


There are panel gaps at the area where dash joins the doors. Haven't observed any other panel gaps on the car. Coincidentally our Harrier has the same issue. So did the Official Review Harrier of TBhp.



and if you look closely can find that the climate control's solar sensor is not centering with it's cowl. ( I don't have OCD ). On a side note, I was curious if this sensor can do double duty for an auto headlamp also.


The front seats are very comfortable for a 3 hour journey without rest. They provide sufficient thigh support. Headrests are adjustable and practical. My friend who's 6 ft. 4" found seats and headrests comfortable for his height. There was sufficient headroom for him.


The rear is cramped for 3 people. Two can sit comfortably. There are no headrests, just two small bumps from the seats. Even Tata themselves calls it "Integrated Neck Rests" in the brochure. Not for long journeys for sure but younger folks, shorter occupants and kids will be comfortable. Headroom and thigh support is limited for tall persons.


The seats have the new fabric design with the tri-arrow element which Tata now uses in their lights, gear knobs, door scuff plates etc. Good design. If it weren't for this design the seats would've looked drab. I do not intend to put on seat covers since I don't stay in the car for long durations, don't want to cover the design and also there are no children to be afraid of.

Engine

You get 85 hp power and 113Nm torque. It's good figures for the class and a peppy engine for daily use. There is ample torque in the initial RPMs to get you moving easily .I'm a relaxed driver and I mostly stay within the 3k rpm range which is where you get all the torque. Aircon does have an impact on power and it is felt on highway speeds during overtakes. Trying 5th gear overtakes from 70 kmph with Aircon on sometimes feels like a stretch for the Tiago. Engine gets vocal past 3.5k rpms. If you want to drive spiritedly, the engine can deliver. Just don't expect a hot hatch performance. The main difference from the BS4 engine I feel is the initial pickup, that's what strikes you the most if you compare.


There is no underbody protection. The first models had the Revotron badging on the engine cover, now just a Tata logo. Not the prettiest engine bay to look at but it's clean. The underbonnet cladding makes a comeback to Tiago after nearly a 3 year hiatus.


Very good addition as it reduces the 3 cylinder thrum to a great extent. The sound in the lower RPMs is just a humming sound. There is engine noise evident in the cabin but it is no clatter or thrum of any sort. More of a refined machine. Overall I feel the refinement has much improved from the BS4 model. You can see from the engine picture above thick rubber beading where the bonnet joins below the windscreen. I think that too had an impact.

Transmission

I know most Bhpians are not fans of AMTs but with the BS6 upgrade the Tiago has improved a lot. If you are feather footed, the jerkiness and head nod is never felt at all. And if given moderate acceleration felt only from 1st to 2nd and that too a good song or conversation can drown. If you are lead footed, you can feel each shift. I think the ignition cutting off and gear changes are better synced now. The shifting time has been reduced considerably too. I mostly stay in manual oh highways and auto in the city. If you're on auto and press the A-pedal hard, AMT calculates and kicks down quite quickly to get to the power band. Might be overwhelming for the passenger though. If you want to switch to manual, you can just throw the stick to the left from 'Auto" to 'Manual'. Each time you do that the transmission kicks down to the lower gear anticipating you want to overtake which might not be the case every time. Advisable to switch to manual when you want to overtake in a lower gear and if not, do it only when you're idle. There is an audible chime when you switch between modes in the AMT. Also a error chime when trying to shift at a lower rpm in manual mode. Brake need to be pressed to move the stick from N to A or R and vice versa.

Sports mode has been given a miss with BS6. But a dummy button is provided. I think Tata thought few people who use it will say it's jerky and who wants to drive it like a manual has manual option available so why bother.

Here's how the upshifts happen on moderate acceleration:
2nd @20kmph
3rd @30kmph
4th @45kmph
5th @60kmph

Downshifts happen at:
4th @50kmph
3rd @35kmph
2nd @25kmph
1st @ 8-10kmph

There is no hill assist, you have to manage with your handbrake plus A pedal skills. There's nosediving if you've accelerated to and under 19kmph and lift your feet off the accelerator before the AMT could shift to 2nd. Creep function is a boon , lift the brake after a stop and if not given any acceleration the car moves till 7kmph without any assists and keeps going at the same speed.

The gear stick and it's fascia could have been changed. It's the only area in the interior that feels out of place and dated. There is a plan to mod it to a nice backlit unit. I like the Swift's gloss black one with light dots. Need to plan if that's possible.


Drivability

The top variants come with 15" rims. There is ample sidewall and has a good suspension tune bit on the firmer side. Ride is not exactly plush because of the average sidewall but helps in city and highway rides. Tata recommended tyre pressure is high at 36 psi all around. Not ideal for potholes and roads with patchworks as you will feel the road. Not really a deal breaker. I think it is just about similar to the Polo. Car feels planted at higher speeds thanks to the firmer suspension. There is no body roll felt and if you point, the car follows you without drama.

A-pedal is super sensitive may be because of the AMT, press it and you can comfortable drive with a feather touch on it in the city. Brake is a dud and has minimal play. I want a little more play in it, but it's fine as it is. Overall your feet, ankle and knees would be very happy as they won't break a sweat while driving. Ground clearance is sufficient. I have only encountered a short stretch of really rough road and car was able to manage without much trouble.

Steering is light and well centred. It is adjustable for rake and not reach. New flat bottom steering wheel is lifted from the Altroz and helps ingress and egress. It's fully electronic but doesn't feel flimsy or glitchy at any speeds. Need to check if Altroz OEM leather wrap is available to be installed. Steering mounted infotainment controls include previous/next , volume up/down , source switcher and call answer/reject. The right side is left blank, that's where the cruise control buttons are in the Altroz and Tigor. They could have already out the MID control switches here.


There is not a lot of throw for the brake or the accelerator pedals. Dead pedal is present and serves the purpose without any complaints.

There is good visibility and you sit upright even with the seat height adjuster in the lower position. The windows are large and the view out of front is wide.


The A Pillar with mirror controls in some angle creates a blind spot. It's not as worrying as our Harrier though since the size of the car is small.


You also have a great view out back thanks to the large rear windshield. The C pillars are a bit thick and absence of quarter glass slightly affects the rear quarter visibility.

NVH

As I had commented before NVH levels have improved much from the BS4 model. I have noticed that there are thicker rubber beadings and rubber dampeners provided on the doors and engine bay for much tighter closing so that noise won't come through. Still at 70kmph road noise and wind noise creeps in but is not annoying in any way.

When you start the engine there is still a light shake and vibrations are slightly felt on the steering. I can't comment on the gear lever because I have an AMT. You won't feel any of this when the car is moving. The ORVM mirror shakes by itself on bad roads but the view is not affected.

On the move at or below 2.5k RPM you won't hear any harshness from the engine. Even if the windows are open there is only a slight humming audible from the engine. If the windows are open you can hear the Aircon turning on if you switch it on . Not annoying in anyway.

When turning off the car the exhaust will shudder and give a sound, which could have been avoided. This happens especially after a long drives. Not a deal breaker either.

All this is only noticed by the driver and only if he's a keen critic. Take my opinion knowing that I have regularly only heard the VAG and Fiat diesel engines grunts for the last 6 years.

Center Console

The 7" Touchscreen from Harman is generally glitch free. Of 4 months of ownership it has been stuck only once but that was during a quick stop-start-reverse scenario and it never occurred again. The Android Auto GPS sometimes has delays to our actual signal by 50m. Maybe it's my phone. Have to check if it occurs again.
It supports Android Auto and Carplay. Bluetooth connectivity is seamless. Integrates your contacts, phone log nicely. Has all the basics required and then some more. Still some more physical buttons are preferred. Even the power on/off is controlled by a touch button. You will get used to it but physical buttons are the safer option than fumbling and taking your eyes off the road. Voice controls can be used but it uses Android Auto so have to connect via USB first.


The Fully Automatic Temperature Control (FATC) is also integrated into the infotainment system. The temperature level, fan speed, Aircon on-off are shown at the top left corner when the system is in use. There is also a dedicated page for FATC when we go for that option. There is a dedicated switch for Aircon on-off, Auto on-off with rotary knobs on each for blower speed and temperature adjustments respectively. The temperature knobs change 0.5 degree for each rotation click. In order to switch flow of air between normal, footwell, windscreen etc. there is only a single switch. This is an inconvenience since you might forget where the air flow is currently set to and will need to press the button to know.

The FATC cools well and I usually keep it in the range of 25-26 degrees. Once or twice when set to 26 degrees for a long time, I would feel it not working and would just rotate the knob down two clicks to 25 and then immediately back to 26 and the Aircon switches on meaning it was idle when it should have worked. I enquired with the service centre but they could not replicate that one off situation. Other than that the Aircon is functioning very effectively. It can cool a 2 hr sunbathed interior in 2 mins without trouble.

Reverse camera with adaptive guidelines is a new feature in the BS6 model and the camera quality is just average at daytime.


Quality at night is much worse.


But it serves the purpose and the angle is wide enough so see a larger area and you can distinguish objects. 'Reverse Park Assist' as Tata calls it can be used even when you're not in reverse by turning it on the Infotainment system.

MID

The MID is fully digital. I preferred the analog design at least for one, either RPMs or Speedometer. Calculator fonts are also not to my taste. This is how the instrument cluster welcomes you.


There is one knob present to switch between the two Trip metres available. Those screens also show average fuel efficiency for each trip. Other than that there is a live fuel efficiency tracker bar going from 0-30kmpl. I find this tracker rather distracting as you would try to max out the bar and not enjoy the drive if you keep it visible. Tata should have given an option where it could have been hidden.



Practicality

There are sufficient spaces in the doors and in the centre for keeping your water bottles, umbrella and other things. There is also a wallet holder to the right of the steering. I like the placements of hooks in the passenger side and boot for hanging shopping bags.

The boot is 242 litres which is okay and the loading lip is not that high. Plastic cladding could have been provided so that scratch risk would be avoided. Carry bag hooks on both sides of the boot with 3kg capacity each. There's one in the passenger foot well too.


Boot lamp and parcel tray string still not provided by Tata. Wonder where they are keeping all the crores of rupees saved by not providing the two strings?

[janakiram_m]

First Service

Booked first service via phone at Trivandrum Motors, Karikkakom. They told me to arrive at least 15 mins before the appointment since there would be safety cleaning of the car before it is taken to the service bay. Showed up as requested and the service was completed within 3 hours. This included general checkups, mechanical cleanings and a wash. Total cost for service alone was zero. They had a tie up with the nearby 3M dealer and I requested an underbody coating anticipating the monsoons which was about to start. I got it done for Rs.1,000 + gst with a warranty of 5 years. It's been added in the service history also , I get 10 checkups for that from the 3M dealer each with a 6 month interval. Since Tiago's service intervals are 6 months each they would sync up. While the car was being serviced, purchased extended Warranty for 3 years @ Rs.13,614. Tata started giving 3 year extended warranty from this year onwards. So with the standard warranty of 2 years, I'll get 5 years total warranty. I did not take any AMCs because the car's running would be very low. But I do plan to take P2P which would cover certain wear and tear items like brake pads,wiper blades etc. just before the 1 year mark. I think that would be VFM in my case.

The service quality was above average overall. But they did try to milk me by adding windshield washer fluids in my bill. I think the advisor thought I was ignorant enough to not look at the final bill. Service was just after the lockdown relaxations and they might have been trying to gather all those lost turnover from the lockdown months. He was apologetic and removed it without me making a fuss so that's that.

Other Relevant Points

1. Door opens wide and easy to ingress thanks to the flat bottom steering.
   
   Doors have same theme from the dashboard. Black and light grey. Soft touch plastic where you rest your elbow. Gloss black door handles are good to hold but is a fingerprint magnet. Chrome door lever is a nice touch.
   
   
2. The wiper intermittent speed adjuster has 5 levels. Maybe it's me but I thought the thicker the mark, the higher the speed setting. For the first week of ownership I kept it at high and thought the intermittent speed was extremely slow. But after I realised that the mark denotes the wipe interval and not the speed. They used thicker lines to distinguish between Intermittent, Fast and Very fast wiper action but went the exact opposite for another setting in the same stalk. Great ingenuity Tata.
   
   
3. The Autofold ORVMs with integrated turn indicators are great. Except for the fact that the indicator glass cover is sticking out in front. On a narrow village road I slowed down because of a water filled pothole on the left edge of the road. An Etios coming from the opposite just rammed his mirror to mine and went, didn't even slow down. He need not either because such things happen. I had my sister-in-law, who's pregnant as the front passenger and that's why I had stopped before the pothole. The mirror was folded in, I pushed it back and went home. After reaching home realised that ORVM's glass broke. It's functioning fine. Honda's ORVM with indicator tucked in is better for these scenarios. Have practiced closing the mirrors in whenever such a scenario occurs on a narrow road.
   
   
4. The lights are just sub par. For regular highway usage you need a good upgrade. Low beams don't have a long light throw. High beams by themselves are bad also. Solution I found is always use the fog lamps with the headlights. This is why I'm planning to upgrade to the Tigor's Projector units.
   
   
5. The keyfob is from the prior model and same for the Tigor also. I have seen videos where, by pressing the lock and unlock buttons together the boot is unlocked in Tigor. For Tiago this is absent. What extra cost would be there for to program boot unlock with the keyfob? Definitely more than the cost of parcel tray strings.
   
   
6. As far as safety is concerned you get airbags for the driver and front passenger. ABS with EBD and Corner Stability Control comes standard across all variants. Seatbelts have pre-tensioners. Door locks are speed sensitive at 15kmph. Child lock is old school and you have to manually switch it on ridge of the backdoors.
7. Top variants comes with vanity mirror on the front passenger side. Never knew this was useful till I got married.
   
   
8. And now the most important question of fuel efficiency. I have not set any trips in the MID since taking delivery of the car. So the MID efficiency now for the whole 2580kms the car ran is 18.7kmpl. Following is the actual efficiency as per T2T method:
   
   34km to 503km - 14.36kmpl
   503km to 1035km - 15.62kmpl
   1035km to 1477km - 14.70kmpl
   1477km to 1934km - 17.04kmpl
   1934km to 2283km - 19.39kmpl
   2283km to 2580km - 19.20kmpl
   
   Averages to 16.71kmpl. So error in MID is optimistic by about 2 kmpl.
   
   Usually it's 90% highway except for the 14.70kmpl case where it was more like 50-50 highway-city. Aircon is on for 80% of the time. Mileage is improving as the engine is being run in. I would say expect around 12-14kmpl in the city and 18-20kmpl on the highways.
   
9. I have not named the car. It's because Tiago name by itself feels like what you would name your pet. It' short and cute. So I left it at that. My mother fondly called it "Manjadikuru" after seeing for the first time. It's a tree common in Kerala and the seeds from which kids used to play with.
   

To sum up this review I can say that the Tiago is a perfect car for a small family. It's great for city use and easy to live with. It's not a hot hatch in terms of power, might be a lukewarm one. An improved AMT, Climate Control, great infotainment system etc. It genuinely has all the creature comforts you wish for in today's world. Tata might cut costs by deleting features but they haven't reduced the build quality or safety, they've actually improved it. Even after all the silent price increases over the years I believe this car is still value for money.

That's all I have till now. I'll try to make this a regular ownership report thread. Thanks for reading and stay safe everyone.

Some other angles of the Tiago:


After a thorough clean and wash.


That colour. Till now I thought only the Polo's red was eyecatching.


The angle makes it look like the front design is heavy on this small hatchback.


A parting shot with the big brother at home.

[Aditya]

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[Batfreak]

Many congratulations on the new buy! Have to say, she looks good in red. IMO, the Tiago is certainly (another) very competitive product from Tata that sadly couldn't live up to its true potential in the Indian market. Wish you many happy miles on this.

PS. Could you also share some more pics (or preferably an entire thread) of the Harrier as well? She looks really menacing in that Dark variant.

Cheers!

[Dieselritzer]

Wow, what a color to have on that cute car. The red looks even more magical with the lush green surroundings of Southern India. Tata has surely worked on the AMT in the BS6 avatar. Your observation is perfect when it comes to initial pickup. This where the difference is felt. Kudos to Tata for making a strong, safe and a reliable small car. If we don't consider the Tiago, I really doubt if there's any other car in that price segment that's as safe as this.

Wishing you and your family a long, happy ownership experience with the car. Do try and take some good monsoon special pics of the car.

[Flyer]

Congratulations on your new ride Janakiram_m. Nice and detailed review too. Yellow was my color pick for the new Tiago, but after seeing your car's review I'm confused! Nice to read about the improvements especially the AMT. Looking forward to long term review of your car. Wishing you happy mile munching with both TATAS.

[BZ25]

Great acquisition sir! It looks good, is relatively practical and is definitely very safe, unlike the other offerings in the segment. Unfortunately, Tata's 'self fulfilling prophecy' (Tata lives up to it's perception of having poor dealerships & niggles in initial batches of cars) has kept customers away from the brand, pushing them towards Maruti Suzuki or Hyundai.

Apart from that commuter engine (Tata's always sucked when it comes to Petrol Powertrains) this is the best car in the segment! Take care & do keep updating this thread.

[janakiram_m]

Originally Posted by Batfreak

Many congratulations on the new buy! Have to say, she looks good in red. IMO, the Tiago is certainly (another) very competitive product from Tata that sadly couldn't live up to its true potential in the Indian market. Wish you many happy miles on this.

PS. Could you also share some more pics (or preferably an entire thread) of the Harrier as well? She looks really menacing in that Dark variant.

Cheers!

Thanks. Harrier is primarily used by my father and he has clocked close to 10k on it even with the lockdown. It got delivered on November 2019. He's a man of few words and getting info out of him is a task on it's own. I haven't gotten time to take it on a long drive. Once it's possible I surely intend to write something up.

Originally Posted by Dieselritzer

Wow, what a color to have on that cute car. The red looks even more magical with the lush green surroundings of Southern India. Tata has surely worked on the AMT in the BS6 avatar. Your observation is perfect when it comes to initial pickup. This where the difference is felt. Kudos to Tata for making a strong, safe and a reliable small car. If we don't consider the Tiago, I really doubt if there's any other car in that price segment that's as safe as this.

Wishing you and your family a long, happy ownership experience with the car. Do try and take some good monsoon special pics of the car.

Thank you for the wishes.

Originally Posted by Flyer

Congratulations on your new ride Janakiram_m. Nice and detailed review too. Yellow was my color pick for the new Tiago, but after seeing your car's review I'm confused! Nice to read about the improvements especially the AMT. Looking forward to long term review of your car. Wishing you happy mile munching with both TATAS.

Yellow was my sole choice until I saw the TD red car. Both are equally superb. Here's one pic I shot at the showroom.

Originally Posted by BZ25

Great acquisition sir! It looks good, is relatively practical and is definitely very safe, unlike the other offerings in the segment. Unfortunately, Tata's 'self fulfilling prophecy' (Tata lives up to it's perception of having poor dealerships & niggles in initial batches of cars) has kept customers away from the brand, pushing them towards Maruti Suzuki or Hyundai.

Apart from that commuter engine (Tata's always sucked when it comes to Petrol Powertrains) this is the best car in the segment! Take care & do keep updating this thread.

Thanks. You are absolutely right about the engine and the niggles with the initial batches. We got first hand experience with the Harrier and it was one of the reasons that made me cross out Altroz from my shortlist.

[kamilharis]

Great choice & Congrats janakiram_m. Your Tiago and Harrier looks smashing. We would love to see few pics of the Dark & Manjadikkuru in a single frame. Few comments on BS4 Harrier regarding its reliability and quality would be helpful too.

[SuhairZain]

Originally Posted by janakiram_m

The Android Auto GPS sometimes has delays to our actual signal by 50m. Maybe it's my phone. Have to check if it occurs again.

It happens a lot on mine actually, and the delay is mostly more than a couple hundred kilometres. Have to rule out it's because of my ageing Note 9, which I doubt. But I'm willing to give it the benefit of doubt. For me, sometimes even switching from Spotify to Maps takes about 5s. Captured it once in video and sent to the service center. They've asked me to take the car to them so they can inspect it.

[extreme_torque]

She is a looker! Congrats. Also goes to show how long has Tata come from its older days in terms of overall engineering and especially design. IMHO Tiago is the best looking car in its class, Altroz is the best looking in its class by far, Nexon may not be the best but its close to the best especially after the recent facelift and Harrier is the best looking in its class. How many of us expected that from Tata.

[Sounak04]

Congratulations on your new purchase Sir. I have to say that the red colour looks absolutely brilliant. One of my close friend was looking to buy a tiago during March 2019 and the colour options at that time were not so appealing. Tata has truly made Tiago even more appealing with the new colour options, refreshed design and some new features.
Hope the car serves you well in the long run.

[Pkumarblore]

Congratulations. Tiago is sure a looker. At some point of time I may have to replace my 2008 i10 AT with another compact hatch. Tiago will surely figure in my shortlist. My only concern is the AMT, since I cant think of anything else apart from a Torque Converter for AT's. Happy Miles. Please update on AMT performance.

[icem@n]

Congratulation on the new machine!! Looks great in red. Love the new front look and the flat bottom steering from Altroz. Wish you many happy miles in the coming years.