Tata Tiago: 11,400km Long Term Report

Let’s just say that the Tata Tiago was handed to me temporarily. Actually, I never returned it to Arun from whom I ‘borrowed’ it just till the time I moved back to Pune. All the while that I was in Mumbai, the Tiago had been a great daily drive in the city and outside of it especially when we had to get to shoot locations. Although a small car, it does manage to gulp all my camera equipment without the need for folding the rear bench hence leaving it free for occupants.

Up front, I really like the dashboard design. The quality of plastics used is quite good as well. They feel good to touch and the colour is easy to maintain too. There is plenty of stowage space around the driver to keep the keys, wallet and cellphone, things you might need easy access to when on the move. Plus, it even comes with a dead pedal and bottle holders in the door panels, something that was missing in the Bolt.

Recommended Read: Tata Bolt 15,000km Long Term Report

Driving the Tiago in the city is something that won’t tire you out. I love the small steering which feels good to hold and has enough feedback. The clutch is light and trotting around in stop-and-go traffic doesn’t give your left leg a thorough workout. Also, there is plenty of low down torque from the tiny 1.05-litre diesel engine for daily commutes. But move to the highway and the Tiago runs out of breath pretty soon and needs to be revved hard to squeeze out the power needed for the overtakes. The ride is soft and pliant and it does soak up smaller bumps and potholes with ease. The bigger ones though need to be negotiated carefully.

The fuel efficiency kept me very happy. The little Tata constantly returned over 24kmpl on the highways while shuttling between Mumbai and Pune with a light foot and plenty of time to spare. But when I started pushing the car it dropped to 17kmpl and in the city though, the fuel efficiency rarely dropped below 18.5kmpl.

While the fuel efficiency kept us smiling, the air-conditioner was the cause of a few frowns. The blower has been extremely noisy and the cooling inadequate. This essentially means it’s time to send the Tiago to the service station. 

Total km to date: 11,400km

Efficiency: 17.6kmpl

Date acquired: May 2016

Costs: Nil

Cheers: Space and quality of interiors, Light clutch and usability in city

Sneers: Underpowered on the highway, Aircon noisy and inadequate cooling