Tata finally introduces an ’all-new’ hatchback. Is it worth all the hype?
Hatchbacks have always been a popular car architecture, especially in the Indian market. Being affordable to buy, cheap to maintain, and easy to drive around, hatchbacks are the most preferred medium of transport for small families. The Indian market has already been flooded with plenty of cars in this particular segment, coming from different auto manufacturers around the world. But our homegrown car maker Tata Motors has gone under the dust in the past few years. The hatchback segment was once stirred by Tata when it launched the original Indica, back in 1998. But with increasing competition, the company just couldn’t keep up to satisfy the customer’s changing needs and priorities.
Come year 2014, and we saw an aggressive marketing strategy from Tata when they launched the Bolt hatch, which was a significantly improved product in almost all fields. The Bolt was developed with cumulative inputs from Tata’s Research and Design centres located in UK, Italy and Pune. But owing to its egg-like structure, the Bolt was perceived to be a redressed Indica. This, along with the fact that Tata bluntly priced it too close to the Maruti Swift, was the primary reason behind the Tata Bolt’s limited sales run.
But when Tata took the veils off their all-new hatch in late 2015, we Indians were in for a surprise. Yes, there was already news of Tata developing an all-new product, but none of us knew that the Indian manufacturer would finally say goodbye to its favorite Indica-like design philosophy. And farewell is what Tata actually did! The Tiago surprised everyone with its fresh new looks, and people started waiting for this new Tata hatchback with baited breath.
Initially called the Zica, this new hatchback was soon renamed to Tiago, after the infamous deadly Zika virus breakout. Just like its name, the Tiago hatchback definitely has a sporty and dynamic appearance. What is even more interesting is the fact that Tata used its new ‘IMPACT’ design language to design and fabricate the Tiago. In addition to a refreshing design theme, the Tiago also promises to deliver enhanced driving dynamics along with new innovative features.
The Tiago not only excels in styling and dynamics in this particular segment but also brings with it satisfying performance. The new hatchback is offered with a newly developed Revotron 1.2 Litre petrol and an all-new Revotorq 1.05 Litre diesel unit. Both these engines are paired to a 5 speed manual gearbox, while an AMT (automated manual transmission) option will likely be introduced in the near future. What is even more interesting is the fact that the Tiago comes with Multi Drive modes
which are the first in its segment. This will help the driver to optimize the engine’s behavioral characteristics as per his/her driving requirements, in order to deliver optimum fuel economy along with a peppy and high spirited driving experience.
Update 06.04.2016:- Tata launched the Tiago hatchback in India today, the prices and variant-wise feature details have been updated