The Tigor EV is basically an all-electric avatar of Tata’s sub-compact sedan. Is the market not picking up on SUVs? Finally, the Tigor has become Tata Motors’ second electric, and this comes at a time when most manufacturers are dodging questions on the electrification roadmap. How do these factors work? Should you consider Tigor EV? Read along to know:
Filtering out the layer of confusion, if any, this Tigor EV is geared towards for personal mobility, as opposed to the one used by fleet owners. Therefore, the focus is on optimizing practical and performance. The spare wheel is mounted vertically in the boot to free up space for mounting the battery. The other half of the 26 kWh, IP67-rated battery is under the floor.
This battery can be refilled in broadly two ways. The supplementary 15A charger takes 8.5 hours to fully charge, while the 25 kW fast charger pulls the energy bar up to 80% in zero to 65 minutes.
It is safe to call the performance of the Tigor EV humble and predictable in comparison to the Nexon EV. A permanent asynchronous motor propels the front-wheel drive. Switched to Sport mode, 0-60 kmph is claimed in 5.7 seconds.
The Ziptron electric module underpins both the Tata offerings. That said, the drive experiences of the Tigor EV and Nexon EV are quite the opposite. The Nexon EV gets a stronger motor, heavier and bigger battery, which means the acceleration will throw you back in your seats (though the SUV is about 500kg heavier).
On the other hand, the Tigor EV’s drive is predictable and the single-phase synchronous motor gradually accelerates the car. This is because of the lighter weight of the car, the smaller battery pack, and the less powerful motor used. The torque boom isn’t in your face.
Tata claims that the combination has been deliberately done to offer first time EV buyers a smooth transition from the IC engine. The Tigor EV’s output figures of 74 PS and 170 Nm of peak torque are significantly lower than the Nexon EV’s 129 PS and 250 Nm.
While the performance is livable, what bothers the automatic transmission is. Drive, Sport, Neutral and Reverse can be accessed via the turn of a dial. The rotary knob, however, feels weak and is a little second slower than what it should be. Gear transitions have been calibrated in ‘gradual’, prioritizing safety, reprimanded Tata engineers.
The 26 kWh battery claims to cover a range of 306 kms on a single full charge, which should be between 225 to 275 kms in an ideal scenario.
Range depends largely on how you drive and which mode you choose. The Tigor EV comes with a single-step recovery setting in the default mode. This setup is effective for reverse charging the battery when braking is applied. The recovery mechanism does not bother when driving in cities.
In terms of ride, the Tigor EV, like its ICE counterpart, can take a good amount of bumps on rough, broken, rough or muddy roads. The ride is fairly stable at 80-90 kmph, and even on roads at city speeds, the suspension comfortably defies the impact. Dimensionally, the Tigor EV is at par with the regular model and has a wheelbase of 2,450 mm.
Handling is modest for a sedan of its class. The steering wheel is lightweight, responding to inputs with a fair amount of precision. However, the wheel doesn’t offer a weighted feel at triple-digit speeds. The Tigor EV lost steam at 110 kmph.
Tata Motors has wholesaled inside and out to uplift the aesthetics of the Tigor EV. The electric-specific teal blue shade has been stepped down from the Nexon EV with the tri-arrow design and ‘Humanity’ lined grille. There is no set of alloy wheels or sunroof.
The Tigor EV rides on 14-inch steel wheels, which are covered with stylish caps and are mated to low rolling resistance tyres. On the inside, like the Nexon EV, the sedan sports a 7-inch touch screen, enhanced by a Harman-Kardon stereo, 30+ connected features and a suite of connectivity packages.
There’s also a fully digital driver’s display, which packs a slew of information. Numbers are easy, easy to read. The driver’s seat is height-adjustable and there is steering for the rake. Features include a USB port, cooled glovebox, rear parking camera with auto-foldable IRVM guidelines. The space is comfortable for four adults while a child or teen can sit in the middle of the rear seat passengers.
The boot space is of 316 liters. If necessary, the spare wheel placed vertically can be unloaded. The company is offering a complimentary puncture kit to ease the concerns of flat tyres.
The Tigor EV is probably sandwiched between the two most important Tata Motors launches in the decade. The Safari is solidifying the SUV image to be the top of the table while the entry-level punch is all set to bring in the volume at the start of the festival. Meanwhile, Tata Motors is likely to overtake rivals in the electrification race, riding on the Tigor EV-Nexon EV duo.
As far as the electric sedan is concerned, the biggest factor is its price. Couple state incentives, the effective, entry-level price of Tigor EV customers will be close to Rs 10 lakh. In terms of performance and packaging, it is satisfactory till the competition wakes up.
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