The compact sedan segment is one of the more crowded segments in the Indian car market. Automakers present in the segment have grown from just Tata, who pioneered it, to now include Maruti, Hyundai, Ford, Volkswagen, Honda and in the future possibly Chevrolet as well. Now with the launch of the Tigor, Tata’s all-new compact sedan, we take a look at how it compares to its competition on paper.
Dimensions
In terms of length, the Dzire, Aspire, Xcent and Ameo all measure an identical 3,995mm with the Tigor coming a close second at 3,992mm. At 3,990mm, it's the Amaze that's the smallest here. The Dzire and Aspire are also the widest cars here at 1,695mm with the Xcent being the narrowest car in comparison at 1,660mm. The Ameo is the shortest in terms of height at 1,483mm, while the Dzire stands the tallest of the lot at 1,555mm.
| Dimensions | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tata Tigor | Honda Amaze | Maruti Dzire | Ford Figo Aspire | Hyundai Xcent | Volkswagen Ameo | |
| Length | 3992mm | 3990mm | 3995mm | 3995mm | 3995mm | 3995mm |
| Width | 1677mm | 1680mm | 1695mm | 1695mm | 1660mm | 1682mm |
| Height | 1537mm | 1505mm | 1555mm | 1525mm | 1520mm | 1483mm |
| Wheelbase | 2450mm | 2405mm | 2430mm | 2491mm | 2425mm | 2470mm |
| Fuel tank capacity | 35 litres | 35 litres | 42 litres | 42/40 litres (Petrol/Diesel) | 43 litres | 45 litres |
| Boot space | 419 litres | 400 litres | 316 litres | 359 litres | 407 litres | 330 litres |
In terms of wheelbase, the Aspire is the largest at 2,491mm, while the Amaze is the smallest at 2,405mm. The Tigor measures in at 2,450mm. The largest boot in the segment belongs to the Tiago at 419 litres with the Dzire’s capacity the least at 316 litres.
Petrol engines
All six compact sedans make use of 1.2-litre petrol engines with the difference in displacement down to just 1 or 2cc. However, the big difference is with the units of the Tigor and Ameo which feature a three-cylinder layout unlike the remainders' four-cylinder units. In terms of output, the Ameo is the least powerful at 75hp followed by the Xcent at 83hp. The Tigor edges out the Dzire in terms of power with its three-cylinder unit developing 85hp as against 84.3hp. The Amaze though is the most powerful at 90hp. The Dzire has the torquiest motor here at 115Nm with the Amaze and Ameo the least powerful.
| Petrol engines | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tata Tigor | Honda Amaze | Maruti Dzire | Ford Figo Aspire | Hyundai Xcent | Volkswagen Ameo | |
| Type | 1199cc, 3-cyls | 1199cc, 4-cyls | 1197cc, 4-cyls | 1196cc, 4-cyls/ 1499cc, 4-cyls | 1197cc, 4-cyls | 1198cc, 3-cyls |
| Power | 85hp at 6000rpm | 88hp/90hp at 6000rpm | 84.3hp at 6000rpm | 88hp at 6300rpm/ 112hp at 6300rpm | 83hp at 6000rpm | 75hp at 5400rpm |
| Torque | 114Nm at 3500rpm | 109Nm/110Nm at 4500rpm | 115Nm at 4000rpm | 112Nm at 4000rpm/ 136Nm at 4250rpm | 114Nm at 4000rpm | 110Nm at 3750Nm |
| Gearbox | 5-speed manual | 5-speed manual/ CVT | 5-speed manual/ 4-speed auto | 5-speed manual/ 6-speed DCT auto | 5-speed manual/ 4-speed auto | 5-speed manual |
All motors come paired with a five-speed manual gearbox as standard with the Amaze, Dzire and Xcent getting an automatic gearbox option. The Aspire, on the other hand, is available with a second 112hp, 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that comes paired with a six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox as standard.
Diesel engines
The Tigor has the smallest and least powerful diesel engine here. It is powered by a 1.05-litre three-cylinder unit that develops 70hp and 140Nm of torque. The Xcent too, is powered by a three-cylinder diesel engine, but at 1.1 litre, it is larger than the Tigor's and develops 72hp and 180Nm of torque. Of the four-cylinder units, it’s the Ameo that leads the pack developing 110hp and 250Nm of torque from a 1.5-litre diesel engine. The Amaze and Aspire both develop an identical 100hp from their 1.5-litre four-cylinder units with the Aspire edging out the Amaze in terms of torque by 15Nm. The Dzire makes use of a Fiat sourced 1.3-litre four-cylinder unit good for 75hp and 190Nm of torque. All cars come equipped with a five-speed manual gearbox.
In the diesel segment, the Dzire and Ameo get a leg up over their rivals by offering the option of automatic gearboxes. The Dzire is available with the option of a five-speed AMT gearbox while the Ameo comes with a high-tech seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.
| Diesel engines | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tata Tigor | Honda Amaze | Maruti Dzire | Ford Figo Aspire | Hyundai Xcent | Volkswagen Ameo | |
| Type | 1047cc, 3-cyls | 1498cc, 4-cyls | 1248cc, 4-cyls | 1498cc, 4-cyls | 1120cc, 3-cyls | 1498cc, 4-cyls |
| Power | 70hp at 4000rpm | 100hp at 3600rpm | 75hp at 4000rpm | 100hp at 3750rpm | 72hp at 4000rpm | 110hp at 4000rpm |
| Torque | 140Nm at 1800-3000rpm | 200Nm at 1750rpm | 190Nm at 2000rpm | 215Nm at 1750-3000rpm | 180Nm at 1750-2500rpm | 250Nm at 1500-3000rpm |
| Gearbox | 5-speed manual | 5-speed manual | 5-speed manual/ 5-speed AMT | 5-speed manual | 5-speed manual | 5-speed manual/ 7-speed DSG auto |
While from the comparison on paper, the Tigor stands near equal to the segment despite aggressive pricing. A direct rival will only come in the form of Chevrolet’s first compact sedan, the Beat Essentia which is expected to launch sometime later this year.
More on the Tata Tigor
Read our launch report