Tata Tigor compact sedan: 5 things to know

Tata unveiled its all-new compact sedan, the Tigor, at the 2016 Auto Expo in a near production-ready form. Previously known by its codename, Kite 5, the Tigor shares its underpinnings with the Tiago hatchback.

Here are some of the highlights:

It has a coupé-like roof

In place of a conventional sedan-like profile, the Tigor has a swooping fastback roofline. The boot area is shorter than what you’d see on other compact sedans, but it is neatly integrated and the whole look is distinctive. Also, due to the altered roofline, the compact sedan gets bigger rear doors than the Tiago hatchback, which should allow for better access to the rear seats.

It offers class-leading boot space

Despite being a sub-four-metre car, the Tigor offers an accommodating 420-litre boot. This will be the largest boot offered on a compact sedan when the car goes on sale. Currently, the Hyundai Xcent’s 407-litre boot is the largest among compact sedans. However, the Xcent isn’t a competitor to the Tigor, which brings us to the next point.

It will be positioned below the Tata Zest

Since the Tiago slots below the Bolt in Tata’s line-up, their corresponding compact sedan models, the Tigor and Zest also follow suit. The Tigor will hence be more affordable than the current batch of compact sedans on sale and will likely be a replacement for the original sub-four metre sedan from Tata – the Indigo eCS. At the time of launch, the Tigor will have no direct rivals with the first direct competitor, the Chevrolet Beat Essentia, only to arrive in 2017. 

The powertrains will be shared with the Tiago

In addition to its platform, styling and much of its interiors, the Tigor also shares engines with the Tiago hatchback. When it goes on sale, the Tigor will come powered by the three-cylinder 1.2-litre Revotron naturally aspirated petrol and 1.05-litre Revotorq diesel engines, mated to five-speed manual gearboxes. As on the hatchback, an AMT gearbox is also expected to be offered on the Tigor.

It will get more features than the Tiago

While the basic look of the cabin of the Tigor will be similar to the Tiago's, the sedan is likely to be finished in different trim colours and more importantly, top versions could get more features too. A Harman-sourced touchscreen infotainment system, reverse camera, automatic climate control and a rear centre armrest are some of the goodies you can expect to see on the fully loaded Tigor.