2017 Tata Tigor long term review, second report

I took over the keys of the Tata Tigor last October after I realised that I needed a bigger and more fuel-efficient car on my shoots, as there’s a lot of driving involved and I carry around a cleaning kit, jerrycans of water, toolbox, and more. My previous long-termer was the Renault Kwid 1.0 but the Tigor is a level above in many respects.

I genuinely like the interior, especially the classy-looking dash and the touchscreen that adorns it. The cupholders and plentiful storage space on the centre console are of great use to me, especially the little cubbyhole on the right of the steering wheel that’s perfect for loose change and toll tickets. The cabin light, however, does feel a little dim, so I keep a torch handy to find things in the glovebox and in the other storage spaces.

I have never been one to drive fast or be impatient while driving, but I realise the 1.0-litre diesel engine takes a while to get going. I also noticed that there’s a good amount of lag, and, at times, it does tick me off when I press the accelerator and nothing seems to happen. There is a distinct diesel clunk from the three-cylinder engine when you crank it, and it only softens a little when the motor warms up. I wish the engine was a little more responsive.

The Tigor returned a mileage of 15kpl on an average with the driving I have done so far; I was expecting more from it, being a small-capacity diesel. I, however, haven’t had the opportunity to take it on a long, outstation drive to see if it can do better.

What I did notice is that the cabin is effectively insulated from the outside noise when the windows are up. The air conditioner, however, is not very effective at low fan speeds and even the thermostat has to be set lower for adequate cooling. This occurrence is recent though and it could be due to a choked filter, even though the car is relatively new and has clocked only about 7,000km until now.

Ashley Baxter