Tata will soon update its most affordable offering, the Tiago hatchback, a video of which was recently released. Set to launch on May 28, 2026, the facelifted Tiago ICE and Tiago EV have received some exterior and interior design changes, including new lighting and alloys, redesigned bumpers and refreshed dashboards, but a few key details set them apart.
2026 Tata Tiago ICE vs EV: Exterior design
Unlike the ICE model, the EV gets a body-coloured grille and bumper
Starting with the similarities, both the Tiago and Tiago EV feature sleeker LED headlights with eyebrow-shaped LED daytime running lamps (DRLs). They also house a camera module on the bumper, confirming a new 360-degree camera setup.
However, the grille is black on the ICE version but body-coloured on the EV. Even their bumpers differ. The combustion-powered Tiago has a black lower section with air intakes and sleek pixel-shaped fog lamps. The Tiago EV facelift, on the other hand, gets a body-coloured bumper with air intakes and vertical black trims on both sides but lacks fog lamps.
Both ICE and EV versions get different rims
On the sides, facelifts of the Tiago ICE and Tiago EV feature black wheel arches and redesigned rims. However, as with their outgoing models, the EV could have smaller 14-inch steel wheels with plastic covers compared to the 15-inch alloys of the ICE version. The EV version also marks itself out with a ‘Tata.ev’ badge on the front doors. Everything else is the same on both.
Save for version-specific badges, the rear design is entirely identical
Their rear design is identical, except for the badges on the tailgate, which has been the case with their pre-facelift versions as well. The new connected LED tail-lights, the bumper with a black lower portion and the reverse light are the same on both.
2026 Tata Tiago ICE vs EV: Interior design and features
Interior is similar, except for seat upholstery, logos and switches
Tata has updated the interior of the Tiago with a new dashboard layout featuring a free-standing driver’s display. The steering wheel design has been slightly revised with a broader gloss-black panel, but the highlight is the illuminated logo – the combustion-powered car gets a traditional Tata logo, while the electric iteration has an offset ‘Tata.ev’ branding. The model-specific badge on the dashboard has been retained.
The switches for window operation are different for both Tiago versions. While the ICE-powered car gets conventional-looking black units, those in the Tiago EV have a silver finish and a different design. The Tiago ICE also seems to use a lot of gloss-black materials compared to its electric counterpart. Another difference lies in the fabric seat upholstery, which is black-and-grey in the ICE model but grey in the EV.
New dual wireless phone chargers, a 360-degree camera, a 10.25-inch infotainment system, automatic climate control, a cooled glove box, powered outside rearview mirrors (ORVMs) and a tyre-pressure monitoring system (TPMS) are expected to be shared between the hatchback’s facelifted ICE and EV versions. Tata may equip both with 6 airbags, an upgrade from dual airbags in the older models.
2026 Tata Tiago ICE vs EV: Powertrain
While Tiago ICE will likely retain its powertrains, the EV could get larger batteries
The combustion-engined Tiago is expected to continue with the 86hp 1.2-litre petrol engine and 75.5hp CNG options, with the same choice of a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed automatic gearbox.
However, Tata is likely to bring larger battery packs to the Tiago EV facelift, as it did with the Punch EV facelift. The previous Tiago EV was offered with either a 19.2kWh or a 24kWh battery pack, with a claimed range of 223km and 293km, respectively.
Considering these updates, Tata is expected to revise the prices for both models, but it may offer the 2026 Tiago EV with a battery-as-a-service (BaaS) scheme to lower its upfront cost, similar to the Punch EV.
Uday Singh
Saptarshi Mondal
Viraaj Bhatnagar
