Tata Tiago EV Long-Term Review: A Complete Package — Check Details

Thinking of buying a Tata Tiago EV? Don't fret, we've got you covered with a long-term review. Read below to find out if it's your perfect match or not.

Tata Tiago EV ( Image Source :Somnath Chatterjee )

You see a lot of Tiago EVs on roads these days along with Nexon EVs too which shows that a small shift is happening in terms of the quintessential urban city car. Many are buying a second car or even a city commuter in terms of the Tiago EV hence, it was right that we test it for a month to see if it is good to convince you to replace your petrol car. Our Tiago EV for a month came in its light blue shade (Tropical Mist) which is a standout colour and it looks good with the blue accents. The design of the Tiago has aged very well and looks handsome while the wheel caps are not bland looking as well. In short, it looks good and inoffensive.

The interiors served as a bigger surprise as it does not scream budget car at all. It is quite roomy with the light-coloured upholstery while the quality is decent. This light-coloured upholstery does get dirty quickly but the blue accents look nice.

There are some obvious changes over the petrol Tiago but the equipment list is pretty good with features like a fantastic eight-speaker Harman audio system, climate control, connected car tech, climate control, cruise control and more. That said, I think the touchscreen is too small and basic while more EV-related information could have been given. The same goes for the instrument cluster which could have been more futuristic. That said, the app for this car gave lots of information which was handy. Space is more than adequate though and leaves no room for complaint.

The bit I was interested in the most was driving and charging. The key attributes which appeal to a potential EV user. Here, the Tiago EV impressed with its power delivery plus driving experience. It is not too sharp or too fast to be scary but you can zip silently through traffic with instant power even in City mode.
I used this mode the most and here acceleration was more than adequate and it felt quick. While 75bhp and 114Nm may not sound like much, it's more than enough for this car plus the instant power, acceleration and convenience make it a perfect city commuter. Most of my drives were in the city and here I also drove with the highest regen setting with an eye on the range. Like all EVs, it gets three regen modes and keeps it at the highest for the best range while in the city, you will get the best results. While you can switch it off, the regen is progressive and not exactly one-pedal driving but for a first-time owner, it is not intimidating to use also. Using this, we got more than 200km per charge for the Tiago EV 24kwh version while using sport mode, the figure went down. Drive carefully and you will get more than 200km- which is enough for a city commute in a week.

I did take it to a few highway journeys where the Tiago EV easily kept pace and could cruise at 100 km/h while topping out at 120km/h or so. It felt stable and quite quick- more so than other hatchbacks.

Other bits I liked were the light steering and the good ride quality which absorbed our bad roads very well. Another concern happens to be the ground clearance with EVs but we did not find any issues with it either. Drive it enthusiastically and the Tiago EV is fairly settled while not being too soft or not giving the driver confidence. One issue we would say is that the drive selector is slow and is an issue to use in terms of doing a quick u-turn or selecting reverse as there is a lag between D and R- something which has been changed with the new Nexon EV selector.

I used conventional charging for the car and did not use fast charging or outside chargers since they will be more expensive but being fast charge compliant is surely a convenience since in emergencies it helps. The best thing I used to do was leave it to charge at night while also costing me less. During my month-long drive, it certainly saved my fuel bills a lot with a much lower running cost per km vs a petrol one. While it isn't quite below 1rs per km but it is still vastly cheaper- depends on the electricity price or even where you are charging but we recommend home charging. Yes, my electricity bill increased but certainly not as much as my fuel bill!

So, should the Tiago EV be your only car? At the moment, the infrastructure has some catching up to do especially if you do long distances but as a primary city car, we see no reason not to as the savings are huge vs a petrol car and it is convenient, easy to live with and fuss-free. In terms of a city commuter, the Tiago EV is a complete car with a good amount of space and the range is also more than enough. 

For the top spec model which is Rs 12 lakh plus, it may be a touch pricey but as a second car or a car to thrive in the city, this is the most complete one while also being excellent value.

What we like- Range, Value, Driving experience, Ride quality, Looks

What we do not- Small touchscreen, Slow drive selector