There has been an all-electric derivative of the Tigor for quite some time now. Shown back at the 2018 Auto Expo, the sedan initially had a range of up to 142 km with the addition of a bigger battery pack and that figure was raised to 213 km.
Now, the Tigor EV has been given a facelift with a notable update under the hood for the private buyers. The commercial model, now branded the Express-T, carries over the older 72V power system, while the Tigor EV for private buyers – which we’re testing here, Tata’s Ziptron EV system with a more powerful motor, bigger battery, and more Full of range. .
There is also a price factor. While not exactly cheap, at ₹11.99 lakh, the Tigor EV is the most affordable personal EV in India and we look at its biggest change – the Ziptron powertrain.
The new Tigor EV’s battery capacity is now 26kWh (for reference, the Xpress-T gets two sizes: 16.5kWh and 21.5kWh). It can be charged rapidly on a 25kW DC charger, where it can go from 0-80% in 65 minutes, while a standard 15A plug point will take eight hours and 45 minutes for this.
With the bigger battery, Tata claims an ARAI-certified range of 306 km, though our initial drives around Mumbai would put the actual figure in the region of around 180 to 200 km. It’s not good enough for distant weekend destinations, but good enough for city use. Remember that if you dip below 25% on the battery, the system’s power is reduced to the assist limit.
Behind the wheel, the new EV feels more like a proper electric car than the older Tigor EV. Performance is better but not electrification as we have come to expect from bigger and more expensive EVs. That initial kick is missing from the electric motor’s instant torque and acceleration is flat and very quiet. Put your foot down and feel the car’s system carefully measuring its energy. While the normal drive mode is good only when you are traveling in traffic, the sport mode makes full use of the 75hp, 170Nm motor if you want to accelerate or overtake.
Tata says it has tuned the system to give a measured rate of acceleration – bearing in mind that the car will be used primarily in the city – and naturally, to conserve charge as well. In our initial testing, we saw a time of 14.88 seconds for the 0-100kph dash in Sport mode and an extremely slow time of 29.28 seconds in drive.
Brake energy recovery is available, but it’s not as strong as other EVs, and the retardation at throttle lift-off feels similar to regular ICE cars. The regeneration level is also not adjustable and the light intensity is essentially due to the small size of the motor which has a limited capacity for regeneration.
The brakes feel flimsy, quite disjointed, and tend to grab when you press down. Braking performance is fine, though the stopping distance is expected to be longer than the regular Tigor due to the extra weight of the EV. The steering, on the other hand, is well established. It is communicative, light and easy in the city, while still being firm and confident at high speeds. Ruts and bumps don’t throw it off at all.
Another highlight is the ride quality – it’s great and easily absorbs most potholes and potholes. It bumps into bigger ones but doesn’t budge, and overall the ride is nice and comfortable. It’s also nice that it doesn’t come at the cost of handling. As we’ve come to expect of EVs, the cornering is fairly flat with minimal body roll due to the low center of gravity.
The 175-section tires also have good grip and are more than enough for this car for most owners, although the tire noise is high at speed.
Tata is to be commended for maintaining the 4-star Global NCAP crash rating of the Tigor even with the EV. In case of a crash, the extra mass increases the load on the body shell, so Tata has re-engineered some of the body points, and added sturdiness to manage the extra 200kg, which is considered its pricing. I should also consider while thinking.
The cabin is largely similar to the regular car, with a larger drive selector knob in place of a differential gear lever. While the rotary action is easy to use, you can’t go straight from reverse to drive or vice versa, you need to pass neutral, wait for the engagement beep, and only then proceed. It takes a second or two, but it’s annoying when you’re executing a quick three-point turn. However, it’s quick to switch from Drive to Sport mode.
The instrument panel is also different, with the dial being replaced with an all-digital display. It has normal illumination and a digital speed readout, and absent advanced EV-related information like a battery graph, you get a range readout, a region level indicator, battery gauge and percentage and battery consumption readout.
Apart from this, the Electric Blue accents are also unique which are done brilliantly on the instrument panel, AC vents and seat fabric. The plastic and overall quality doesn’t reflect what you get in a car over a million, but it’s generally an EV today, where they all offer less than comparable ICE cars. Though on its own, the Tigor EV is pretty decent and has decent equipment in the form of a 7-inch touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, an auto ac, reverse camera, connected car tech and a great-sounding Harman audio system. .
The seats are large and comfy, although the cushioning is soft. All around space is good and will be enough for most with plenty of head and legroom. Where the EV differs significantly is in the boot. Now the space inside the boot has come down from 419 liters to 316 liters with the battery pack located under the spare wheel. That said, the spare tire is neatly mounted on one side and the available space is quite usable. Ground clearance has also remained unchanged and at 172 mm, the EV is 2 mm more than the standard Tigor.
As far as the exteriors are concerned, the EV remains the same as the regular car and looks nice and sharp. The grille has been replaced with a flat panel with small cooling slots at the bottom with neat, raised tri-arrows. There are also different rims which, along with other areas like the grille and bumpers, carry Electric Blue accents and show off its EV credentials.
Summing up the Tigor EV is quite a task. To begin with, it is electric and, therefore, expensive. Even with a healthy subsidy, as you get in Delhi, it is still ₹3 lakh more than its petrol-AMT counterpart. By our calculations, if your running is about 1,000 km per month, which is about 45 km per day on a five-day week, you will need about four years to make up the difference.
After this, Tata has its own Nexon EV. At just ₹1 lakh more for the base and ₹2 lakh more for the similarly equipped variant, the Nexon will attract some Tigor EVs with its bigger size, more power and the allure and benefits of an SUV.
However, Tigor is not without its strength or reason. For those who are running more and who can take advantage of larger subsidies, it makes a case for itself. The change in powertrain definitely makes it the best version of the Tigor; It retains the good bits like space, ride and safety, and swaps out the underpowered engine for a smoother and cleaner unit. Yes, acceleration is slow, but the Tigor EV is designed for an easy-to-drive city commuter and does well.
The compact dimensions are great in the city, the steering is nice and light, it’s decently equipped, and the performance is silent and smooth. Its range is also sufficient for daily urban life. In fact, we wouldn’t be surprised if it outpaced the Nexon EV in our tests. So, it is efficient, clean and secure; A car with good and good intentions, just like the customers who buy it.
L/W/H
3993/1677/1532mm
wheelbase
2450 mm
electric motor
permanent magnet synchronous
Battery
26kWh
Range (claimed)
306 km
Power
75hp
Torque:
170Nm
GearBox
1-speed automatic
curb weight
1235 kg
surface
172mm (Unalden)
boot volume
316 liters
description
petrol
EV
notes
XZA+
XZ+
cost
₹7,81,900
₹12,99,000 (Ex-showroom, Delhi)
Insurance
₹33,100
₹51,960
EST. Varies depending on insurance provider
RTO
₹ 61,682
RTO and registration fee waived for EVs
TCS
₹ 12,990
₹10L. Tax collected at source for cars of more than
on-road price
₹8,76,682
₹13,63,950
subsidy (1,50,000)
Will get subsidy from Delhi government
Final On-Road Price
₹8,76,682
₹12,13,950
Fuel Efficiency / Range (Tested)
13kpl
190km
preliminary test
Petrol/Electricity Cost
101.19 per liter
8.00 per unit
Price in Delhi on 21st September; The cost per unit of electricity varies depending on the consumption
cost per km
7.55
1.09
(Cost of 1 liter of petrol/electricity per charge) divided by real-world efficiency/range
break-even point in km)
52,234.90
per km. Price difference divided by difference in running cost
Break-Even Point in Years
4.35
Break-even km divided by the 12,000 km average run per year
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