Clash Of The Tatas: Tigor Vs Zest

We stack both the sub-4 metre sedans together to see what’s what

Update 29/3/2017: Tata Tigor Launched at Rs 4.70 Lakh

Welcome everyone to the battle of the Tatas! This face-off will, in essence, define the fate of two cars which fall in the same segment but are otherwise different. At one end, we have the Tata Zest. Based on the Tata Bolt, the Zest is one of the best overall packages that money can buy in the sub-4 metre segment. At the other end, we have the upcoming Tata Tigor which, as we know, shares its underpinnings with the Tata Tiago. Without any further delay, let’s dive down to highlight what’s same and what’s not in these two sedans.

Features

Main Similarities:

• Harman-engineered ConnectNext touchscreen infotainment system with an eight-speaker (4 speakers + 4 tweeters) sound system, SMS readout, voice command recognition, video playback support and Android OS based navigation system
• Reverse parking sensors
• Dual airbags and Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) and Corner Stability Control (CSC)
• Automatic Climate Control
• Projector headlamps

Main Differences:

• The rear headrests in the Zest are adjustable but in the Tigor they are integrated with the seats and hence cannot be adjusted
• The Tigor has two 12V charging points (one each for the front and rear passengers), whereas the Zest makes do with only the one in the front
• Tigor’s infotainment system gets Juke Car App, which is used for creating multiple playlists, Bluetooth based remote control and Tata Emergency Assist App that shares co-ordinates of the vehicle with the emergency contacts. The Zest misses out on these features
• The Zest houses a set of daytime running LEDs but the Tigor doesn’t
• The Tigor gets a reverse parking camera, which isn't present in the Zest's feature-list

Also Read: Tata Tigor: What It Offers Extra Over The Tiago

Engine, Transmission And Performance

Both the sedans are offered with either a diesel- or a petrol-powered engine. That’s the only similarity between the duo. Let’s unravel the specifications of the Zest first.

The 1.2-litre Revotron petrol motor has a 4-pot layout and produces 90PS of power and 140Nm of torque. The engine comes mated to a five-speed manual transmission only and claims a highway mileage of 17.57kmpl. The Fiat-sourced 1.3-litre diesel engine, on the other hand, comes in two states of tune - 75PS/190Nm and 90PS/200Nm. The less powerful state of tune is available only in the base-spec XE variant. While the diesel engine in the XM, XMS and XT variants gets a five-speed manual transmission, the XMA and XTA trims get a five-speed automated manual transmission (AMT). Fuel-efficiency figures for the XE variant (22.95kmpl) is the highest of the entire range. The AMT equipped diesel motor returns 21.58kmpl and the rest clock out at 20.65kmpl.

Over to the Tigor now. It will get the same engines as the hatchback it is based on. That means the petrol powerplant will have a 3-cylinder configuration and a 1.2-litre cubic capacity. It will be tuned to produce 85PS of power and 114Nm of torque. While the diesel motor has a 3-cylinder setup as well, its cubic capacity is 1.05 litres. The engine churns out 70PS of power and 140Nm of torque. Transmission duties for both the engines is handled by a five-speed manual transmission. As of now, the Tigor will go on sale without an option of AMT unit, which is available in the Tiago.

As far as fuel efficiency figures are concerned, the Tigor is likely to outgun its bigger sibling. Since the Tigor is based on the Tiago but is heavier in weight, the expected fuel economy figures should hover around the 25kmpl mark for the diesel engine and 21kmpl for the petrol one.

Also Read: Design Decode: Tata Tigor

Dimensions

This is where the Zest flexes its muscles. Apart from the boot space, where it has a deficit of just 29 litres, the Zest is bigger, wider and can carry more fuel on the go. On the contrary, it all boils down to how a car has been packaged. Even though the Tigor is smaller in dimensions, it has managed to carve out a bigger boot than its elder sibling. Moreover, the Tigor will have a more frugal set of engines on offer. Depending on how it is driven, it will easily run for around 500km on a full tank before you have to start searching for a fuel station.

Also Read: Tata Tigor – Features We Would Have Liked

Price

The price range for the Tata Zest is Rs 5.24-8.68 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). We expect the Tigor to be priced extremely competitively and start at a very affordable price tag of around Rs 4.5 lakh and finish off with the fully-loaded variant at Rs 6.5 lakh.

As compared to the Zest, the Tigor isn’t very powerful and it does miss out on a couple of features like daytime running LEDs and adjustable rear headrests. That said, the Tigor is shaping up to be all the car one would ever need for his/her two-plus-two family needs. It has the same level of equipment as the Zest and promises to be a lot more fuel efficient too. The only aspect left for it to be another bang-on-the-buck hit for Tata Motors is the price. Question is, however, would you opt for the Tigor over the Zest?

Also Read: Spec Comparo: Tata Tigor Vs Rivals

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