CNG Automatic Option Now Exists, Find Out Why It Took So Long

The Tata Tiago CNG and Tigor CNG are the first cars in the Indian market to get the option of an automatic gearbox with the greener fuel

The option of CNG technology has been offered in cars in India for those who wanted lower running costs since the early 2000s, but only as a retro-fitted item. It was only in 2010 that it became a factory-fitted offering for various affordable models from Maruti and Hyundai. But it took till February 2024 for any brand to offer the choice of an automatic transmission with a CNG powertrain.

Even though Tata is relatively new to the CNG segment, the Indian carmaker has been pushing the segment ahead with its innovations, starting with the dual-cylinder setup that allows for a usable boot. And now, they’ve progressed the game again by introducing the choice of an AMT with the Tiago CNG and Tigor CNG.

In our latest reel, our host has explained some of the main reasons why it has taken over two decades to execute the CNG-automatic combo and you can check it out below:

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Issue Of Price Premium

CNG cars, today, have come a long way from majorly being a utilitarian budget-offering to now getting some of the key technology and convenience features as well. But at its core, a buyer for a CNG car is still expected to be more price-sensitive than your typical car buyer and there is a decent price premium for the convenience of an automatic transmission, even an AMT.

In this example, we have the Tiago CNG AMT, where the CNG kit itself commands a premium of Rs 95,000 over the standard petrol variant. Add to it the price jump of around Rs 50,000 for the AMT gearbox, which takes the total cost up by nearly Rs 1.5 lakh over the regular petrol variant.

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CNG and AMT - A Complex Matchup

Another factor behind the delay in the arrival of a CNG-automatic option, is the challenge of finding a reliable and balanced relationship between a CNG powertrain and an automatic transmission unit. Since the latter requires multiple sensors to shift gears based on the data such as RPMs and engine load, bringing a CNG powertrain into this picture only makes things more difficult. A CNG model already has two states of tune depending on the fuel - one while running on petrol, and the other when running on CNG where it makes less power and torque. To achieve the CNG-automatic configuration, the data from all these sensors will need to be re-tuned to be compatible with both CNG and petrol tunes.

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Tiago CNG AMT: Variants And Specifications

It is available in two variants: XTA and XZA+. It gets the hatchback’s 1.2-litre petrol engine, although in a lower state of tune (73.5 PS/ 95 Nm). The Tiago CNG gets 5-speed MT and AMT options.

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Prices And Rivals

The Tata Tiago CNG AMT is priced from Rs 7.90 lakh to Rs 8.80 lakh (ex-showroom pan-India). Its competitors are the Maruti Wagon R CNG and Maruti Celerio CNG but they are only offered with a manual transmission.

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