Tata Tiago EV

Let's be honest, we have all thought about buying an EV. But with the high purchase cost, it's hard to trust a technology which might, or might not work for us. We need a safer first step which could be the Tata Tiago EV. With on-road prices starting below the Rs 10 lakh mark, the Tiago EV is the most affordable electric car you can buy in the country. However, it also comes with the smallest battery and the least power. Time then to understand whether it is practical and affordable, or just affordable. 

• The Tata Tiago EV has a similar design to the standard Tiago, just with EV-specific bits like a closed grille and EV lettering all around.

• The new LED headlights look stylish, but I wish the indicators were LEDs too. 

• The closed-off gloss black grille with a silver accent adds a premium touch. 

• The air dam now has A-shaped slats, and the EV badge has moved to the lower front door.  

• I would have preferred 15-inch alloys, but the 14-inch styled steel wheels look fine. 

• The base variant of the Tiago EV gets no wheel covers.

• A blacked-out Tiago.ev badge and a new shark-fin antenna also add to its modernity. 

• The rear styling is simple and elegant with wraparound halogen tail lights.

• This Supernova Copper colour looks elegant to me. But, if you want an eye-catchy head-turner, the Chill Lime is for you.

• Tata offers the 2025 Tiago EV in six colours: Supernova Copper, Chill Lime, Daytona Grey, Teal Blue, Arizona Blue, and Pristine White.

Design & Quality

• The Tata Tiago EV has a simple dashboard design, but the new two-spoke steering wheel and infotainment screen add a premium touch.

• While the overall cabin quality is acceptable, the hard plastics somewhat hamper the upmarket appeal. 

• I did miss the leatherette seats though as its fabric upholstery now feels a bit basic. 

• Fit and finish could also be improved as I spotted the occasional panel gaps, and even a few loose wires hanging in the footwell area.

Driving position

• The front seats are pretty comfortable for average sized people. It could just be a little more well-bucketed and offer better under high support

• With seat height adjustment and tilt steering adjustment, finding a comfortable driving position is fairly simple.

• There is no telescopic steering adjustment in the Tata Tiago EV.

Passenger comfort

• The front passenger’s seating position might feel unnatural due to the raised seat placement. Considering there is no seat height adjustment here, taller passengers may find the headroom to be a little less.

• The Tiago EV can seat 4 adults of an average build comfortably, but a third passenger would feel cramped in the back.

• Legroom and headroom are ample at the rear seats for anyone up to 6ft tall, but the seating position feels a bit upright.

• A centre armrest and adjustable headrests would have added more to passenger comfort.

Storage spaces

• The Tiago EV gets ample storage spaces for a small hatchback, but the size of the storage spaces is such that you can’t store big items in them.

• The front door bottle holders and cup holders in the central tunnel can only store half litre bottles.

• The rear doors, however, get proper 1-litre bottle pockets and even the end of the central tunnel has a large bottle holder that’s shared with the front passengers.

• The Tiago EV’s glovebox isn’t just cooled, it also is massive and even gets a dedicated slab to hold you documents.

• There is a dedicated slot for your key, some space to store your wallet/phone ahead of the gear lever and a small open compartment to the right of the steering wheel.

• There's also a hook on the passenger side central tunnel for hanging some small packets.

• For charging, there is a USB port, a type-C port and a 12V socket in the front. There’s another 12V socket in the central tunnel, which is shared with the rear passengers.

Features

• The 2025 Tiago EV gets a features list which is almost good enough to match the bigger premium hatchbacks.

• The 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment is responsive, and I love how smooth it feels with almost no lag.

• Android Auto and Apple CarPlay is wireless and works as intended.

• The 4-inch MID Cluster looks a little outdated, especially compared to the new floating touchscreen.

• I don’t like the 4-speaker sound system, which is a big downgrade from the previous 8-speaker Harman setup. The sound quality is strictly mediocre.

• The rear-view camera offers acceptable camera quality with no lag or frame drop.

• It covers the basics with dual airbags, ABS, EBD, electronic stability program (ESC), a rear camera, tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) and hill-hold assist. 

• But the dual front airbags should have been updated with six.

• The Tiago EV has not been crash-tested yet. However, its platform-sibling Tigor had scored a 4-star rating at Global NCAP in 2021.

• The 240-litre boot feels a bit tight. You can fit in just a medium-sized cabin bag, a duffle, and some small bags. 

• It only gets flat folding rear seats in case you want to haul some larger items.

• Considering its limited boot space, I feel a 60:40 rear seat split would have been more practical.

• The Tiago EV does not get a frunk.

• The Tata Tiago EV is available with 19.2kWh (medium range) and 24kWh (long range).

• You get battery-dependent electric motors, with the long range version packing the more powerful electric motor.

• The Tata Tiago EV is super easy to drive for everyone, be it someone who’s never driven an EV before, or even someone who’s entirely new to driving.

• Throttle response is smooth for city use and highway overtakes. 

• Acceleration is instant, but never overwhelming.

• Four regen modes are available, offering increased braking as the levels increase. I found level 1 and 2 to be perfect for daily city use.

• While the regen calibration is smooth, I wish there were paddle shifters to change modes on the go. 

• The whistling noise at higher speeds is loud and could have been better insulated.

• A real-world range of ~210 km (24kWh battery) is great for city use. However, it limits inter-city trips. 

• Consider the smaller 19.2kWh battery pack only if you’re comfortable with 140-160km of real-world range.

• A 10-80% charge using a DC charger can be done in just under an hour. But expect the times to go up significantly with AC home charging.

• The Tiago EV impressed me with its ride quality.

• It absorbs bumps and undulations well over rough patches and the suspension works silently.

• While the movement is well controlled at the front, the side-to-side movement at the rear could be reduced.  

• 165mm ground clearance is enough to clear large speedbreakers and steep inclines.

• Even at highway speeds, the car remains stable and absorbs any sudden insulation well.

• The steering is smooth and light, which makes manoeuvres at high speed and even in city traffic easy

• Tata offers the 2025 Tiago EV in three variants: XE, XT, and XZ+ Tech Lux

Tiago EV XE

• Entry-level variants miss out on LEDs and wheel covers. Looks basic.

• Features dual tone upholstery, but has a basic overall look with no infotainment system.

• Functional equipment only includes auto AC, and a 4-inch digital driver’s display.

• Safety kit gets dual airbags, ABS with EBD, ISOFIX mounts, rear parking sensors and puncture repair kit.

Tiago EV XT

• Adds wheel covers to the 14-inch wheels.

• Better basic features like all four power windows, steering mounted controls, electrically adjustable outside mirrors and manual inside mirror.

• Features a 7-inch infotainment system with wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Also gets a 4-speaker sound system.

• Entry-level variant for the bigger battery pack.

Tiago EV XZ+ Tech Lux

• Premium looks with LED DRLs, LED headlights and shark fin antenna.

• Many functional upgrades like cruise control, auto headlights, 6-way adjustable driver seat, cooled glovebox, push button start/stop, and Type-C charging port.

• Gets a bigger 10.25-inch infotainment system with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

• Safety kit gets rear wiper and washer, rain sensing wipes, hill hold control, rear parking sensors and electronic stability program.

CarDekho Recommends:

• The base variant of the Tata Tiago EV is too basic with many basic functional misses. We would recommend you to go for the mid-spec XT variant of the Tiago EV if you’re on a budget. It will be a good fit if you want a simple, but no-compromise electric hatchback.

• The top variant might be a little expensive, but then, you won’t get any other small EV that’s also as feature- and tech-loaded as the Tiago EV.

The Tiago EV is a beginner-friendly and no-nonsense electric hatchback meant for daily city drives. It offers a good feature set and satisfying performance for urban traffic needs.

Other Cars To Consider Instead Of The Tata Tiago EV

MG Comet EV

Reasons to Consider

• Super compact and easy to manoeuvre in the city

• Affordable with a battery rental scheme

• Good features and a plush interior

Reasons to Ignore

• If you’re not okay with its design quirk.

• Limited range.

• High charging times.

Citroen eC3

Reasons to Consider

• Spacious and has a better road presence.

• Bigger battery pack

• Greater real-world range

Reasons to Ignore

• More expensive option

• Not as much brand value