With the Tata Tiago being the newest kid on the block, we compare it with its closest rivals, the Maruti Celerio, Chevrolet Beat and the Hyundai Grand i10.
Exteriors – The Chevrolet Beat has been around since 2010 and it got a mid-life facelift last year where its exteriors got minor and yet significant upgrades. It continues to look smart and it has a sporty appeal, something that is missing in the newer Maruti Celerio which has a simple design. The Hyundai Grand i10 is also a very good looker and has a more premium feel than the other two. The Tata Tiago has a smart design and thankfully it doesn’t remind one of the Indica. On the exteriors front, the Grand i10, Beat and Tiago score high while the Celerio is left behind.
Interiors – The Tiago has a good-looking dashboard and the overall layout of the interiors is also pretty neat. The vehicle on a whole feels nicely put together but again the Beat also has very good interiors but it does lack a couple of features like a proper infotainment system and the likes. The Celerio also has a simple and non-offensive dashboard while build quality isn’t the best. The Grand i10 has excellent build quality and is loaded with features. Space is more or less similar on all the cars here.
Engines and Mileage – The Tiago is the only one to get a 1.1-litre engine and yet it is the most powerful here. The Grand i10’s numbers are just marginally lower than the Tiago. On the other hand, the Chevrolet Beat gets a bigger 1.2-litre engine and yet its power and torque figures are slightly lower then the Tiago. The Celerio gets a 1.0-litre engine and it has the least power and torque out of the 4 hatchbacks featured here. The Celerio has the highest claimed fuel efficiency while we expect the Tiago to also have a figure of 20 km/l which is a bit more than the Beat while the Grand has the lowest.
Talking about oil-burners, again the Celerio falls short of power drastically and it also gets a 2-cylinder engine while the Grand i10, Beat and Tiago have a 3-cylinder unit. The Tiago again scores high on power and torque but it is the Grand i10 which is the most powerful, while the Celerio falls short again. However, the Celerio has class-leading fuel efficiency and we expect the Tiago also to have better mileage figures than the Beat. All the cars here get a 5-speed manual transmission and the Hyundai gets a 4-speed automatic gearbox with the petrol engine while the Celerio petrol gets the option of an AMT gearbox. The Tiago diesel will get an AMT too but that won’t happen immediately and it will take some time.
Pricing and Verdict – Pricing is going to play a key role in determining the Tiago’s success in the market. On face value, it looks like a very promising product but we all know how price-sensitive the market is. The Celerio and the Grand i10 are selling in really high numbers but the Hyundai is also the most expensive car here. The Beat has never got the due it should have got and it has remained a relatively low-selling model. If Tata prices the Tiago well, then hopefully it will have a better fate than the Bolt and Zest
Chevrolet Beat vs Tata Tiago vs Maruti Celerio vs Hyundai Grand i10 – Petrol Comparo
Chevrolet Beat vs Tata Tiago vs Maruti Celerio vs Hyundai Grand i10 – Diesel Comparo
