Coming on the heels of the Tiago hatchback launch last year, Tata Motors is now introducing a similar-sounding vehicle in the compact segment called the Tigor. The launch of the car, thus far, codenamed ‘Kite’ is all set to be launched this week. I had the privilege of being a part of the exclusive media drive offered by Tata Motors a few days ago.
40 bloggers from across India converged in Delhi’s Hyatt Andaz at Aerocity to find out if the Tata Tigor has as much substance as it has style. Tata isn’t a company that’s popularly known for its style quotient, but as we found out later, there’s more than what meets the eye when it comes to the Tigor.
As our various flights landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport, we were whisked to the StyleBack studio in chauffeur driven cars in Qutub Institutional Area, Delhi. The venue was 1AQ, an open lawn and art gallery where we first laid eyes on the Tata Tiago!
After a long flight and the drive from the airport in Delhi’s hot afternoon sun, the StyleBack studio was a breath of fresh air. We replenished our energy by lounging on couches and under umbrellas and sampled food from the many food carts around the lawn.
A shot of coffee and some graffiti-painting later, we ambled around the grounds and slowly, groups of us headed indoors where a specially curated range of experiences awaited. We started off with an ace perfumer from the famous perfume brand, Ajmat, giving us a glimpse into the world of perfumes and personalities. After asking us a little about our lives and likes, he handed us a perfume he felt would match each individual. I got a perfume called ‘rebel.’ How apt!
With fragrances taken care of, the spotlight turned to attire and we were given a retro-makeover! Large sun-hats, sunglasses, big loop earrings, polka dotted scarves, bow hairbands and statement bags were selected and donned on us. Men had their choice of suspenders, bow ties, top hats and belts. Given the vintage-style curly hair I already have, I was given a hairband, bag and glares to enhance my look. That was fun!
I can’t forget this beat-boxer! He had some MAD skills!
Amidst the style, music and food was the Tata Tigor, looking as sleek as ever! Needless to say, it was the star of every photograph taken as bloggers and journalists’ cameras flashed by the dozen.
We were then driven to Hyatt Andaz, a luxury lifestyle hotel just minutes away from the airport – and our home for the weekend. After hurriedly checking in to our rooms, my roommate-for-the-day, Shalini from Baketitude and I had half an hour to freshen up and head downstairs for a product briefing as well as the download on what to expect for our test drive the next day.
It was here that we learned about what went behind the designing and making of Tata Tigor. The car is the result of the new “impact” design philosophy, which means that it is a compact sedan with a touch of sportiness. Unlike its sibling, the Tiago which is a regular three-box sedan with its boot lid, the Styleback has a coupé like profile and its tail-gate is hinged at the roof.
The face of the car however, is quite similar to the Tiago, with the mesh grill in front and stretched headlights. From the side as well, it looks quite similar, with its sloping front windscreen and doors. Its slanted rear roof almost hides the fact that it’s a sedan.
The team explained that although the focus is heavily laid on style, it hasn’t impacted the functionality of the car. In fact, it has been enhanced. On the unveiling of the car, we got to see that from any angle, the Tata Tiago looks stunning. Its stance itself is lively and youthful, but features like its striking chrome design line that runs through the length of the car gives it that extra dose of style.
We would finally get a chance to ride in it the following day and experience the interiors as well!
Day 2! After waking up at the crack of dawn and indulging in a pre-drive buffet breakfast, we headed outside where a row of cars were parked, gleaming in the morning sun. We got into our allotted cars, and one by one, our drives to Gurgaon’s Heritage Transport Museum were flagged off by none other than Pratap Bose, head of product design at Tata Motors. Our car for the journey was the Diesel version of the Tata Tiago.
The black and white checkered flag, our very own navigator car behind us and camera crew in another car alongside made the drive super exciting! Of course, my road-trip buddies, Sanjay and Zainab made time fly with their chatter as we glided along the 12 lane highway. 12 lanes! That’s 6 times wider than the widest road here in choc-a-bloc Mumbai! Let’s not talk about the roads in Goa.
Inside, there’s no shortage of space, be it in the front or the back. I sink into the patterned seats with bolsters and Sanjay takes the wheel as we zip through Delhi’s almost-deserted streets at 6:30 on a Sunday morning. I notice the elongated air vents add a very upmarket feel to the car.
The GPS on the touchscreen panel guided us along and we fiddled with the music buttons throughout the drive. As we left the city behind us, Sanjay expertly scaled the slopes and glided over bumpy terrain. The view slowly changed from buildings and shops to huts and haystacks. One of the most interesting things I saw along the drive was rural women making huts out of cowdung and making intricate patterns on the surface. Art really has no boundaries, does it?
As someone who always carries an armful of things to the car and also loves road trips, I was delighted to find that the car has 24 utility spaces, ideal for a woman! From the usual glove compartment and spacious boot, to grooves in the doors and pockets for trinkets, food, toll tickets and a pull-out dual cup holder/arm-rest in the back seat
We pull into the parking lot of our pit-stop, the Heritage Transport Museum in Gurgaon and meander around the four storeyed building with vintage cars in immaculate condition. I’ll admit, I don’t know the first thing about vintage cars, I did take a lot of pictures and will probably upload them in a separate blog post for you to check out. But here’s a glimpse!
Breakfast followed in the sunny front yard of the museum and we headed out of the parking lot to our second car – the Petrol version of the Tata Tigor.
Unlike the Deisel’s 1047 cc engine, the Petrol car has the revotrun 1199 cc engine and produces a maximum power of 84 bhp with a torque of 114Nm, as compared to 140Nm in the diesel car. Sanjay pointed out that the driving the petrol car felt smoother than the diesel counterpart, the pick-up was better and the engine was quieter. However, when he pressed the accelerator of the diesel car, he didn’t feel the lack of power.
Zainab and I, explored the infotainment system on the five-inch touchscreen enabled with power back, voice command recognition, SMS readout, and display for rear-parking assist. We couldn’t help but notice the amazing radio sound quality during the comfortable drive.
Stay tuned for the launch on March 29th when the official price of the Tata Tigor will be revealed. If you’re looking to upgrade your family car, this one proves that it’s not about style, but also substance.
Hope you enjoyed this blog post!
See you soon.
-Jade
Post – My trip was sponsored by Tata Motors and Indiblogger, however, my views as always are my own.
Image Courtesy – Tata Motors