Tata has launched the Tigor compact sedan, their sub-four metre sedan, in the Indian market starting at Rs 4.7 lakh ex-showroom, Delhi. We did expect the pricing to start from quite a bit lower but the Tigor is still a unique proposition for the Indian car buyers. Since the budget car segment generates volumes, car makers have more than one products for the kind of price the Tigor demands. Here is a list of what else you can buy for the price of the Tata Tigor.
The entry-level trim of the Tigor, the XE petrol, will fetch you the top-spec Alto K10 VXi AMT. you will save half a lakh and will get an automatic gearbox but the cabin space and the large boot of the Tigor will certainly be missed. Then comes the Renault Kwid whose 1.0-litre RXT AMT in the new butch Climber avatar will fit in the same price and has touch-screen audio along with all-four power windows. Though the Tigor lacks that, it has the space card up its sleeve.
The XT petrol Tigor is priced at Rs 5.41 lakh while the entry-level XE diesel Tigor gets a price tag of Rs 5.6 lakh. At this price, you have the option of buying the Chevrolet Beat diesel LT or the Wagon R VXI(O) AMT or the Celerio ZXI AMT ABS. The Tigor gets ABS from the XT trim and hence the Celerio AMT does stand in as a good option for the Tigor. But then, while the equipment level on both the cars is almost the same, the styling of the Tigor and the space are leagues ahead.
Next in line are the B-segment hatchbacks that compete with the Tigor XZ and XZ(O) petrol. With the option pack you get a 5-inch touchscreen system with a host of apps and automatic climate control over the XZ. In this price band of Rs 5.9 lakh to Rs 6.2 lakh, you get the Ford Figo diesel Ambiente with ABS, the top-spec Honda Brio petrol manual, the Swift base diesel with ABS and the second –to-base Hyundai Grandi10 diesel. The Brio will match the XZ with its features, but loses out on the space while the Swift will have a diesel engine but with hardly any features. The Ford Figo competes closely and matches the Tigor for cabin space but loses out on features and of course the boot. The Hyundai Grand i10 comes closest to the Tigor for value-for-money but loses out on the boot space. One point to be notes here is that these hatchbacks have bigger engines and better suspension as they are all built on platforms that sit above the Tigor’s platform segment.
At RS 6.31 lakh, you will get the Tata Tigor diesel XT, the mid-variant. At this price, you get the Swift Dzire VXI ABS or the LDI ABS. The VXI is the petrol mid-variant and loses out to the Tigor on the equipment list as well as the economy of a diesel engine while the LDI is a bare-bones car. Similarly, you have the Honda Amaze and the Hyundai Xcent. In fact, other compact sedans like the Ford Aspire and the Volkswagen Ameo also meet a similar fate where the Tigor wins either on the equipment list or the economy of the diesel option. But then, the larger engines of the compact sedans and their better mechanicals, as is the case with their corresponding hatchbacks, do work in their favour if your driving is not limited to the confines of city limits.
Finally, you have the Tigor diesel XZ and the XZ(O) coming in at Rs 6.8 lakh and Rs 7.09 lakh, respectively. At this price you have the option of getting yourself a premium hatchbacks. The Delta variant of the Baleno will fit in at this price either with a petrol auto option or the diesel manual option. The Honda Jazz will come in the base diesel or the mid-level petrol trims exactly like the Elite i20. Though a sedan always scores over a hatch in terms of perceived status, the premium hatchbacks has carved their own niche in the echelons of status symbols and it certainly sits above the Tigor.
You also have the option of getting yourself a Maruti Suzuki Ertiga, the base version of which will fit in the price of the top-spec diesel Tigor with both the petrol and diesel engine options. Finally, we have the Bolero Power Plus SLE as a wild-card entry. At Rs 6.89 lakh, the Bolero is a proven workhorse especially for the rural Indian market.
