What else can you buy for the price of a Tata Tigor?

The Tata Tigor has arrived with a unique proposition of a price tag starting from Rs 4.7 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi for the base petrol car to Rs 7.1 lakh for the top-spec diesel. It comes in at about Rs 50,000 lower than the regular compact sedans but, as we all know, it is based on the Tata Tiago which sits one segment below the hatchbacks from which the other compact sedans have emerged. This is a unique proposition, but for the money you would spend on the Tigor, you do have a few options that are worth a glance. 

For the entry-level trim of the Tigor, the XE petrol, you can have a go at the top-spec Alto K10 VXi AMT. It will save you half a lakh and will give you 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 in the XT trim and hence the Celerio AMT does stand in as a good option for the Tigor. But, although both cars are similarly equipped, the styling of the Tigor and its roomy interiors put it leagues ahead of the Celerio. 

Next in line are the B-segment hatchbacks that compete with the Tigor XZ and XZ(O) petrol. The Tigor option pack gives you a 5-inch touchscreen system with a host of apps and automatic climate control in 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 diesel with ABS and the second–to-base Hyundai Grandi10 diesel. The Brio matches the XZ in with its features, but loses out on space while the Swift has a diesel engine but no added 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 in terms of value-for-money but loses out on boot space. One point to be noted 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.

The Tata Tigor diesel XT, the brand’s mid-variant comes for Rs 6.31 lakh. For 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. In fact, other compact sedans like the Ford Aspire, Honda Amaze, Hyundai Xcent 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 corresponding hatchbacks and also better mechanicals, do work in their favour if your driving is not limited to city roads.

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 buying a premium hatchback. 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 also be available either 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 have carved their own niche and as far as status symbols go, they certainly sits above the Tigor.

Finally, we also have the Bolero Power Plus SLE, the wild-card entry. At Rs 6.89 lakh, the Bolero is a proven workhorse, especially for the rural Indian market. 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.