Once launched, Tata Tiago and Tigor CNG compete with the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios, Santro and Aura CNG, along with Maruti WagonR CNG
Leaders in the CNG segment currently included offerings from Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai. Noting a significant demand in this segment, Tata Motors will also soon enter the segment with two CNG models – Tiago and Tigor. Both these cars are set for launch during this month. Dealerships have opened unofficial bookings at a token amount ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 20,000, depending on the dealership.
Along with these two models, the company also plans to introduce a wide range of CNG options. Among these will be Tata Punch, Altroz, and Nexon. Camouflaged versions of these cars continue to be spied on test. Apart from CNG, Tata Motors is also working on flex-fuel engines, adding automatic gearbox to Altroz and increasing their EV lineup.
Tata Tiago and Tigor CNG
First units of the Tata Tiago CNG have started to arrive at dealerships across India. They are seen with i-CNG badge at the rear as well as a CNG sticker on the rear windscreen. Tata Tiago and Tigor CNG will not sport any feature changes except for the fact that they will get factory fitted CNG kits.
Tiago and Tigor are currently get their power via a 1.2 liter, 3 cylinder, naturally aspirated petrol engine making 85 hp power and 113 Nm torque. With a CNG kit, this power and torque output may vary. The petrol engine on the current Tiago / Tigor gets mated to manual or AMT gearbox options while CNG variants could be exclusively offered with manual transmission.
The only differentiating factor on its exterior would be CNG badging that would set the Tiago and Tigor apart from their petrol powered counterparts. Pricing will also be revised with the Tiago and Tigor CNG variants likely to cost around Rs 30,000-50,000 over their respective petrol variants.
Competition on CNG Segment
Tata Tiago CNG and Tigor CNG enter a segment that currently has a few offerings from Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai. Maruti Suzuki has 8 CNG models commanding a market share of 82 percent during the period April-November 2021. Hyundai on the other hand offers Santro, Grand i10 Nios, Aura and Xcent Prime with the bi-fuel option making up the rest of the market share.
Tata Tiago CNG will directly rival Maruti WagonR and Hyundai Grand i10 NIOS while Tigor CNG will take on Hyundai Aura CNG and will be the second car in the compact sedan space to receive a factory fitted CNG kit. It will also soon face competition from the upcoming Maruti Suzuki Dzire CNG also slated for launch later this year.
Like the sudden surge in demand for electric vehicles, buyers are also slowly migrating towards CNG options. It offers considerable savings especially at a time when the cost of petrol is at Rs 109.98 per liter and diesel at Rs 94.14 per liter. Conversely, CNG costs Rs 63.50 per kg. The segment faces some constraints in terms of fewer CNG stations while outstation travel requires some planning but the cost saving benefits outweigh these minor disadvantages.
