Citroen eC3 vs Tata Tiago EV: price, specifications compared

The eC3 and Tiago EV have an MIDC-rated range of 320km and 315km, respectively.

Published On Feb 28, 2023 12:18:00 PM

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Citroen has just launched the eC3 in India – an all-electric derivative of the regular ICE-powered C3 hatchback that was introduced in mid-2022. With EVs gradually gaining momentum, the hatchback segment, and more importantly, the budget end of the market are now finally beginning to see more options for customers. The eC3 has a sole competitor in the market currently – the Tata Tiago EV – and here we are comparing the two to see how they fare against each other on paper.

Citroen eC3 vs Tata Tiago EV: dimensions

Citroen eC3 vs Tata Tiago EV: Dimensions
Model	Citroen eC3	Tata Tiago EV
Length	3981mm	3769mm
Width	1733mm	1677mm
Height	1604mm	1536mm
Wheelbase	2540mm	2400mm
Weight	1316kg	1155kg
Boot space	315-litres	240-litres
Tyre size	195/65 R15	175/65 R14

Citroen’s eC3 is larger than the Tata Tiago EV in every measurable way. The French EV is 212mm longer, has a 140mm longer wheelbase, is 56mm wider and 68mm taller than the Tiago EV. The Citroen's boot is also 75 litres larger than Tata’s EV hatchback. While the eC3 gets 15-inch alloy wheels, the Tiago EV gets smaller 14-inch steel wheels. However, the Tiago EV is 161kg lighter than the eC3.

Citroen eC3 vs Tata Tiago EV: powertrain, range, performance

Citroen eC3 vs Tata Tiago EV: Powertrain, range, performance
Model	Citroen eC3	Tata Tiago EV (medium range)	Tata Tiago EV (long range)
Motor type	Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor	Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor	Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor
Power	57hp	61hp	75hp
Torque	143Nm	110Nm	114Nm
Battery capacity	29.2kWh	19.2kWh	24kWh
Claimed range	320km	250km	315km
Claimed 0-60kph	6.8sec	6.2sec	5.7sec

While the eC3 only gets one powertrain option, the Tiago EV comes with two powertrain options that are classified as medium range and long range. Both use permanent magnet synchronous motors, but the former makes less power – 57hp – than the Tiago EV medium range's 61hp. The Tiago EV long range produces 75hp, making it the most powerful of the lot here.

Interestingly, the eC3 has the highest torque figure here, at 143Nm, which is 29Nm more than the Tiago EV long range's 114Nm. Despite making more torque, the eC3 has a 0.6 second slower claimed 0-60kph time than even the Tiago EV medium range – the Tiago EV does it in 6.2sec.

The eC3 has a fairly larger battery compared to the Tiago EV. Citroen has placed a 29.2kWh battery in the eC3 that has a claimed range of 320km as per the MIDC cycle. On the other hand, the 19.2kWh battery in the Tiago EV medium range manages 250km on a single charge, while the larger 24kWh battery in the long range version can do 315km on the MIDC cycle.

Citroen eC3 vs Tata Tiago EV: charging time

Citroen eC3 vs Tata Tiago EV: Charging time
Model	Citroen eC3	Tata Tiago EV (medium range)	Tata Tiago EV (long range)
10-80% (DC fast charging)	57 minutes	57 minutes	57 minutes
10-100% (15A wall charger)	10 hours 30 minutes	6 hours 54 minutes	8 hours 40 minutes
Wall box charger	NA	Yes	Yes

All three, despite varying battery sizes, can be charged from 10-80 percent in 57 minutes using a DC fast charger. However, the bigger battery in the Citroen eC3 takes the longest to charge when plugged in to a 15A wall socket, taking 10 hours and 30 minutes to charge from 10-100 percent.

The fastest to charge using a 15A wall socket is the Tiago EV medium range that takes only 6 hours and 54 minutes. The Tiago EV long range falls in between as it only takes 8 hours and 40 minutes to charge from 10 to 100 percent on the wall charger.

Furthermore, Tata offers the Tiago EV with a 3.3kW wall box charger as standard but the eC3 doesn't one come with one, for now.

Citroen eC3 vs Tata Tiago EV: price

Citroen eC3 vs Tata Tiago EV: price (ex-showroom)
Model	Citroen eC3	Tata Tiago EV (medium range)	Tata Tiago EV (Long range)
Price	Rs 11.50 - 12.43 lakh	Rs 8.69 – 9.29 lakh	Rs 10.19 – 11.99

Citroen has priced the eC3 from Rs 11.50 lakh-12.43 lakh for the top-spec Feel trim with dual-tone paint and Vibe pack as optional extras. Prices for the Tata Tiago EV, meanwhile, range between Rs 8.69 lakh-9.29 lakh for the medium range and Rs 10.19 lakh-11.99 lakh for the long range. The eC3’s prices, therefore, are most comparable only with the long-range variants of the Tiago EV. The latter is still better equipped and more powerful, while the medium range variants also allow for a more accessible entry-point.