2018 Tata Tigor AMT long term review, final report

The Tata Tigor AMT joined our long-term fleet in June 2018. Since then, it has been my go-to ride to head to work. I prefer picking one long-termer and spending most of my time with that vehicle; I switch only when the requirement for more seats or more luggage room arises. And after spending more than eight months with the Tigor, I had gotten pretty accustomed to it. Also, its stylish exteriors, projector headlamps with black inserts, large alloy wheels and the stubby yet distinctive rear styling won many praises. Tata Motors has learnt how to make its cars look and feel upmarket, not just from the outside but also on the inside. The premium material used on the dashboard, the chunky steering wheel, the not-so-soft-not-so hard seats were appreciated by my family members, and even by passengers who own cars that are more expensive than the Tigor.

And yes, the sound system had its own set of fans, including me. The four-speaker Harman unit is the best in class or maybe even a class above. A clever trick on the Tigor – also seen on other newer Tata vehicles – is that the music system’s volume lowers automatically when the car is in reverse, so that the driver can hear the beeps from the parking sensor. The system did, however, have a peculiar problem. If the volume was on mute and you put the car in reverse, the music system would ‘unmute’ itself.

What was appreciated were the wide rear seats that offer the right amount of recline for the backrest. Our long-termer did have a centre armrest too, which provided a proper large sedan-like comfort for those seated at the back. The 419-litre boot is quite useful and, thanks to the clever boot opening design, is wide enough to accommodate large bags with no fuss. Speaking of the boot, it can be opened from inside only when the car is switched on since the button is an electronic one instead of a lever next to the driver’s seat.

Fast forward to February 2018, our Tigor went through its share of trials, when colleagues borrowed it for weekend getaways, and also when it played the role of a support car on some shoots. This meant, apart from my usual driving in the city, the Tigor was driven on highways too, and it also faced its share of rough roads, including the pothole-ridden roads of rain-ravaged Mumbai. Ride quality, as mentioned in earlier reports, was a bit choppy.

The Tigor AMT is powered by an 85hp, 1.2-litre petrol engine that isn’t the most refined unit around. The motor did get a bit gruff when pushed hard, with a good amount of engine noise entering the cabin. It did, however, have a good bottom end, which, coupled with the AMT gearbox’s creep function, did make things a lot easier while navigating slow-moving traffic. The transmission, however, is the weakest point of this car. It is quite jerky, especially in the first two gears, and that spoils the overall experience. As far as fuel economy goes, by the time we handed over the keys, it was at a decent 11.3kpl in the city, and that’s not bad for a car this heavy.

After spending around 7,000km with us, the Tigor AMT just felt as solid and new as when we received it. There was not a single squeak or rattle anywhere. This being my third long-termer from the newer lot of Tata cars – the Tiago petrol and the Tigor diesel were the first two – means I’ve spent the most amount of time with this family of cars than anyone else in our team. Of the three mentioned above, the AMT-equipped Tigor was the laziest of the lot due to the gearbox. Overlooking its low-speed jerkiness, the Tigor AMT is a comfortable city car. At first, I did not like the Tigor AMT due to its gearbox, but after driving it through Mumbai’s annoying traffic, especially at a time when half the city is dug up thanks to the various infrastructure projects, the car made perfect sense for someone like me who drives over 30km a day.

What I can say for sure is that considering the build quality, space and stress-free commute offered by the Tigor AMT, I will miss this long-termer more than any other car that I have used.

Also see:

2018 Tata Tigor AMT long term review, second report

2017 Tata Tigor long term review, second report

2018 Tata Tigor AMT review, test drive

2017 Tata Tigor review, road test