2026 Tata Tiago Petrol, iCNG Review: The Kardashians of Economy Hatchbacks!

More features equals more demand! This is the fundamental that seems to be selling cars over the past decade. However, the economy hatchback segment stands for something else entirely. It is supposed to be efficient, easy to maintain and affordable to purchase. So, when Tata Motors announced the new Tiago facelift with features such as cruise control, 360-degree parking camera and blind-spot monitors, I was skeptical whether the car really needs them or if it was just done to mark up the price. After driving the Tiago petrol and iCNG for a day, here's why I feel the new facelift is a step in the right direction.

Why the Kardashians? Well, the answer lies in the facelifted Tiago's unusual colour options, such as Pangong Pulse (pastel blue), Varanasi Vibrance (peach orange), and SoBo Surge (pastel pink). At first glance, these colours may remind you of something that you may hear during the latest GRWM (Get Ready With Me) trend posted by your digital crush on social media. In the same breath, Tata Motors has been crush-ing it with the colour choices across all models for a while now, pun intended.

Moving forward, let's get to the modern redesign of the Tiago. The hatchback now gets a more upright stance with a higher bonnet line. The new pair of angular LED headlamps makes it look purposeful, and the brow-like DRL signature makes the look polished. The blacked-out grill in the lower part of the bumper is wide and adds to the hatchback's newly found butch character. The rear has been redesigned to match the front with a complete refresh. It now gets connected taillamps with sharp LED elements. However, while it may seem connected thanks to the housing of the taillight section, it does not have illuminated and connected light elements. What stood out to me was that the 'smiley face' appearance of the older Tiago - thanks to the signature ‘humanity line’ core design element that older Tata cars used to come with - is gone, and it now looks more confident and nonchalant, which is a good thing.

Keep in mind for this story that we tested the top-spec petrol variant of the new Tiago (Creative+) whereas the iCNG variant tested is one trim below (Creative). This is because the iCNG setup is not available in the top-spec variant of the lineup. As a result, you will see that the petrol variant in our test sports the new 15-inch machine-cut alloy wheels and the iCNG variant gets 14-inch steel wheels with good-looking wheel covers.

The new Tiago hatchback's interior has been redesigned and has been considerably EV-fied. What I mean is that the minimalistic dashboard layout, muted colours and the flat screens give it a futuristic appeal, something that has not been done in this segment before.

With no leatherette or 3D pattern elements, the new Tiago gets soft-touch grey fabric elements on the dashboard, door panels and other touchpoints such as the armrest. Yes, it has one! The rest of the cabin is finished in shades of light and dark grey, and the fabric seats add a touch of black to the cabin. The front seats also offer better thigh support, which works well. Overall, this new approach feels refreshing to see in an entry-level hatchback, where less is more. The door handles have a floating design and the new ‘Digital Island’ instrument cluster looks fresh and will surely leave an impression.

This is where I felt that the new Tiago is trying to solve problems that may not necessarily be needed for the driver. Do note that I am someone who has been driving for a while and from that perspective, the Tiago’s feature list feels peculiar. For a small car with short overhangs, having a 360-degree parking camera and blind spot monitor felt like overkill to me, as during my time with the car, I never once felt the need to check the 360-degree view to find the right parking angle. This is because, for me, it is a compact car with good visibility all around. The blind spot monitor did not help me, either, because the plain old ORVM and rear-view mirror worked just fine. And this is where the perspective comes in. If you are a new driver buying your first car, these may be non-negotiable. So the value-add of these features, and also the subsequent price, will be justified based on your requirements, so think twice before committing to a higher variant, as you may not need to go all the way in the first place.

On the other hand, the cruise control feature is a welcome addition for families who frequently do inter-state trips. The rubber-finished smartphone storage compartment area, which can hold two phones, is not only convenient but also holds the phone in its place during hard acceleration - something you will not be able to say for other cars in this segment and perhaps even a couple of segments higher. The cooled glove box is a useful feature, and rain-sensing wipers, rear window defogger with wiper and washer are on offer as well. However, between the Tiago petrol and iCNG, the CNG misses out on the wireless smartphone charger and the cruise control function due to the variant distribution.

The other compromise that you will have to make if you choose the iCNG is in the boot space capacity. The standard Tiago petrol offers a respectable 242 litres of boot space, but that is compromised by the dual-tank CNG setup that the iCNG model has. While the packaging of the cylinders ensures maximum space availability, it still eats into the boot area as the height of the setup is higher than the loading lip. To compensate, Tata has removed the rear parcel tray that is standard on the petrol-only car. You will still be able to opt for one as an add-on accessory.

Both the petrol and iCNG Tiago come with the tried-and-tested 1,199cc, 3-cylinder Revotron engine that has been powering the hatchback since its inception. In the petrol-only version, this motor produces 86 PS and 113 Nm of torque, and the iCNG variant a lower 75.5 PS and 96.5 Nm of torque output in CNG mode.

Apart from that, Tata Motors is also offering a 5-speed manual gearbox or a 5-speed AMT in both petrol and iCNG models. The special thing here is that the AMT gearboxes are paired with a set of paddle shifters - a segment first.

I first drove the petrol Tiago with the 5-speed manual and the hatchback felt peppy enough to score good marks. The engine revved happily up to 5,000 rpm, and the gearbox felt intuitive. The humble drivetrain can achieve 80 kmph in the second gear itself, which also meant that I could easily putter around in traffic in a higher gear and fewer shifts. The clutch bite point was too early in the brake lever travel for my liking, but again, this may be subjective to your preference. The Tiago may be small but does not feel underpowered at highway speeds, which is always good.

In CNG mode, on the other hand, the car feels subdued in comparison due to the difference in power output. While the AMT gearbox adds the convenience of not having to press the clutch, it feels lazy in the lower gears; it shifts through in a delayed manner and starts feeling more enthusiastic in higher gears. However, using the paddle shifters solved this problem, as I was able to hold the gears till higher rpm and the shifts also felt slightly quicker in manual mode.

While the iCNG's lower output should certainly be an important consideration for buyers, the performance is still respectable and nowhere near a deal breaker. It catches speed slowly but can happily sit at 80 kmph without any noticeable drop in the indicated average fuel efficiency. The CNG model can start directly in CNG mode, which means you don't need to remember to switch from petrol to CNG at every startup - and this adds to the convenience in a big way. The only consideration factor here, which should drive your decision, is the absence of cruise control and the reduced boot space capacity in exchange for lower running cost.

When it comes to the new Tiago, credit goes to Tata Motors for bringing meaningful updates to a segment that has been losing excitement for years. The new Tiago treads the line between economical and aspirational, a balancing act it performs nicely while breaking several laws of entry-level economy cars. It looks Instagram-worthy and feels upmarket. It might have gone heavy on features, but everyday usability is still the top priority for the new Tiago.

As for the choice between the petrol and CNG Tiago: if a small hatchback with peppy performance and occasional highway journeys is what you want, the petrol will do the job at a starting price of Rs 4.70 lakh (ex-showroom). On the other hand, if you are looking for a daily CNG commuter that does not look “budget,” the Tiago iCNG is a worthy contender for your shortlist with a starting price of Rs 5.80 lakh (ex-showroom).

For first-time car buyers who will take a lot of pride in their new car, the Tiago has them well covered because, apart from being affordable, it is also a conversation starter.