Tata Motors has always been one of the stalwarts of India’s hatchback revolution with models like the Indica and Indica Vista gaining a cult following in the country. The Tiago later came as a replacement for the Indica, at a price that still holds value today as many first-time car buyers swear by this hatchback segment in this price bracket.
The Tiago was first launched in 2016 and has received its biggest update yet, exactly a decade later in 2026. Unlike the Punch and Punch EV, both the Tiago and Tiago EV were launched on the same day and we experienced them both at the same national media drive event in Bengaluru. This review will cover only Tiago (Petrol and CNG), while the Tiago EV review will go live on June 8, 11 am.
new tata tiago review
As far as pricing is concerned, Tata Motors has launched the new Tiago at a starting price of Rs 4.69 lakh (ex-sh) and it is offered in five broad trims – Smart, Pure, Pure+, Creative and Creative+. Tata is also offering the Pure+ A with optional auto climate control. In terms of price delta of the pre-facelift model, Tata is charging around Rs 9,000 on the lower variant and around Rs 30,000 on the higher variant.
Along with the higher pricing comes a significantly expanded feature list, bringing equipment usually associated with cars of higher segments. The hero colors are Sobo Surge, Pangong Pulse and Varanasi Vibrance. If you don’t want these pastel shades, contemporary colors are also offered, which are quite nice in our opinion.
These include Pristine White, Daytona Grey, and Pure Grey. There are also black roof options at additional cost that add great contrast to these colors. As far as design is concerned, Tata has completely transformed the safe and restrained approach of the Tiago into this sleek and new-age appeal.
Although this is a facelift rather than a full-generation change, the visual updates are extensive. At the front, we now have a completely new fascia, which is completely different from its predecessor. The new design gives the Tiago a more contemporary look without losing its hatchback proportions.
Changes in exterior design
The new fascia has been completely redesigned with a new LED headlight setup with integrated LED DRLs. These are reflector headlights with two dedicated chambers for high beam and low beam. The turn indicators are also housed in the same headlight assembly. There is a shiny black applique connecting the two headlights which looks nice.
Below the headlights, out of plain sight is a sleek compartment that houses the horizontally arranged projector LED fog lights. In our opinion, the sharp black bulges protruding from the fog light area could have been avoided for a cleaner and sleeker aesthetic. Even in the rear bumper, these sharp bulges make the otherwise classy design look a bit complicated.
Since we are at the rear, the new Tiago gets all-new LED tail lights with integrated turn indicators. In higher variants, you get a bright red plaque connecting these tail lights, giving it a connected tail lights look, but it doesn’t light up. The lower part of both the front and rear bumpers get a black finish which reduces visual weight.
The side profile is largely carried over from the pre-facelift model, except for new 15-inch alloy wheels on the top-spec Creative+ trim and black wheel arch cladding for a rugged look. So, the 2026 Tiago NRG might not be a thing (not confirmed). There are also body cladding, corner protectors and faux skid plate accessories if buyers want a more rugged aesthetic.
major internal overhaul
Unlike the exterior design overhaul, the 2026 Tiago facelift gets an even bigger overhaul on the inside. It completely changes the look and feel of a budget car. We have to start with the new dashboard which no longer bulges inward like the pre-facelift model. There are fabric inserts on the dashboard and door trims, which improve the cabin ambiance, but now require some maintenance.
The center of attraction inside is the free-standing 10.25-inch infotainment screen with new free-standing LCD instrument cluster with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. These screens give the new Tiago a glimpse of the future, which is not usually seen in the drab interiors of its rivals.
There are LCD elements for the fuel gauge, CNG level (in i-CNG), engine temperature and a MID display in the middle for the tachometer that shows speedo, time, odo, trip computer and a lot more infotainment. The door trims get the Sierra-like housing for the power window controls, but the actual switches are conventional, unlike the Tiago EV.
The center console has also been updated, with physical buttons for important functions like hazard lights, lock, 360-camera and more. Below this is the automatic climate control panel which is the same as before. We can see dedicated placeholders for two smartphones below the climate control panel, but only the right side has a wireless charger.
Below this panel there are two Type-C charging ports that are slightly hidden and one of them is a 65W fast charger. The gear selectors are new for both manual and automatic variants. We liked the manual gear selector for its round knob on top and the automatic gear selector is now a dial with hard-stops at both ends.
Increase in comfort and practicality
Even though it’s just a facelift and there are no changes to the platform, Tata has freed up more interior space with the new dashboard. Because it doesn’t bulge inward, it frees up more space for the front occupants. With the Tiago facelift, front occupants can move their seats forward, creating more space for the rear occupants, which is a big plus for a small car like the Tiago.
You now get updated front seats with the Tiago facelift, additional bolstering at the rear and more under-thigh support. For the first time in Tiago, there is a front center armrest and some storage below. The glovebox is still cool and the IRVM can be dimmed manually. The headrests for both the front and rear occupants are still fixed, which should have been adjustable at least in the top variant.
The rear seats do not have load sensors to detect rear occupants and seatbelts must always be fastened. The rear passengers now get dedicated AC vents, which is totally appreciated. Only the top-spec Creative+ trim gets a 65W Type-C port for the rear passengers. The new steering wheel brings a matte finish that hides micro scratches better, but it’s a downgrade as the horn activation area is inconvenient and limited.
Boot space is an area that is similar to the pre-facelift models, with a capacity of around 240 liters with the Tiago and around 110 liters with the Tiago i-CNG. It has a usable boot and even in the i-CNG variant, the boot space is appreciably better than rivals with single-cylinder CNG kits. The spare wheel of Tiago is in the boot and the Tiago i-CNG is under the floor.
Features and Equipment
With the new Tiago, Tata has significantly raised the equipment benchmark in this segment. All this, while keeping the price competitive, is a great move by Tata Motors. This feature makes Tiago a significantly higher VFM for buyers than its rivals.
Features like 360-degree camera, blindspot assistance, auto headlights and rain-sensing wipers, front center armrest, rear AC vents, 65W fast charging, wireless charging pad and others make Tiago the new benchmark in this segment as far as equipment goes. Even with things like infotainment screens, speakers and cameras, Tata’s equipment is much better.
We wished Tata didn’t bother with the blindspot assist as it projects the camera feed on the entire infotainment screen and cuts off the navigation right when you want to turn. We wished the IRVM were auto-dimming, which is the last piece of the puzzle to make it our default hatchback recommendation in this segment.
Other notable features of the new Tiago are cruise control, 6 airbags, ESP, ABS, tire deflation warning (ITPMS), keyless go, push-button start, remote sensors on driver’s door and tailgate, automatic climate control, driver’s seat height adjustable, cooled glovebox, rear washer and wiper, shark fin antenna, rear de-fogger and more.
Powertrain and dynamics
As far as powertrain and mechanicals are concerned, there is nothing new in the 2026 Tata Tiago facelift. So, it is virtually identical to its pre-facelift counterpart. The same 1.2 liter 3-cylinder engine with 85 bhp and 113 Nm has been carried forward with the facelift. This engine is mated to i-CNG equipment and when run on CNG, the performance drops to around 76 bhp and 96.5 Nm.
The gearbox is still the same, even though the gear selectors for both the manual and AMT versions have been updated for aesthetics. So, the manual gear selector is still rubberized and notched and we like the fact that the AMT gear selector has hard stops at both ends. Even the engine is a bit raw with a thrummy note that doesn’t sound smooth and refined.
This is due to the 3-cylinder nature of this engine and is accepted at this price. It rides evenly, which is no bad thing as the Tiago has always sorted out ride quality and poor roadability for this segment and price bracket.
Should you buy one?
Where we have reservations is with Tata’s quality, fit and finish, sustainability, showroom experience and aftersales service. Some of the Tata cars that we see on the road should not have passed the quality control checks on the assembly line. Yet such issues continue to arise in customer-owned vehicles. I have a Tata vehicle, so the company needs to overhaul its sales and service experience. Like a complete 360-degree flip.
In the past, Tata Motors had assured journalists that some of the issues we saw with their vehicles in media drives were limited to pre-production samples, but the vehicles buyers receive the same issues. Apart from these quality and service experience issues, there is a lot to like about the new Tiago facelift if you look at it as a product.
With the new Tiago, Tata has raised expectations from the entry-level hatchback. It is arguably the most feature-loaded hatchback in its price segment. It has also sorted mechanicals according to their segment and price. So, if Tata’s problems don’t bother you, the new 2026 Tiago facelift should be at the top of your small hatchback purchase wish list.
