Tata Tigor iCNG AMT Long Term Review - Driven Over 4,000 KM

CNG cars used to mean sacrificing boot space for a bulky cylinder, less boot space, and manual gearbox. Tata Motors chose to revolutionize the segment with their dual-cylinder CNG technology, offering better practicality. This year, the brand broke the stereotype of CNG vehicles only having manual transmissions by introducing the first-ever CNG cars with AMT gearbox. Tata Motors launched the Tigor iCNG AMT earlier this year, making it the first CNG automatic sedan in the world. The Tigor iCNG AMT offers a convenient transmission option with a fuel-efficient powertrain.

To assess the convenience of an AMT gearbox paired with a CNG powertrain. We had the new Tigor CNG AMT with us for around a month and we drove the new car over 4,000 km across various conditions, including city driving, highways, and a trip to Himachal Pradesh. After spending a month with the Tigor CNG automatic, here is our experience with the Tata Tigor iCNG AMT. Before moving ahead, don't forget to become a member of our 91Wheels WhatsApp Group to get the latest automotive updates.

You can also view the entire 4,000 km experience with the Tata Tigor iCNG AMT in the video below.

Also Read: Tata Tigor iCNG AMT - Top Pros & Cons After 2,000 KM Drive Experience

Things We Liked

• Convenience of AMT gearbox with CNG powertrain
• Fuel-efficient engine
• Pleasant cabin ambiance with light colour material
• Comfortable leather seats
• Decent quality music system with 4 speakers and 4 tweeters
• The air conditioning was pretty good
• Feature-rich interior
• The ride & handling of the car are good, the suspension is tuned well
• The convenience of having extra boot space, thanks to the dual-cylinder CNG technology

Things Which Could've Been Better

• The inconsistent panel gaps and overall fit and finish
• Laggy touchscreen infotainment unit
• The 3-cylinder engine feels strained when pushed
• Strictly a 4-seater sedan
• The white coloured leather seats are difficult to maintain
• The CNG AMT option is available in top-spec variants only
• The gearbox feels jerky in the initial gears
• Gearbox becomes confused in higher RPMs, especially while making quick maneuvers

How It Drives?

The Tigor iCNG AMT comes with a 1.2-litre NA petrol+CNG engine. This engine produces 72 bhp of power and 95 Nm of torque in CNG mode. This engine is paired with a 5-speed AMT gearbox. The 1.2-litre Revotron engine used in the car is a high-revving engine which gives it a good low-end torque. Starting with the city drive experience, the gearbox is tuned well to offer you timely gearshifts. It easily creeps in traffic and on red lights without any accelerator input. If you are driving with a light foot, the upshifts come at around 1,800 RPM. Also, it offers you a manual override as well. The car does not make you feel the lag in power and torque delivery in city conditions. However, the gearbox feels a bit jerky in the first two gears but that's quite manageable.

If we talk about highway manners, the AMT gearbox gives you late shifts if you are driving aggressively with a hard foot. It provides good mid-range performance, and you won't feel any power delivery lag when driving at 80-90 km/h. However, when you attempt to overtake, the gearbox can become confused, especially when you press the pedal to the floor, making you wish for more high-end performance. During quick maneuvers on the highways, the engine starts to scream and feels strained.

Now, when it comes to the performance in hilly areas, the car does feel underpowered, especially if you are going with a full load. On uphills, the gearshifts become super delayed and you have to put the car in manual mode to upshift or downshift. The engine feels stressed and there you feel the need for more power.

Is It Economical?

CNG is considered a good alternative to petrol or diesel and it is more economical as well. In our ownership tenure, I used the Tigor iCNG AMT for my daily office commute, which is about 120 km a day. The car provided around 200 km of mileage on a full tank. The Tigor iCNG AMT features two CNG tanks with a total capacity equivalent to 70 liters. Depending on the pressure during a refill after the CNG mode cuts off, the tank sometimes took 9.8 kg of CNG, and at other times around 6-8 kg. On highways, the Tigor iCNG AMT delivers a total mileage of 220-230 km on a single refill.

It also comes with a 35-liter petrol tank, on petrol mode the car gives around 15-16 kmpl on highways and 12-13 kmpl in the city. e combined mileage of both petrol and CNG is over 500 km.

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A Feature Loaded Offering

The variant we had with us was the top-spec XZA+ variant which offers a plethora of features. Starting with the air conditioning, it comes with an automatic climate control and the AC is a chiller unit. Tata knows the Indian climate and they've worked well on the AC unit. During my daily commutes in the peak of Delhi's summer, I set the AC to over 20 degrees with the fan speed at a maximum of 2. With this setting, the AC unit kept the cabin consistently cool. Even after being parked in the sun, it quickly cooled down the interior.

Moving to the infotainment system which is an important part of your daily commutes. The Harman-sourced touchscreen infotainment is not the best touchscreen in the segment. The angle of the screen is straight which makes it hard to read under the sun. Moreover, it is not the smoothest in the segment, it shows some lags while navigating through different settings. It features wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, though the unit we had experienced issues with the Apple CarPlay connection. I was unable to connect Apple CarPlay and had to rely on Bluetooth audio to listen to music. This poor connection might be due to a software glitch or another issue, but it did take away some of my driving pleasure.

If we talk about other features, it comes with a digital instrument cluster, auto wipers, TPMS, dual-airbags, fast charging USB Type C port, a 12V charging socket, a projector headlamp, and other features. The projector headlamps provide a good throw and perform well in dark areas. While the low beam is not as effective as the high beam,

Offers A Good Ride & Handling

The Tigor iCNG comes with an independent lower wishbone MCpherson Strut with coil spring at the front and closed profile twist beam with dual path struts at the rear. The suspension is tuned pretty well and the extra weight of the CNG tanks is adjusted in a good manner. The suspension is on the softer side, it offers a planted ride quality inside the cabin. It absorbs the undulations with ease and it does not clatter while taking potholes even at 40 kmph. It gives food absorption which results in good ride quality. However, the softer suspension does offer bumpy rides over the highway joints but it is something that will not bother you much. In the city, the car remains planted.

The Tigor CNG offers good handling as well, the steering is a bit on the heavier side but you get used to this weight. It provides a good response while doing lane changes but it does show some delays in coming back to the center after a U-turn. The added weight helps in better highway handling as well.

Regarding the brakes' performance, they feel a bit soft and lack a sharp bite. However, as you get used to the car, this becomes less of an issue. However, during panic braking situations, the tires do screech.

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Convenience Of Extra Boot Space

The most important thing that comes to mind while buying a CNG car is the worry of not having sufficient boot space. Tata Motors solved this problem with their dual-cylinder CNG technology in which they moved the CNG cylinders below the boot area. The Tigor iCNG comes with a decent boot space which can easily carry small suitcases and bags for your weekend trips. The more boot space helps in giving you peace of mind while making your weekend plans.

Verdict

The Tata Tigor iCNG AMT is a proper city car, it is economical, it is convenient, feature loaded and above all it boasts a 4-star GNCAP crash test rating. The car drives well and offers a good comfort inside the cabin. With its dual-cylinder CNG technology, it offers good boot space, which rivals like Hyundai Aura and Maruti Dzire still struggle to offer. While it does have minor niggles, they are not significant enough to deter you from making a purchase decision. Tata Motors has made sure that the Tigor iCNG stands out as a compelling choice with its feature-rich offerings and the convenience of an automatic transmission.