Tata Motors exited 2021 with a bang. On New Year’s Eve, the brand teased the Tiago CNG. Last year saw a humongous surge in petrol and diesel prices. Both fuels rocketed to ₹100/L. Although these prices have stabilized at lower rates, they are still heavy on a common man’s wallet. Moreover, the CO2 emissions that are complementary with fossil fuels are a major concern. Tata Motors seems to have sensed discontent in the automobile market and is working on cheaper and cleaner ways of passenger mobility. The brand has been working on electric as well as CNG, and it seems that the first arrival for 2022 might be Tiago CNG.
The new CNG version of Tata Tiago is being called Cheerful, Novel, and Glorious. The car will use the same 1.2L engine, but being powered by CNG it will produce lesser power and torque. It is also said that the new model will not get an automatic gearbox and will be a manual only. There will be no design changes to the car apart from the CNG badging. The CNG variant will cost ₹40,000 to ₹50,000 over the cost of its petrol counterpart. We expect an official release in the coming weeks and official bookings to open from late January or early February.
Why CNG?
Although the last few months have seen an exponential increase in the sales of EVs, people are still hesitant about electric cars owing to the lack of charging stations in our country. The cost of EVs is also significantly higher than fuel-fed cars and the semiconductor shortage is only making it worse. CNG on the other hand is more tried and tested. Today, CNG stations have penetrated deep into rural and urban areas. The cost is also significantly lower than petrol or diesel and it is a near-zero-emissions fuel.
Tata Future Plans
Tata Motors has been opening up towards CNG for a long time. In 2020, the brand had revealed its plans to launch a complete CNG line-up, which would include Nexon, Altroz, Tiago, and Tigor. The plan was cut short thanks to the Semi-conductor shortage. In 2021, the brand announced that 2022 will see the launch of CNG-fed Tiago and Tigor. It is also said that a CNG variant for the newest arrival; Tata Punch, is also on its way as a camouflaged Punch was spied testing alongside a Tiago and Tigor CNG.