Tata Tiago JTP confirmed for Diwali launch

Tata Motors will launch the Tiago JTP just ahead of Diwali. Mayank Pareek, the president of Tata’s passenger vehicle’s business, hinted at just this at the Tiago NRG launch yesterday. The Tiago JTP is expected to be India’s cheapest hot hatchback, with a starting price of about Rs. 6 lakhs. It will be sold as a single variant with a manual gearbox. The main highlight of the car is the engine, which will be a turbocharged unit that will produce 108 Bhp of peak power and 150 Nm of peak torque. The engine has been borrowed from the Tata Nexon, and detuned for use on the Tiago JTP. The gearbox will be a 5-speed, close ratio unit.

Other changes on the car will include stiffer and lowered suspension for sharper handling, and a bunch of visual changes on the outside to make the car look sportier than the regular Tiago. Changes on the inside include leather finish for the seats and steering, aluminium pedals, and a 5.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with an 8-speaker stereo from Harman. The car has been jointly developed by Tata Motors and Jayem Automotive of Coimbatore, which is why it’s called the JTP, which expands into Jayem Tata Performance. In a few months, the Tiago JTP will be joined by its compact sedan sibling – the Tigor JTP.

Both cars will be aimed at making high performance affordable. Prices of the Tigor JTP are likely to start from under Rs. 7 lakhs. The Tiago JTP will be the third variant in the Tiago range, which has the regular model and the NRG cross hatchback version already on sale in India. The range will be further expanded in the coming months with an all-electric variant. So, by the middle of 2019, expect the Tiago to be offered in four distinct variants, making it one of the most well-rounded hatchbacks in India. Sales are likely to get a further boost, and we should soon see the car consistently averaging about 10,000 units each month.