There is a tattoo on the left leg of Lionel Messi, which is visible during the close-up shots of his dribbling skills. The tattoo has a few letters inscribed between the spread out hands of a child which reads Thiago - the name of his dear son.
Messi announced to the world that he was becoming a father in dramatic fashion during a football match against Ecuador in 2012. After scoring the fourth goal to seal a one-sided win, Messi celebrated on the football pitch by hiding the ball inside his jersey, like a carrying mother. Messi later announced that he and his wife were expecting their first child.
It may be a coincidence that the name of Tata’s latest car and the company’s brand ambassador's son are the same. Thiago is the Argentine superstar’s eldest son and when it comes to the Tatas, Tiago it is the youngest and latest car from their stable.
Tiago’s arrival is party time for Tata Motors. It is a small car which meets all expectations. In terms of looks, quality, driving experience, features and comfort, the Tiago will trump even the best of foreign car manufactures. Tata hasn’t brought out such a fine car so far in its history. After test driving the diesel model of the car one couldn’t help saying… Fantastico!
Design: Normally, parsimony is associated with small cars. However, Tata Motors is redefining that concept through Tiago. At a time when even the Japanese carmakers comprise on quality and design, the hallmark of Tiago is the fresh look and young design. Obviously, Tata has eyed young executives and small families when it manufactured this small car. Every time Messi says Fantastico, he says it from his heart. Of course everyone will repeat the same.
Exterior design: Beautiful design with the onus on compactness. The alloy wheels and the hexagon grille, on which the new Tata logo gets a prominent display, are specialities. Overall, Tiago resembles the sleek design of Hyundai Fluidic, especially from the sides. The view from the rear is almost the same like that of Hyundai. However, the design is not a copy as both cars follow the latest European design.
Interiors: Luxury percolates from fabric seats to plastics. Dual-tone dashboard and trims, the body colour inserts around AirCon vents in the dashboard is a novelty in Tiago. The extra cabin space, as seen in other Tata vehicles, is visible in the Tiago as well. Big seats and 22 storage spaces with hooks for hanging shopping bags are unique to Tiago. To top it all, the car offers a boot space of 240 litres.
Premium features: Eight-speaker Harmar Music System, which is not available even in big cars, is a speciality for Tiago. Navigation App and Juke Car App which facilities easy pairing with mobile phones are some of the premium features in this vehicle.
Safety: ABS, EBD, airbags and corner stability control are available for higher end models. 14-inch alloy wheels are standard norm for all trims.
Driving comfort: The Revotorq 1047-cc diesel CRDA engine coughs up a power of 70 ps, and laced with modern technology, gives a hassle-free ride. The vibration and noise from the three-cylinder engine is not felt inside the cabin. Responsive steering, comfortable pedals and easy handling stand out. Fuel efficiency is 27.28 km.
Multi-drive: Tiago comes with multi-drive mode, which is present only in super luxury cars. City and eco are the two modes. If you are particular about fuel efficiency, one can switch to Eco mode but if you want to speed down the track, you can change the mode. In city mode, the gear shift is minimum and the gear shift indicator is helpful for the driver. The suspension is new in Tiago. Power steering is electric instead of hydraulic in the Tiago.
Price: Between 4.12 to 5.74 lakhs.
For Test drive, contact M.K. Motors - 9946102737.
