Tata Motors recently launched two new performance oriented cars namely the Tiago JTP and the Tigor JTP. Both of these cars have been developed in collaboration with Jayem Auto hence the name 'JTP' which stands for Jayem Tata Performance. Collaborations like these are not a common sight in our industry. The main aim of such partnerships is to produce affordable everyday cars with high performance. The whole process is like installing a sports package in your daily driving vehicle thus making it handle and run better, in an everyday sense. So here is a review of the new affordable performance cars. the Tata Tigor JTP and Tiago JTP.
Exterior- The sports package includes new front and rear bumpers along with a blacked-out roof and smoked out projector headlamps. The package also upgrades the standard wheels to 15-inch diamond cut alloys and the simple hood to the one with a scoop. The tyres are fatter and mean-looking. There are only two colours available for both cars, namely Red and White. The red coloured JTP vehicle comes with black accents and black mirrors while the white colour car comes with red accents and red coloured side mirrors.
Interior- The inside of the car is retouched to give it a sporty look. The steering is wrapped in leather and the seat covers get a new design. The Red/White outlines make the interior standout from the stock one. It looks sporty and exhibits the feeling of premium performance. Both cars now feature a 5-inch touchscreen which controls the infotainment system. The speaker quality is great on both models but there is no support for Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, which robs it of its full potential. The Tigor JTP comes equipped with a climate control and rear parking sensors with a camera while the Tiago JTP features a standard AC and only rear parking sensors.
Performance- The engine used in both JTP vehicles is the same. Both the Tiago JTP and the Tigor JTP are powered by a 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder, Revotron engine which is shared with the Nexon petrol but in the JTP models it produces more power and torque. In both cars, the power output is 114 PS at 5500 RPM while the maximum torque is 150 Nm at 4500 RPM. It is a significant increase which can easily be felt on road.
Both cars have a mellow low end but the mid-range is super punchy and offers splendid driveability and performance. It is easily noticeable that this engine likes to be revved as it goes all the way to redline without breaking a sweat. The cars have been tuned in a way that you can drive sedately too and a cruising speed of 100 km/hr in 5th gear comes in at 2600 RPM.
The cars come with two driving modes - Sport and City. 'Sport' mode is for outright performance while the 'City' mode is for everyday driving. The Tiago is the lighter one among the two by 35 kgs. As a result, it feels more agile to drive. The exhaust has also been worked upon and this one sounds good but it isn't very loud either.
Handling- It is the department in which we see a very significant improvement. The ground clearance of the cars has been reduced to 166 mm while the suspension has been stiffened. As a result, the car handles very well in the corners and maintains it’s stability at higher speeds. The new 185 section Apollo Alnac tyres further improve the handling by offering superior grip. Braking performance on the JTP cars is also much better.
Verdict- The joint collaboration of Tata and Jayem Auto has yielded a very fruitful result. Their JTP cars have good performance, amazing styling and a very reasonable price tag. The ex-showroom price of Tata Tiago JTP and Tigor JTP is Rs 6.39 lakhs and Rs. 7.49 lakhs, respectively. So if you’re out there looking for an affordable vehicle with high performance then do test-drive these cars. It is a promise that you won’t be disappointed.
