Photo: Guido ten Brink / SB-Medien
Tata Motors, the owner of Jaguar Land Rover, has always kept a close eye on Europe.
Its models are not the most popular on the Old Continent, and their price had nothing to do with that. The company continues its European offensive with the Tigor, a subcompact automobile. While it may appear to be a hatchback, its rear window is not raised with the trunk lid, which makes this model a fastback.
Essentially, this is a shortened sedan, initially designed for the Indian market, which has a tax restriction for the models sold there. The results were not always attractive, especially since the original cars were longer, and they were roughly “cut” to fit the rule.
That restriction involves higher taxes on automobiles that are longer than four meters (13,12 feet), which made many automakers adapt their cars for that requirement.
Tata has designed the Tigor from scratch to be shorter than four meters, and the result is acceptable when the design is concerned. We are not saying we like the look of this car, but it is better than we expected from something like the Tigor.
While it may be launched to become the cheapest model in its class, that will not ensure its success on the Old Continent. Tata’s Tigor will have to obtain a good rating in the EuroNCAP tests, and their result will have to be backed by a carefully planned marketing campaign.
First of all, people will have to learn about the existence of Tata Motors. Secondly, potential clients will then have to get to trust the brand with their hard-earned money.
Customers in this part of the market are very frugal, and they like to know that what they buy is a solid product, capable of withstanding many years of use without costly repairs and maintenance.
We hope that this car gets a chance on the European market, but they will have to work for that opportunity.
Essentially, this is a shortened sedan, initially designed for the Indian market, which has a tax restriction for the models sold there. The results were not always attractive, especially since the original cars were longer, and they were roughly “cut” to fit the rule.
That restriction involves higher taxes on automobiles that are longer than four meters (13,12 feet), which made many automakers adapt their cars for that requirement.
Tata has designed the Tigor from scratch to be shorter than four meters, and the result is acceptable when the design is concerned. We are not saying we like the look of this car, but it is better than we expected from something like the Tigor.
While it may be launched to become the cheapest model in its class, that will not ensure its success on the Old Continent. Tata’s Tigor will have to obtain a good rating in the EuroNCAP tests, and their result will have to be backed by a carefully planned marketing campaign.
First of all, people will have to learn about the existence of Tata Motors. Secondly, potential clients will then have to get to trust the brand with their hard-earned money.
Customers in this part of the market are very frugal, and they like to know that what they buy is a solid product, capable of withstanding many years of use without costly repairs and maintenance.
We hope that this car gets a chance on the European market, but they will have to work for that opportunity.
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