Tata Tiago EV vs Wuling Air EV Specifications And Price Compared on Paper

Electric cars are here but they ain’t really affordable for a wider audience, at least until now. Pioneering the electric space in India, Tata has launched the Tiago EV – the most affordable EVs in India and certainly amongst the affordable ones in the whole world. Since we are on the topic of affordability, let’s not forget the Asian invasion and the tiny Wuling Air EV. 

We know what you’re thinking right now, Wuling is non-existent in India, right? But aren’t you forgetting something? The MG Hector is originally the Wuling Almaz. So MG with its presence and popularity in India might bring the Wuling Air EV to India, making it one of the most pocket-friendly EVs around. Until that happens, we’ll make do with whatever information we’ve got to find out how these electric hatchbacks look on paper tossed against each other. 

The Size 

It is obvious from the table below that this is not exactly an apples-to-apples comparison. The Tiago EV is a proper 5-seater hatchback while the Air EV is more like a mini hatchback. It gets 4 seats but the Air is more like an extended 4-seater than a full-fledged hatchback. Oh, and it’s also only got two doors, unlike the Tiago. The only parameter where it trumps ahead is the height as it sits pretty high in comparison to the Tiago. 

The Internals

Both hatchbacks come in two variants depending on the size of the battery pack. The Tiago EV gets 19.2kWh and 24kWh battery pack options while the Air EV gets 17.3kWh and 26.7kWh options.  The similarities don’t end there as these electric hatchbacks also get IP67-rated battery packs. The Tiago uses a single motor that drives the front wheels whereas the Air is rear-wheel driven using a single motor. 

The Numbers

The numbers reveal the Air and Tiago EV are closely matched in parameters such as peak torque and claimed range. But when it comes down to maximum power, the Tiago is clearly ahead with a strong advantage for both variants. Despite the size of the battery pack, the Air EV gets a 40PS/110Nm motor. Range figures for the Tiago are Modified Indian Driving Cycle (MIDC) and the figures for the Air EV are claimed figures by Wuling.

The Miscellaneous 

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Fast charging is present on both cars. Tata is offering DC fast charging capabilities which takes  57 minutes for juicing up from 10-80 per cent. The same takes  3 hours, and 36 minutes using a 7.2kW AC wall charger.

On the other side, Wuling says the Air needs 8 hours to juice up using a 2.0kW AC charger and 4 hours with a 6.6kW AC charger. Clearly, Tata has an edge when it comes to charging and fast charging.  On another note, both Tata and Wuling are offering an 8-year warranty for the battery pack. 

The Features

Although the Tiago EV has a lot going for it already, the Wuling Air EV claws back some ground when you factor in the features on offer. It’s got a 10.25-inch digital floating display and instrument cluster, synthetic leather seats, keyless entry, voice command system, connected car features with inbuilt functions such as remote start/stop, hill hold assist, and 2 airbags. 

The Tiago is not far away when it comes to the kit as it offers a seven-inch touchscreen with an eight-speaker Harman sound system,  leatherette seats, auto headlights and wipers, automatic climate control, push-button start-stop and cruise control. Tiago EV also gets 45 connected car features to complete the package. 

The Price

The Tiago EV can be yours for prices ranging from Rs 8.49 lakh to Rs 11.29 lakh. Tata has aggressively priced the Tiago EV, making it the cheapest long-range EV in India. But the Wuling Air being a smaller car than the Tiago with Asian underpinnings is most likely to come at an even cheaper price if MG decides to bring it to India. In Indonesia, the Wuling Air EV is priced from Rp 238.000 which converts to around Rs 12 lakh in India.