Tata Tiago EV Or Citroen eC3: Which Is A Better Car For You?

The Indian electric car segment is constantly growing, with the people getting new options quite frequently. But one thing that stops them from buying EVs is their high prices. However, two EVs in India, the Tata Tiago EV and Citroen eC3 are offering you the electric experience at a comparatively lower price point.

So to see what these cars have to offer, we took them out on the road and did a couple of tests to see which one is better for you. Here is what we think:

Cabin Experience

Before we even started up the cars, we checked which one was more spacious, comfortable, and offered better practicality.

When it comes to space, the Tiago EV tries to offer as much as it can but lacks behind the eC3. While it offers good headroom and adequate under-thigh support for the front passengers, the rear occupants have to compromise on both while getting adequate knee and legroom. The eC3, on the other hand, takes the lead in space. You get more headroom, legroom, and knee room in both the front and rear seats. However, the under-thigh support is similar to that in the Tiago EV. 

The eC3 has a boot big enough to store 4 medium sized bags, which will be an advantage while taking the car on a trip compared to the Tiago EV, which only offers enough boot space for city commutes. In terms of practicality and storage spaces, the Tiago EV doesn’t offer much and you have to make do with what you get. The cupholders on the doors are small and can hold only 500ml bottles, and even on the inside, it doesn’t offer much. Here as well, the eC3 holds an advantage with better overall storage.

Also Read: Tata Tiago EV vs Tigor EV: Familial Feud Performance Comparison Test

But when it comes to passenger comfort, the Tiago EV is ahead of the eC3. Even though it is less spacious than the eC3, the seat cushioning is more comfortable than the Citroen electric hatchback and it gets leatherette seats instead of the fabric ones in the eC3, which add to the comfort. At the rear, the comfort stays intact and the light-coloured upholstery makes the Tiago EV look more airy. While the eC3 is more spacious, the seat cushioning is stiffer and the dark-coloured cabin, combined with the outdated look, means it lags behind.

Performance

We can’t judge which one performs better without taking them for a drive, and we did that by driving these cars in the city as well as on the highway.

Overall Performance

If you ask me which one is more fun to drive, I would instantly say the Tiago EV. The Tata hatchback has a quick throttle response, the more powerful electric motor, and can go up to 119kmph, which is more than the eC3 which maxes out at 102kmph. When tested on the highway, the Tiago EV had no problems executing overtakes; the same can be said for the city. The Tiago EV does not require much effort from the driver and you can cruise in the electric hatchback very comfortably. 

Also Read: Citroen eC3: What We Learnt From Completely Draining It Out

While the eC3 also doesn’t take any effort while taking overtakes and performs well on both the highway and city, its top speed – which is mentioned above – does put a limit on your driving experience. That, along with the delayed initial throttle response, can make your drives feel a little slow.

Apart from regular drives on the highway and city, we also tested how quick these cars are. When going from 0 to 100, we realised that  the Tiago EV goes slower than the eC3 till 40kmph, but from 40kmph onwards, the Tata hatchback takes the lead over the Citroen one.

Battery, Range and Charging

Now, we can’t talk about electric cars without mentioning their battery pack and ranges. On paper, the eC3 comes with a bigger battery pack which gives it a slightly higher claimed range. Even our test figures agree that the eC3 can go longer. The Tiago EV did 214km while the eC3 managed to cover a distance of 257km.

However, both batteries use different technologies, which makes a difference while charging. While the eC3 uses an air-cooled battery pack, the Tiago EV has a liquid-cooled unit. When charged, we noticed that the eC3 can charge at a much higher rate than the Tiago EV, but it also has a bigger battery pack, making the 10 to 80 percent charging times of both cars nearly the same at about an hour. 

But the differences in battery technologies come into play while charging at a high rate. When charging via DC fast chargers, the eC3’s battery pack heats up, and to prevent any damage, the charging speed is reduced. On the other hand, the Tiago EV’s liquid-cooled battery does not heat up as much as that on the eC3, and manages to charge at a faster rate from 80 to 100 percent.

Ride Quality

We have covered the space and comfort, and the performance aspect. Now let’s see which one has the better ride quality. 

When driving the Tiago EV on bad roads, over potholes and speed bumps, you’ll realise that it’s trying to keep you as comfortable as possible. Its suspension is pretty balanced and there is almost no side-to-side movement of the body. The suspension does not travel too much either, and keeps the car stable even when going over bumps. This results in good overall ride quality. Also, when driving on highways at high speeds or taking sharp turns, the car remains stable and keeps the occupants comfortable. The overall driving experience of the Tiago EV is pretty nice.

The eC3 is also stable at high speeds and cruising on the highways is pretty comfortable, just like the Tiago EV. But the difference between the two EVs is clear on bumpy roads. The eC3’s higher ground clearance and more suspension travel means it takes some time to get the cabin into a stable position, which results in you feeling the bumps and potholes more. There is a noticeable side-to-side movement, due to which the passengers move a lot inside the car. While the ride quality is quite good on highways, it could have been made better in the city.

Verdict

As mentioned earlier, I’ll tell you which one is better for you, and that depends on what you want in an entry-level EV. If you want a spacious car with bigger dimensions, more storage, better boot space for your trips and a higher driving range, then the eC3 is the one you should go for. However, if your preferences are towards performance, city usage, better ride quality, and a more modern cabin experience, then the Tiago EV would be a better choice for you.