Tata Tiago JTP Vs Competition: Spec Comparison

  • Published October 29, 2018
  • Views : 10873
  • 4 min read

  • bookmark
The Tata Tiago JTP should revive the dormant affordable performance car segment in India. We pitch it against the competition to find out what’s what
Tata Tiago vs Competition

Tata now has a unique position in the Indian four-wheeler market by becoming the first manufacturer in the mass-market segment to have its own performance division. JTP, short for Jayem Tata Performance, made its debut quite recently with the launch of performance variants of two of the most popular Tata cars on sale - the Tiago hatchback and the Tigor sub-4 metre sedan.

While the Tata Tiago JTP, which is priced at Rs 6.39 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), does not have any direct competition, its performance numbers do match some existing cars. Let’s see how they stack up against each other on paper.

The Tata Tiago’s competitors include the Maruti Suzuki Baleno RS and the Polo GT TSI. We would have added the Fiat Punto Abarth to the list too, but that is only available on order and is difficult to buy. We have also compared the Tiago JTP with its non-performance petrol counterpart to show how much of an improvement it is.

Also Read: Our real-world comparison test of the Baleno RS and the Polo GT TSI

Dimensions Tata Tiago JTP Tata Tiago Maruti Suzuki Baleno RS Volkswagen Polo GT TSI
Length 3746mm 3746mm 3995mm 3971mm
Width 1647mm 1647mm 1745mm 1682mm
Height 1531mm 1535mm 1510mm 1469mm
Wheelbase 2400mm 2400mm 2520mm 2469mm
Ground Clearance 166mm 170mm 170mm 165mm
Tyre Size 185/60 175/65 195/55 185/60
Wheel Size 15-inch 14-inch 16-inch 16-inch

When it comes to size, the Tata Tiago is clearly in a lower category of hatchbacks as compared to the Baleno RS and the Polo GT TSI. Being based on a commuter hatchback, it loses out in terms of length, width and wheelbase. But interior space has been freed up by making it tall - it is the tallest car in the comparison.

You can also notice that the Tiago JTP has bigger 15-inch wheels as compared to the standard car. The Baleno RS and Polo GT TSI get bigger 16-inch wheels, though the GT TSI has the same tyre width as the Tiago JTP.

The Polo GT TSI is the lowest to the ground with an unladen ground clearance on 165mm, closely followed by the Tiago JTP which is 4mm lower than the standard car. The Baleno RS is high off the ground at 170mm.

Powertrain Tata Tiago JTP Tata Tiago Maruti Suzuki Baleno RS Volkswagen Polo GT TSI
Capacity 1199cc 1193cc 998cc 1197cc
Cylinders 3 3 3 4-cylinder
Aspiration Turbocharged Natural Turbocharged Turbocharged
Power 114PS @ 5000rpm 85PS @ 6000rpm 102PS @ 5500rpm 105PS @ 5000rpm
Torque 150Nm @ 2000-4000rpm 114Nm @ 3500rpm 150Nm @ 1700-4500rpm 175Nm @ 1500-4100rpm
Transmission 5-speed Manual 5-speed Manual 5-speed Manual 7-speed Dual-Clutch Automatic
Kerb Weight 1016kg 930-1024kg 950kg 1109kg
0-100kmph 9.95s (claimed) 14.30s (tested) 10.52s (tested) 10.61s (tested)

The Tiago JTP ditches the naturally-aspirated 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder petrol engine of the standard car for the turbocharged version of the same engine from the Nexon. Power has been bumped up by 4PS in comparison to the Nexon, though torque has been limited to 150Nm, which is 20Nm lower. This engine is paired to a slick-shifting 5-speed manual transmission.

Compared to the competition, the Tiago JTP has the most powerful engine - developing 114PS as compared to the Baleno RS’ 102PS and Polo GT TSI’s 105PS. The Baleno RS matches the Tiago JTP in terms of torque, while the Polo GT TSI develops even more from its 4-cylinder 1.2-litre motor. The Polo GT TSI has the advantage of having a 7-speed fast-shifting dual-clutch transmission which should, in theory, make it the fastest car here in most situations.

The Tata Tiago is the fastest car in the comparison here when 0-100kmph times are compared, but that can change under real-world conditions. In our tests, the Maruti Suzuki Baleno RS was the quickest, surprisingly quicker than the Polo GT TSI. This could be down to the fact that the Polo GT TSI we tested was not in the best shape.

Safety Features

These cars are based on the top-of-the-line variants of their respective non-performance versions, meaning they are well equipped. All the cars here are equipped with dual-front airbags, ABS and EBD as standard. Only the Maruti Suzuki Baleno RS is fitted with disc brakes all-around, while Tata and Volkswagen have kept costs in check by offering front discs and rear drums.

  Tata Tiago JTP Tata Tiago (XZ) Maruti Suzuki Baleno RS Volkswagen Polo GT TSI
Price (ex-showroom Delhi) Rs 6.39 lakh Rs 5.22 lakh Rs 8.47 lakh Rs 9.40 lakh

The Tiago JTP dethrones the Maruti Suzuki Baleno RS as the most affordable performance hatchback in the country. It undercuts the competition by over Rs 2 lakh! Even if it may not have the same number of modification options as the Polo GT TSI (for now) or does not have the same reliable and widespread service network as the Baleno RS, it offers the most performance-for-the-buck in this comparison. On paper, at least.

Also Read: Our first-impressions of the Tata JTP twins. They are really good!

Tata Tiago JTP Alternatives

See what our community has to say! NEW

India's largest automotive community

Explore Now
comminity image
×