First Drive: Will New Tata Aeris Petrol and CNG Take on Rivals?

The Tata Aeris, a heavily refreshed version of the Tigor, launched in 2017, comes with a sharper design, a polished cabin and more features to make it contemporary but retains the same basic mechanical package underneath.

Offered in petrol and CNG powertrains, the introductory price for the all new Aeris starts from Rs 5.29 lakh for petrol and Rs 6.29 lakh for the iCNG. We took the new sub-4-meter sedan for a spin to check out what it promises.

The overall look of the Aeris is smart without being flashy with the basic silhouette of the Tigor, particularly the doors and the overall side profile but the front and the rear design is stylish and attractive, avoiding excessive curves and creases on the bumper, giving it a sharp look.

The new car comes with LED headlamps and DRLs, a slim piano black upper grille, a large air dam with horizontal slats and LED fog lamps, piano black ORVMs, 15-inch alloy wheels, black cladding around the wheel arches, LED tail-lamps with a red strip connecting the 2 clusters, and a sharkfin antenna with a GPS. The rear registration plate, rear-view camera, and reversing light are now located on the rear bumper, along with vertically oriented reflectors.

Undoubtedly, you notice the biggest change inside the car. It feels modern and upmarket with a clean layout and the material used give it a premium feel. The dashboard has a clean layout and the material choices help give it a more premium feel. The dashboard is neat with the 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen, a free-standing semi-digital instrument cluster and a revised two-spoke steering wheel. The door handles are sturdy.

The center console is neat. While the manual gear lever looks premium and feels good to hold, the AMT gets a rotary dial that also feels solid and operates seamlessly. The two phone holders on the console keep phones from sliding around. The top-end Accomplished variant offers wireless charging in one slot. The center console also gets two cup holders and a leatherette-wrapped center armrest with integrated storage space underneath. As far as the seats are concerned, they are part-leatherette upholstery, with revised cushioning, offering comfort. The front seats are ventilated, a segment-first feature. The rear seats are comfortable with adequate legroom and kneeroom.

The Aeris comes with 419-litres of boot space, enough to hold luggage of a family. The use of mechanical struts instead of conventional hinges is great as they do not eat into the available boot space.

The Aeris is powered by Tata's 1.2-litre, three-cylinder engine in both petrol and CNG forms. In petrol it produces 86bhp and 113Nm, while the iCNG, as the Tata calls it, develops 75bhp and 96Nm. Both can be paired with a five-speed manual or automated manual transmission (AMT), depending on the variant. Moreover, the AMT comes with paddle shifters.

On the city roads, the CNG is not the smoothest in the segment, and there is vibration at low speeds, but it settles down once you are on the move. But it does come back to irritate on high-speed drives. However, overall, the AMT works well, giving the sort of acceleration you expect in city driving. But with four or five people seated and post the 80kmph speed on the highway, the engine starts to lose steam. So, overtaking on a highway needs clever planning, and requires you to keep your foot on the accelerator to gather speed.

However, the petrol engine is better in performance as it accelerates harder up to 100kmph and it feels great. Its ride quality is great as well with its impressive suspension absorbing small bumps and potholes. The 170mm ground clearance also tackles big speed breakers without a fuss. The CNG version also performs well giving more cushion in this regard.

In terms of safety, all variants of the Aeris come with 6 airbags, rear parking sensors, ABS + EBD & CSC, 3-point seatbelts with reminders for all 5 seats, and ISOFIX child seat mounts. The Pure+ (middle) variant gets iTPMS, hill hold control, ESP with Traction Control, and an HD reversing camera, while the higher variants add auto headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, a 360-degree camera, a blind-spot monitor, and more. The Accomplished variant gets a dashcam recorder.

Although the Aeris has not been crash-tested by an independent body, the Tigor scored a solid 4-star rating at the Global NCAP crash tests.

With its polished design, long list of features, well-equipped cabin, generous boot and comfortable ride, the new Tata Aeris is much more appealing than the Tigor it replaces. The petrol engine provides good drive for both city and highway cruising.

The CNG version, with its running-cost and efficiency advantages, also makes a strong case for itself. It is practical, well-equipped and comfortable. Despite cool aggressive pricing, we will have to wait and watch the competitive market response to the Tata Aeris.