Tata Tiago i-CNG and Maruti Celerio S-CNG were both launched in the Indian market just a few days ago. Both these vehicles are quite brilliant offerings, and they have managed to garner a positive response from buyers. With the demand rising for cars that run on alternative fuels, both these vehicles are expected to generate a lot of sales for their respective manufacturers.
Here, we have pitted both these CNG hatchbacks against each other, to see which of the two wins a spec-sheet battle.
Tata Tiago has an understated and classy design, with bold angular headlamps, a wide front grille, trendy taillights, and 14-inch hyperstyle wheels with wheelcaps. The car misses out on alloy wheels, but that isn’t a big deal. To differentiate the CNG variants from petrol-only variants, an ‘i-CNG’ badging is available on the tailgate.
Maruti Celerio is quite a handsome car as well, with a sportier exterior compared to Tiago. It gets rounded triangular headlamps, an oval front grille, a gaping front bumper, 14-inch steel wheels, and bulbous taillights. There’s no ‘S-CNG’ badging on the car, although there are CNG stickers on the windscreens.
| Dimensions | Tata Tiago i-CNG | Maruti Celerio S-CNG |
| Length | 3,765mm | 3,695mm |
| Width | 1,677mm | 1,655mm |
| Height | 1,535mm | 1,555mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,400mm | 2,345mm |
Tata Tiago is noticeably larger than Maruti Celerio in terms of length, width, and wheelbase length. The Maruti, however, is slightly taller. In terms of road presence, there isn’t a clear winner here, although the larger Tiago would be our pick between the two.
Tata Tiago’s interior looks extremely nice for a budget car, and feels very robust as well. The black and beige interior theme looks nice, and noticeable design elements include trapezoidal AC vents, a three-spoke steering wheel (flat-bottom, multi-functional), and a fully-digital LCD instrument console.
The top-spec ‘XZ Plus’ trim of the car comes with projector headlights, LED DRLs, automatic climate control, all-power windows, power-adjustable ORVMs (auto-folding), cooled glovebox, rear parking camera, a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system (with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), etc.
Maruti Celerio has a funky looking dashboard, with creases and grooves on the passenger side. The side AC vents are round, while the centre AC vents are sleek and vertical. The car gets a three-spoke steering wheel (multi-functional) and an analogue speedometer with a small MID (no tachometer). The dark interior theme looks good here.
The features on offer include all-power windows, manual AC, power-adjustable mirrors, etc. However, the headrests are all non-adjustable (even front row) and there is no infotainment system on offer (not even a 2-DIN system).
Tata Tiago i-CNG is powered by a 1.2-litre NA engine, mated exclusively to a 5-speed manual transmission. This powerplant generates 86 PS and 113 Nm when running on petrol, and 73.4 PS and 95 Nm when running on CNG.
As for Maruti Celerio S-CNG, it gets a smaller naturally-aspirated engine, 1.0-litre in size. This motor belts out 65.26 PS and 89 Nm when running on petrol, while on natural gas, it generates 56.7 PS and 82.1 Nm. Transmission choices are limited to a 5-speed manual gearbox.
| Specifications | Tata Tiago i-CNG | Maruti Celerio S-CNG |
| Engine size | 1.2-litre | 1.0-litre |
| Engine type | Naturally aspirated, inline-3 | Naturally aspirated, inline-3 |
| Max. power | 86 PS (petrol)/73.4 PS (CNG) | 65.26 PS (petrol)/56.7 PS (CNG) |
| Max. torque | 113 Nm (petrol)/95 Nm (CNG) | 89 Nm (petrol)/82.1 Nm (CNG) |
| Transmission | 5-speed MT | 5-speed MT |
The Tata hatchback is significantly more powerful than the Maruti in both petrol mode and CNG mode. In fact, Tiago i-CNG is the most powerful CNG vehicle in this segment, but Maruti Celerio has an ARAI-rated fuel economy of up to 35.6 km/kg (on CNG), which is the highest in this class.
Tata Tiago i-CNG is available in the following trim levels – XE, XM, XT, XZ Plus, XZ Plus Dual-Tone – priced from Rs. 6.10 lakh to Rs. 7.65 lakh. Maruti Celerio S-CNG is priced at Rs. 6.58 lakh, with just one trim on offer – VXi. Due to an abundance of trim choices (hence better equipment options) and a more powerful engine, the Tata takes the win here.
All prices mentioned are ex-showroom, New Delhi
Images are for representation only
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