Sales of the Tata Tiago have seen a massive dip in the last month, which could be owing to the arrival of the second-gen Hyundai Santro and New Maruti Wagon R
For many years now, the Tata Tiago has been the bread-earner for its manufacturer. However, it seems like the small hatchback is well past its heydays, with the registration of a huge decline in its popularity in the month of May 2019. Last month, the company sold only 3,535 units of the Tiago, thereby marking a 49.9 per cent drop in the sales on the YoY basis.
While some of this can be attributed to the general slowdown in the market, the arrival of the second-gen Hyundai Santro in October last year and the introduction of the third-gen Maruti Wagon R in January this year seem to have played a role in the drop in sales of the Tata small car.
Last month, the third-gen Maruti Wagon R, which is bigger and better than the model it has replaced, could clock sales of 14,561 units, which is an 8.8% drop over what the earlier generation model could manage in May 2018. The Hyundai Santro, at 4,902 units, sold much lesser than the latest Wagon R but could still outperform the Tata Tiago.
Among the three models, it’s only the Tata Tiago that is available with both petrol and diesel engine options. Also, all the three cars are available with an optional AMT for the petrol engine. The Tiago is based on a modified version of the Xo platform of the Indica and features a 1.2-litre DOHC Revotron petrol engine that develops 85 PS at 6,000 rpm and 114 Nm of torque at 3,500 rpm. The diesel engine displaces 1.05-litre and offers 70 PS at 4,000 rpm and 140 Nm between 1,800 and 3,000 rpm.
The Hyundai Santro is powered by a 1.1-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine that produces a maximum power of 69 PS and a peak torque of 99 Nm. Transmission options include a five-speed manual and a first five-speed AMT. While the new Santro isn’t available with a diesel heart, the buyers can opt for a CNG powertrain that offers a maximum power of 59 PS and a peak torque of 84 Nm.
The third-gen Maruti Wagon R, on the other hand, is available with 1.0-litre and 1.2-litre petrol engine options. The smaller engine produces 67 PS and 90 Nm, while the bigger option offers 82 PS and 113 Nm. A highlight of the new Wagon R is its lightweight Heartect platform.