Hyundai Aura Vs Tata Tigor: Can The Newest Hyundai Get The Better Of Tata?

1. Hyundai Aura vs Tata Tigor: Introduction

The compact sedan segment used to be the most hotly-contested segment in the Indian car market, but that honour now belongs to the compact SUV segment. That, however, doesn’t mean that there aren’t any good compact sedans in India right now. On the contrary, we have some of the most brilliant cars you can buy on a tight budget in here, Hyundai Aura and Tata Tigor.

With the Aura's launch in India, Hyundai has re-entered the subcompact sedan space with a bang. As for the Tigor, it is one of the best Tata cars ever, and one of the best-built budget cars in India. Let’s compare the two of them to see how well they stack up against each other.

Also Read: BSVI-Compliant Cars In India

2. Hyundai Aura vs Tata Tigor: Dimensions

Both these cars fit under the sub-4-metre category. The Hyundai sedan is longer and wider than the Tigor by a few millimetres and has a lower height as well. Wheelbase length is the same on both cars. Surprisingly, the Tigor has a larger boot even though it is the smaller one here.

3. Hyundai Aura vs Tata Tigor: Design

Exterior Design Comparison

Hyundai Aura borrows a lot of design cues from its smaller sibling, the Grand i10 Nios. On the front, the headlight design is exactly the same, although there are small differences in other places. The front grille on the Aura has the same design as on the Nios, but spreads outwards towards the bottom. The fake air-vents around the headlamp housing are also slightly different.

The side profile is the same except for the tiny boot jutting out at the end and the different diamond-cut alloy wheel design. The rear is completely new though. Where the Grand i10 Nios has a traditional/conservative taillight design, the Aura has a new, funky, extremely eye-catchy design. Like many other cars nowadays, the Aura also has its name plastered on the boot, underlined by a strip that runs between (and joins) the two comma-shaped taillamps.

Similar to the Aura, Tata Tigor shares its look and architecture with its hatchback sibling, the Tigor. The front has a simple but cute design. The headlamps seem to smoothly flow into the front grille, which is an elegant honeycomb design.

There is a distinctly visible shoulder-line running down the side of the Tigor, complemented by another one running through the door handles. The alloy wheels are diamond-cut, lending the car a premium look. At the rear, there is a sleek looking LED taillamp design. Personal Opinion: The Tigor looks best in ‘Egyptian Blue’ colour scheme.

Interior Design Comparison

While both these cars offer adequate space for both front and rear passengers, there are plenty of differences between the two.

The interior of the Hyundai Aura has now been officially revealed and it looks similar to the Grand i10 Nios. The Nios sports a bright colour theme in the cabin, which makes the car feel more airy and roomy than it actually is, and so is the case with the Aura. The bright colours are, however, a pain to keep clean. The dashboard design of the Aura is simple yet elegant. The infotainment touchscreen is nice and responsive, and its housing flows into the instrument console, which looks extremely pretty. There is a semi-digital console on offer here; a digital speedometer, tripmeter, odometer, and fuel gauge, and an analogue tachometer.

As for the Tigor, we have a brilliantly spacious cabin here. Tata cars have always offered brilliant space and comfort, and the Tigor is no different. The cabin has a dark colour scheme, which looks extremely premium.

The dashboard design of the car is pretty simplistic, and although it is extremely pretty, it looks a little dated in comparison to Nios/Aura. That said, there are some great details in the Tigor as well. It offers a completely digital dashboard in the top-trim, while the lower trims get an analogue setup with a small driver information display. The touchscreen infotainment system is responsive and easy-to-use.

4. Hyundai Aura vs Tata Tigor: Features

Safety features comparison

The complete feature list of Hyundai Aura includes a lot of equipment for the price you pay. It gets features likes an 8-inch touchscreen unit for the infotainment system, automatic climate-controls, and more. However, the sunroof, which was offered in the Nios has been given a miss with the Aura. As for the Tigor, it offers a lot of safety features as standard, like ABS, EBD, driver and passenger airbags, engine immobiliser, crash sensor, Door-open warning, Anti-theft alarm, and seatbelt pretensioners. You also get a reverse parking camera on higher trims.

Comfort features comparison

The base variant of the Tigor offers very little in terms of entertainment features. There is no radio/CD player provided as standard. Higher trims come loaded though, complete with touchscreen infotainment system with Apple Carplay and Android Auto.

5. Hyundai Aura vs Tata Tigor: Which car stands out in terms of performance?

Hyundai Aura vs Tata Tigor (Petrol)

There are two petrol powerplant options on the Aura sedan, a 1.2-litre 4-cylinder motor and a smaller but more powerful 1.0-litre turbocharged 3-cylinder engine. Both engines come mated to a 5-speed manual, with the former also offering an automatic gearbox option. The Tata only offers one petrol engine, a 1.2-litre 3-cylinder unit. There is only a 5-speed manual on offer. There is another Tigor though, a more powerful one; Tata Tigor JTP. That, however, is a separate model, sold only at select dealerships.

Hyundai Aura vs Tata Tigor (Diesel)

The little Hyundai has a 1.2-litre 4-cylinder diesel on offer as well. You can have it in manual as well as automatic. With the Tigor, you get a much smaller 1.05-litre 3-cylinder diesel motor with a 5-speed manual gearbox. While diesel hatchbacks usually don’t offer much performance, the Tata sedan feels underpowered by all standards. This engine does offer brilliant fuel-economy though.

6. Hyundai Aura vs Tata Tigor Price: Which car is cheaper?

Prices for Hyundai Aura are declared on its launch now and they start at Rs. 5.79 lakh and tops out at Rs. 9.22 lakh. As for Tata Tigor, you can buy one for as low as Rs. 6.20 lakh (on-road) in New Delhi! The top-of-the-line diesel Tigor will put you back by Rs. 9.16 lakh.

Also Read: Hyundai Plans To Launch Fuel Cell Electric Cars In India

7. Hyundai Aura: Other Competitors

8. Tata Tigor: Other Competitors

9. Verdict: Which model worth buying – Hyundai Aura vs Tata Tigor

The Aura is an extremely competent car, although we'll have to wait and see how the market responds to the car. As for the Tigor, it is a brilliant value-for-money proposition. It is extremely affordable, and you get supremely economical engines. The Aura retails for a slight premium, but Hyundai cars offer better build quality as well. That said, Tata has definitely improved on their build quality, and the Tiago and Tigor are two of the best Tata cars ever, right after the Harrier and Nexon. Another thing to note, if you have your heart set on buying a diesel car, get the Aura. Tata’s diesel is only tuned for fuel-efficiency, and feel extremely underpowered. Overall, we'd say that the Hyundai Aura wins our Hyundai Aura vs Tata Tigor comparison, but only by a small margin.