Tata Tiago 120bhp performance-spec could be named Tiago Plus; launch likely in November

Buoyed by the success of the Tiago hatchback in India, Tata Motors is now gearing up to roll out a performance version of the model in India. The Tiago, which has been witnessing consistent increase in sales, is likely to get the powerful sibling as early as November this year, suggest emerging reports.

While it was reported earlier that the performance-spec Tiago could be named Tiago Sport, the latest report of Cardekho says that the new version of the car is likely to be called Tiago Plus. Tata has said to have shelved the plans for the Bolt Sport hatchback to bring the Tiago Plus. The company decided to drop the Bolt Sport because of the dwindling sales of the Bolt hatchback in the country.

The Tiago Plus will join the hot hatch segment of India, which currently has Fiat Abarth Punto and will soon get the Baleno RS — the powerful Boosterjet engine version of the Baleno from Maruti Suzuki.

The performance-spec model of the Tiago Plus is expected to be powered by a turbocharged 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol motor that could belt out a power of nearly 120bhp. It may also get a sporty body kit including side skirts and body decals. Minor changes could also be made inside the cabin to make it look sportier. You can also expect the Tiago Plus, the sporty version, to get lowered suspensions and stiffer damping to ensure smooth drive.

Tata is also likely to launch the automated manual transmission (AMT) and crossover avatars of the Tiago in India to keep the momentum going. The Tiago currently records average sales of 4,000 units per month.