The Tata Aeris iCNG gets one important thing right: it gives you the low running costs of CNG without forcing you to live with the usual compromises. We drove the top-end Accomplished AMT version for around 120 km, and the Aeris impressed me with its comfort, features and easy-going nature. It is not a sporty sedan, but as a comfortable daily driver, especially for someone looking at CNG, there is plenty to like.
The Aeris Looks Nothing Like The Tigor
From the front and rear, the Aeris looks quite different from the Tigor. It also appears wider, which gives the compact sedan a more substantial stance.
Tata is offering some new colour options as well, and the overall design certainly has enough road presence to turn heads.
Look at it from the side, though, and there is no hiding its roots. The profile is a dead giveaway that the Aeris is essentially a Tigor underneath the new design.
That is not necessarily a bad thing. The important part is that Tata has done enough at the front and rear to give it its own identity.
The Cabin Is A Familiar Place
Step inside, and the Aeris feels much more modern than you might expect from its exterior connection with the Tigor.
The dashboard is essentially the same as the new Tiago, although Tata has used different colour combinations to give the sedan its own character. We quite like the way the cabin looks and feels.
The driver TFT instrument cluster may divide opinion, though. Some will like the modern presentation, while others may prefer a more traditional layout.
The Aeris gets tilt steering adjustment and a height-adjustable driver’s seat, so finding a comfortable driving position does not take much effort.
Ventilated Seats Are A Boon In Summer
We drove the Aeris in Faridabad, where temperatures were around 38-40 degrees Celsius. In those conditions, the ventilated front seats were more than just a nice feature. They were genuinely useful.
The air-conditioning also works very well. More importantly, Tata has retained physical controls for the AC, which we really appreciate. You do not have to dig through a touchscreen just to change the temperature or fan speed.
There is a touchscreen, of course. It is easy to read and use, and supports wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Audio quality is decent as well.
The Aeris also gets a new 360-degree camera with 360-degree recording, adding another useful layer of convenience.
The Blind Spot Monitor Is Useful, But Needs A Fix
One feature we particularly liked was the blind spot monitor. Its feed is displayed on the infotainment screen, which is very useful when changing lanes.
There is one problem, though. When the blind spot monitor is active, the map disappears from the screen.
That means you cannot have navigation and the blind spot view at the same time. It would be much better if Tata could show both on the display.
You Can Start Directly In CNG Mode
The Aeris iCNG follows Tata’s familiar approach to CNG. You can start the car directly in CNG mode instead of having to start in petrol and wait for the system to switch over.
Tata does recommend using petrol once every 300 km, though. The idea is to ensure that the petrol fuel lines are used regularly.
The Aeris uses a three-cylinder engine, so refinement is not quite at the level of Maruti’s 1.2-litre Z Series engine. NVH levels are still decent, and the engine does not feel particularly rough.
It does get vocal beyond 4,000 rpm, but even then, it does not sound unrefined.
The AMT Works Surprisingly Well With CNG
For me, the biggest highlight of the Aeris iCNG was the AMT.
That might sound surprising, but it makes a lot of sense once you drive it. There is no need to constantly think about gear changes, and Tata has added paddle shifters for situations where you need a quick burst of acceleration.
The paddles also reduce one of the biggest disadvantages of driving a CNG car: the weaker pickup.
When you need more performance, you can simply drop one or two gears and get the engine into the stronger part of its torque band. It is intuitive and works effectively.
The Engine Does Not Feel Underpowered
The 1.2-litre Revotron produces 75 bhp and 96.5 Nm on CNG. On petrol, those figures rise to 85 bhp and 113 Nm.
Those numbers may not look impressive on paper, but the Aeris does not feel underpowered on CNG.
This is not a sporty sedan, and it was never designed to be one. But there is more than enough performance for normal driving, including getting up to 100-120 kmph.
Low-end torque is useful, and the AMT makes driving the car even more relaxed because you do not have to constantly manage the gearbox yourself.
Ride Quality Is The Aeris’ Biggest Strength
If there is one area where the Aeris really stands out, it is ride quality.
The car is extremely comfortable across different types of roads. Tata has a reputation for tuning its suspension for comfort, and the Aeris follows the same formula.
Bad roads, uneven surfaces and broken stretches are handled with confidence. The suspension does a good job of keeping the cabin comfortable, making the Aeris better suited to relaxed cruising than aggressive driving.
There is one obvious downside, though: body roll.
There is quite a lot of it. The steering weighs up nicely as speeds increase, but the Aeris does not encourage you to attack corners.
Push it hard and the body movements quickly remind you what this car is built for. It is a comfortable cruiser, not a corner-carving sedan.
Ground Clearance Should Not Be A Problem
The Aeris has 170 mm of ground clearance and a 2,450 mm wheelbase.
That combination should make it reasonably easy to live with on Indian roads. During my drive, we did not scrape the car even once with two people on board.
A really badly designed village speed breaker with a full load of passengers could still cause trouble, but under normal conditions, ground clearance should not be a major concern.
The Boot Is More Practical Than You Expect
CNG cars usually force buyers to make a compromise with boot space. The Aeris avoids the worst of that thanks to its dual-cylinder CNG setup.
Boot capacity is around 220 litres, which is decent for a CNG compact sedan.
Even better, Tata has managed to provide a spare wheel as well. That adds some peace of mind for long-distance travel.
Verdict
After around 120 km behind the wheel, the Tata Aeris iCNG comes across as a well-rounded compact sedan for buyers who want low running costs without giving up too many everyday features.
It has a comfortable ride, a well-equipped cabin, an AMT with paddle shifters, and a sharp pricing.
The biggest weakness is refinement. The three-cylinder engine is decent, but it is not as smooth as Maruti’s 1.2-litre Z Series motor. The body roll is another limitation if you like driving enthusiastically.
Compared with the Dzire, the Aeris has some clear advantages in areas such as features, boot practicality and value for money. But when it comes to engine refinement, the Dzire still has the edge.