India, Nov. 11 -- We drove the fully loaded variant of Tata's compact electric hatchback that is Tata Tiago.EV (XZ+ Tech Lux) to evaluate its promise of accessible, everyday-friendly electric mobility. The result is a car that blends practicality with thoughtful features, though it comes with trade-offs.

The Tiago EV marks Tata's attempt to democratize electric mobility in India. Built on the familiar Tiago hatchback, the EV version swaps the petrol motor for a permanent magnet synchronous motor and packs a 24 kWh lithium-ion battery in its top trim. Tata claims 315 km on the MIDC cycle, but in real-world use, our test yielded 184 km, making 190 km a safe figure with mixed driving and regular air conditioning.

This difference may be sig...