There was a time when 69bhp was more than adequate for a budget roadster. But that was 40 years ago when those cars weighed little more than 700kg. Our highly specified Tigra was a hefty 1246kg.
In the wet, 60mph took a yawning 15.8sec to arrive – a figure comfortably eclipsed by that of all its rivals. On the road and particularly around town, however, its pace is perfectly adequate. With 125lb ft of torque between 1750 and 2500rpm, mid-range thrust is useful and the 13.6sec the diesel Tigra takes from 50-70mph in top gear is 0.6sec faster than a Mini Cooper can manage.
Nor does the little diesel mind being revved. Stir the low-set but snappy gearshift and it becomes noticeably more lively than the tiresome drone of the Ecotec petrols.
Though it takes time to get up to speed in the Tigra, once there the chassis helps keep that pace going. With optional 205/45 R17 tyres in place of the standard 205/50 R16s (185/60 R15 on non-Sport models) our test car had more grip than the average Tigra driver will ever need. And at £200 on the Sport (£400 on others), the 17-inch wheels and tyres are a cheap addition.
Handling is always safe and predictable: neutral before turning into mild understeer.
That’s not to say it isn’t entertaining, however; with little roll and good body control the Tigra shrugs off its weight well. Dynamics are further aided by the sharp (2.7 turns lock to lock) electric steering. It’s not as lively or precise as a Ford StreetKa, but nor is it as nervous as the Ford at speed.
With those big wheels we expected the ride to be poor. It is firm, but the suspension copes surprisingly well. And despite some thump over poor surfaces it’s never jarring and the roof’s integrity is excellent. Drop the top and things go downhill, with some shudder from the windscreen frame over mid-corner bumps, but with the wind deflector in place refinement remains impressive.