[Omkar]

Tata has managed to keep the Altroz fresh in the Indian market by introducing different variants and powertrain options from time to time (read our full review here). As of now, you have 3 engine options – a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol, a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol and a 1.5-litre turbocharged diesel. The naturally aspirated petrol engine is offered with the CNG option as well. There’s also a dual-clutch automatic option available with the 1.2-litre naturally aspirated engine while all others are offered with a 5-speed manual transmission.

So if you were to buy a Tata Altroz, which engine and gearbox combination would you pick & why?



The 85 BHP, 1.2-litre naturally aspirated engine isn’t a stonk performer. The focus is on drivability and the power delivery is just adequate. The 5-speed MT has well-defined gates and has a light clutch too. It has decent ARAI-rated fuel efficiency as well at 19.05 km/l. You can read more about it here.


You can also have the 1.2-litre NA engine with a dual-clutch automatic transmission. This is a bold move from Tata to offer a smooth automatic transmission when the segment is offering jerky AMTs. All in all, the DCT is smooth & the response times are acceptable in most driving conditions. You can read our review here.


Tata introduced the CNG variant of the Altroz this year and the integration is quite impressive. It uses two CNG storage tanks that allow the car to have 210 litres of usable boot space. In terms of driving, there is a hint of power deficit in CNG mode, but it’s very much usable in the city. Read our review here.


The turbo-petrol brings in a fair bit of performance compared to the naturally aspirated version of the Altroz. The 109 BHP motor offers good drivability and performance. However, it does not make the Altroz a hot hatch. You can read our review here.


The 1.5-litre turbo diesel is a competent engine with good driveability and fuel efficiency. And although it doesn’t get the Nexon diesel’s state of tune, there’s a good amount of performance on offer. The diesel engine is quite punchy and you can read our review here.

[GTO]

Kudos to Tata for offering a wide range of engines & transmissions. There's a good diesel which most other hatchbacks have dropped, and also a top-class CNG. What's more, there will be an EV version too.

My first choice would be the DCA; that AT extracts the best out of the weak 1.2L NA engine. Second choice, the all-rounded workhorse 1.5L Diesel MT.

[Shreyans_Jain]

They have a wide range of powertrain options on paper, but the ones you really want are not available.

- 1.2 turbo petrol with DCA
- 1.2 CNG with DCA
- 1.5 turbo diesel with DCA or torque converter
- EV

If these options are made available, all of which are easily possible, then, fortunes of this car can change. Altroz is a fantastic vehicle that deserves to sell 3 times what it does. Tata has been as lazy with Altroz as Honda was with Jazz and WRV.

From the current lot of options, my pick is the 1.2NA with DCA automatic. The superbly implemented CNG is a distant second.

[wheelguy]

It is simple, with ever increasing chaotic traffic conditions, I have decided to not buy manuals anymore, so my choice is Altroz DCA.

Wish list though is Altroz CNG AT or Altroz EV. Actually waiting for Punch EV or Punch CNG as I recently sold off my Nano. Other than Punch, liked Hyundai Exter too but was put off by the fact that it is having i10 Nios interiors, it immediately gave me the thought that it is a spruced up i10 Nios.

[mgastor2022grey]

My vote will be for the 1.2L NA Petrol + 6 speed DCA

Test drove it a couple months before, and it left me pretty impressed. I was amazed by the power on offer and the instant acceleration made me go crazy. However, the low end torque was not so inspiring and the high speed stability was pretty average only. It is not VFM at almost 11 lakhs on-road.

[NST440]

Definitely the 1.5 Diesel MT for me. I have the same, driven for around 20k kms till date and I can vouch for the power and satisfaction it offers when swung to its capabilities.

Good power, good fuel economy, nice sound when revved and there’s a charm to driving a rare diesel hatch today in a sea of less powerful if not underpowered petrol hatches.

The gearbox is nice and it’s a nice chunky car when you want that therapeutic drive after a long day.

May soon get a Dieseltronic for her to enjoy this further. However, whatever the engine, the driving dynamics of this vehicle is really commendable, coupled with nice ergonomics and a beautiful design.

Happy Motoring.

[gururajrv]

Surprisingly, 41% of the voters equally like DCA+Petrol and Manual Diesel. My top choice will always be the diesel

[rGT]

I'd opt for the Diesel MT.

If I were to buy the Altroz, it'd be from the perspective of having a primary do-it-all car (that's also a hatchback for someone like me, who's got only a year worth of driving experience), rather than a city-runabout. For the latter, I'd simply get a Tiago EV for similar money.

All the various engine-gearbox combos have their sets of pros and cons, but the one I can live with is the Diesel. The DCA is convenient, yes, but an overkill for that puny 3 cylinder engine. The Turbo Petrol is good, but not great, and IMO not worth the "all rounder" tag. The Diesel has good driveability, is punchy owing to the torque, and is efficient as well. Plus, the manual gearbox can aid in honing my driving skills. All in all, for me personally, the best option of the lot.

[Altrozed]

Whatever running, if the requirement for auto, go with eyes closed for DCA option. The hardly noticeable gear shifts and cruise control is a wonderful combination in city as well as NH drives.
If MT is the choice, walkout with a Diesel.
There is hardly anything which will disappoint with Altroz as a product.

[swami69]

I would prefer the DCA variant. Hope I can ask this here, out of those 5000 plus Altroz sold every month, what would be an approximate number of DCAs ? I wanted to go for i20 IVT, but thought of giving this a chance. I have TD ed the i20 and I liked it for what it is. Is the DCA of TATA reliable and should I check it out ? Kindly assist.

I thought this thread has come at a right time to get my question answered

Also do not see many reviews in this forum about the DCA and hence I am sceptical

Swami

[Altrozed]

Originally Posted by mgastor2022grey

My vote will be for the 1.2L NA Petrol + 6 speed DCA

Test drove it a couple months before, and it left me pretty impressed. I was amazed by the power on offer and the instant acceleration made me go crazy. However, the low end torque was not so inspiring and the high speed stability was pretty average only. It is not VFM at almost 11 lakhs on-road.

High speed stability is one of the USP for Altroz. Maybe there was a problem with tyres or air pressure when you drove.

In fact, engine and GB combination doesn't even send the car to such an unstable situation at most cases.

None of the premium hatchback is VFM.

Again I guess you were confused with instant acceleration and power offered. It's adequate 90% of cases.

[PrasannaDhana]

I voted 1.5L diesel with my money in October 2021

19 months & 50,000 km later, I am thoroughly satisfied with the car.

Solid build, adequately fast(top end will surprise a lot of people), rock solid high speed stability, nice interiors and that gem of an engine. It's an absolute workhorse which will return 18 kmpl, even to someone like me with a very heavy right foot.

Regarding Petrols, I would stay away from any iteration of Tata's 1.2L, 3 pot motor because most of my usage is on highways.

But for someone who lives in a metro with crazy B2B traffic, Altroz DCA is a superb choice. I loved how smooth the car drove and how seamlessly the gears changed. But don't try slamming the accelerator or try to drive enthusiastically, it will just bore you. For daily B2B commutes, it's an excellent choice.

PS: City dwellers who get influenced by the poll & decide to buy diesel Variant, pls be aware of DPF issues. If you aren't taking it on highways 50 km every week and arent driving it enthusiastically (>2500 rpm), DPF issues will occur often.

[ergon_9700]

Voted for the Diesel. Because it is an all-rounder.

Mainly because it is a rare car. If Tata introduces an Automatic with it and for the turbo petrol as well, it will sell like hot cakes. Hope they do it soon.

Second choice is turbo petrol. Good drivability with decent economy and way better performance than the Nat-asp engine.

Personally speaking waiting for Racer variant with 6 speed GB. Hope they pull a surprise and give diesel Nexon tune with the Racer.

[bijims]

I for one am a person who prefers automatic in any car but loves diesel at the same time, so if the Altroz had a diesel automatic that would have been the sweet spot, although it would be expensive, it would still be worth it if it's a proper automatic rather than the AMT of the Nexon, so due to the above, I voted for the DCA. If I was looking for a hatchback in this segment, the Altroz DCA, the i20 DCT, and IVT would be my picks in the segment for an ICE vehicle.

[DicKy]

Voted for the 1.5l Diesel MT

The one that does justice to the car's ride/handling. Though have to admit have never driven the DCA and my experience with the turbo petrol was with the Nexon.