Team-BHP (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/)

-   The Indian Car Scene (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian-car-scene/)

-   -   Tata developing a premium hatchback, the Altroz. Edit: Launched at 5.29 lakh. (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian-car-scene/164474-tata-developing-premium-hatchback-altroz-edit-launched-5-29-lakh-109.html)

Festive season is Aug-Oct.

I got a chance to check out the Altroz yesterday. The car is gorgeous to look at in the flesh. The Tata design house is firing on all cylinders and then some.

• Design wise there is simply no competition. None of it's competitors can match it. The use of piano black may look overdone to some but it's good quality and does not look tacky.
• The doors are solid and the car overall gives the feeling of a strong build.
• Material quality is quite good and closer to the Germans than the Japs or Koreans
• I feel the car has been benchmarked against the Polo rather than the Baleno and i20
• The glove box is well shaped and has a look to cutouts for nick nacks and allows for a well organised storage.
• There is adequate leg room much better than the Polo but not so much as the Baleno and the i20.
• Space wise the back seat is a tight fit for three adults as I and two of my colleagues found out.
• Seats are well shaped and material is firm. I like it better than my RS seats which are on the softer side.
• Interior space feel a size smaller than the Baleno and the i20.
• The shape of the wing mirror stalks look very nice kind of like the BMW M3s of old.
• Tata has used chrome very subtly in areas that do not strike the eye in first look like the top of the wing mirror support and lining the bottom of the headlamps.
• The low beam is a projector setup and the high beam is a halogen. Lights look nice when lighted up.
• NVH felt decent when I started it up and revved it a bit.

Boot is well shaped and spacious.


The boot closing handle is well shaped and the plastics feel well built.


A glove box that is easy to organise


The chrome at the bottom of the headlamps


The roof has two character lines on either side which flow into the spoiler giving the middle of the roof a slightly sunken look.


Diesel is priced at a premium. 10.5 lakhs on road is Polo GT territory. The petrol pricing compares very favourably with the Baleno.

Drive on,
Shibu.

Only difference is that Altroz is a BS6 diesel and there won't be any BS6 1.5 GT diesel in the Polo :)

When you are talking about GT TSI, I think there is quite a price difference if one isn't keen on automatic/performance.

Tata has followed VW and has introduced a laser welded roof for the ALTROZ. Note the absence of any "roof ditch" or gutter. Though expensive to build, this makes the structure stiffer compared to a spot welded roof panel and offers better roll-over / roof crush protection in the unfortunate event of a crash.



Slightly :OT but on the common thread of safety. The 2020 facelifted NEXON will be fitted with electronic stability control programme across the range. This is anticipating the next level of 5-star crash requirements and its subsequent evaluation by Global NCAP where electronic driver aids will be a mandatory requirement.

Good to see TML taking the lead in safety with utmost seriousness.

Well the 1.6 lakh price difference could be the deal breaker here

Nice. Did you check this out anywhere in Chennai? KLN now says the car will be available for TD on 29 jan (from earlier 22nd comment). Concorde set the expectations right by saying they'll get only by Feb.

That is amazing, how do they manage to keep so many millennials away from photos and instagramming for 9 hours every single day? Given the sheer numbers of youngsters in its campuses TCS can possibly set a retro trend to an era when we were not all carrying cameras inside our pockets and clicking away at the drop of a hat.

Off topic.
They don’t prevent anybody from using social networks on their smart phones inside campus. But taking photos are strictly prohibited. There is a good example set by another Indian IT company Wipro (Cochin campus) which does not allow bikes inside their campus unless the pillion rider also wear helmet. This has been in place since more than a decade.

There is a scope for improvement for everyone. The safety discussion and the performance by TATA and Mahindra can be start in the right direction that our future market would be evolving. Let’s hope for the best or should I say let’s hope for ‘the right’ to happen.

Tata Harrier automatic is going to arrive pretty soon and it is official as per Tata Motors social media handles. Were test mules spotted for Harrier automatic? And is it always that test mules will be spotted before such a launch?
I am asking this in the context of Altroz automatic. With no official announcement yet on the timeline for automatic, does it make sense to look forward to spot test mules first to get an rough idea when the automatic might arrive?

I'm in the same boat. When I test drove the vehicle yesterday, in my mind I begged TaMo to get the automatic ASAP. However, basis what I have read till now, looks like Altroz automatic will be out by coming Diwali, which is a long time away. I'm now waiting to know the pricing on Brezza petrol automatic as I cannot hold my car purchase till upcoming festive season.

The much elusive Midtown Grey shade of the Altroz:

This is a good development - the Nexon website highlights that ESP will be standard on all variants of the Nexon! clap: I guess after VW (that too in Indian D1 segment), Tata is the first manufacturer in India to offer ESP+TC and other safety features as standard across all variants instead of just the top variant! Even now, D1 segment cars don’t offer ESP as standard :Frustrati. Tata can step it up a notch by providing a complete safety suite vide a 6 airbag system also!

I wonder what’s stopping Tata from offering ESP on the Altroz and also a 6 airbag system, atleast in a the top variant (call it XZ+) so that prices of other models remain competitive - offering a complete safety suite (stable structure, ABS, ESP, TC, 6 airbag system) will be a total gamechanger in this segment. I am looking for a good small car to complement the Elantra and Innova Crysta for short drives and right now there is no small car with ESP, TC and a 6 airbag system - I’m seriously considering the Altroz (JTP with maybe AT please?) as there is already a Polo GT TSI (mostly used mPAY my brother) at home - if Tata provides a complete safety suite, it’s a no brainer.

One of my friend is seriously considering Altroz Petrol XM + Rhythm. He chose it over NIOS Sportz which was his earlier pick. That bold look and GNCAP rating changed his mind. Another reason was the prospect of getting a bigger premium hatch in almost same price, though 3 cylinder engine is bit turn off, at least on paper.

We were able to take a short test drive and came mighty impressed with the features and those killer looks. Surprisingly we didn't feel like driving a 3 cylinder engine, may be a longer test drive will help understand the difference.
Despite showing immediate interest (and I recently bought Hexa from same dealer :D) the dealer says there won't be any negotiations on Insurance and even handling charges.

Their stand is that it being a new car, these bargains will not be entertained.
I understand their position, but I have also read fellow BHPians' accounts on Seltos thread who could manage to bargain over these charges around the launch time.

Am I being too hopeful if I think dealer will come around and offer us these discounts?

So the ARAI mileage ratings were out. Altroz petrol - 19.05kmpl and Altroz Diesel - 25.11kmpl.

Link

Ok that is overtly optimistic. In real world I guess Altroz should be anywhere between 10-14 kmpl for the petrol and 15-18 kmpl for the diesel.

Is Tata doing everything possible to cover all bases? This looks like a paid result to me.