[Vinod_nair]

Originally Posted by avi550m

What would be a good tyre upsize for the XM variant. It runs a 165/80 R14 tyre size. Looking to upgrade from the stock ZVTVs to either Michelin, Continental or Yokohama. Would 185/70 R14s be possible on the stock rims.

Ideal tyre upgrade will be the same, being offered on the higher trims, such as XZ or XZ+.

[Venkatesh]

Altroz sales cross 50,000 mark in 1 year. Altroz petrol accounts for over 90% of total sales.



Total sales of the Altroz from January 2020 through to end December 2020 were 47,076 units, comprising 44,427 petrol and 2,649 diesel. This translates into average monthly sales of nearly 4,000 units, and in turn means the 50,000-unit sales milestone has been crossed within a year of launch.

Source

[pavi]

Originally Posted by Venkatesh

Altroz sales cross 50,000 mark in 1 year. Altroz petrol accounts for over 90% of total sales.

Quite surprising!!! No, not the total number of sales but the ratio between petrol and diesel sale numbers. So effectively this data shows that the lethargic petrol engine which is regarded as the weakest link in Altroz has become a super star in sales. Or in other words, the market does not think the way bhpians think.

Happy for TATA for achieving such a feat. I still remember the feel that I got while closing the rear doors in an Altroz, the day we had Altroz unveil at Cochin TCS campus.

[RavenAvi]

Brought our Midtown Grey XM home on Friday, 29th January.

She had rolled out of the delivery truck just a day before. I did the detailed PDI and she passed it. My initial booking was for a XE Rhythm but since I was told that it had a waiting period of 1 and half months, I switched over as soon as the dealership agreed. (Details)

She had come out from the production lines on 16th January, billed from the factory on 21st January, and arrived at the dealership on the morning of the 28th. Oven fresh!

Final OTR came to Rs 7.58L, including 2+3 Extended Warranty and 2 Years P2P. (Gold AMC for the Altroz comes for 1 year only, hence changed)

Also opted for 12K worth accessories. Ordered the foglamps (with DRLs) which should arrive in the next 12 days.


She's lovingly named “Nighthawk” by my little one, who is already in love with "her" car!

I thanked the man himself on Twitter for designing such a beauty which we had brought home with us, which prompted a retweet and a reply from him:-

They say, "there's no replacement for displacement", to which I say, "there's no substitute for 5-star safety".

[freakmuzik]

I happened to find some time and ended up checking out the Altroz Diesel since I had only driven the Petrol exactly one year ago.

Likes:
1) Smooth clutch and gearbox. The shifts were super easy and clutch was as light as that of a petrol
2) Power delivery - city driving was a breeze for me
3) Driving position & seat
4) The driver armrest was useful to me plus the gear stick was in a different, yet comfortable height compared to other cars
5) Decent power on tap
6) Audio System
7) Touched only 80 today but the car masks speeds beautifully

Dislikes:
1) Bit of gruffy engine higher in the revs
2) Ride is harsh at lower speeds
3) Rear seat back-rest is a little too upright
4) The engine noise is audible (but isn't too intrusive either. Compared to the petrol, the diesel isn't actually bad)

Overall, the engine is very tractable, has good power with surely good FE as well! It took off in second gear easily too. The entry ramp to the dealership was in such a bad shape and i feared it would scrape the underbelly, but it didn't! To choose between a Turbo Petrol Manual and Diesel manual might be a little tricky frankly. As i mention that, the Turbo Petrol isn't available yet for a test drive.

I also entered a Honda Showroom quite close by and checked out the Jazz. Though I couldn't take a test drive, I would like to share a few points that i observed vs the Altroz:

1) Jazz trumps the Altroz in terms of Interior space and rear backrest angle though under-thigh support is comparable
2) No rear headrests in the Jazz even in the ZX trim!
3) Plastics are quite comparable to touch and to see
4) The boot of Jazz has a better shape and seems more usable
5) The seat adjustment levers of the Jazz were super smooth to use whereas it was just okay in the Altroz

Mind you, Tata sells the Altroz Diesel at the same price in which Honda sells the Jazz Petrol Manual!

[Shanksta]

Ever since the beginning of the Pandemic and the lockdown, people have been getting married like there is no tomorrow. After having successfully skipped many marriages owing to the pandemic, I just had to attend my best friend/colleague's marriage. No escaping this one !

The marriage was to take place in Madurai, which meant a cool 900km roundtrip. I was pumped and we decided to take my Innova as we were six friends travelling together. As per norm one had to drop put in the last minute and hence we decided to take another friends recently acquired 2 month old Tata Altroz XE Petrol for the trip in the interest of a smaller fuel bill. (But government be like LOL )

I was the self appointed driver since my friend is new to driving. Now that I have bored you with above story, lets get to the drive experience.

STATS:

Total distance Driven : 1035 Kms ( I drove about 700 kms)
Fuel Consumed : 68 Liters
Mileage: 15.22 Kmpl

SPACE & COMFORT:

* We were five healthy adults in the car and with a boot full of luggage, we had no reason to complain at all. Good Leg room and a nice wide cabin.
* Lots of space to store water bottles, snacks, wallets, handbags, etc.,
* Reasonably well shaped boot ensured we were able to do justice to that 345 liters.
* Front seats were very supportive, the rear seats were angled maybe 2-5 degrees too upright. But both have a common problem, inadequate under thigh support. Not a deal breaker but you do definitely feel the effect after a 450 km trip.
* The Aircon did a great job of keeping us cool on a hot afternoon (36 degrees).

GROUND CLEARANCE:

To be frank I expected the Altroz to bottom out on speed breakers, owing to the relatively long wheelbase and the 165mm ground clearance.

Surprise ! Surprise ! Absolutely zero scrapes thanks to the relatively stiff suspension. Just once my friend ran over a speed breaker quite fast fast and we just heard a very mild thud.

RIDE AND HANDLING:

The base XE version rides on 165/80 R14 Tires. I have mixed feeling about the ride. I would not say it is the best in the segment, I felt a underlying stiffness every time you go over a pothole at city speeds. At highway speeds this is greatly reduced, although you still do feel it a bit.

The Handling is extremely good and almost on par with my Grande Punto. Even the XE that I drove with the puny tires was very confidence inspiring. The way the Altroz masks speed is something you have to experience. Felt absolutely flat and composed between 100-120 kmph. Minimal body roll and the rear of the car does not feel soft or bounce about much when you go over those sudden undulations and expansion joints.

Special mention to the steering wheel. Weighed up nicely at high speeds, relatively light at low speeds. Will not be a deal breaker for a car guy.

ENGINE, GEARBOX & BRAKES:

Now we come to the so called Achilles heel of the Altroz, the 1.2L Revotron Naturally Aspirated engine.

I would start by saying the reviews are quite misleading, this is an extremely decent engine for an everyday point A to B car. The engine was very tractable and I did not stall the car even once with full load, there was no unnecessary revving to get moving as well. Was able to maintain sustained speeds of 100-110 kmph comfortably on the highway.

Not a performer or scorcher in any way, overtakes need a teeny-weeny bit of planning. But overall I can understand why Tata was able to sell 47000+ units of the 1.2L NA Petrol Altroz.

The gearbox is a bit vague, first gear is very short. Third gear is very usable between 20-40 kmph in the city. The clutch has a long travel, but felt light.

Brakes were adequate, maybe it feels a tad better in the higher variants with the 185mm rubber. I had two emergency situations and did not experience any drama inside the cabin.

NVH:

This is where I hate the 3-pot engine. I could feel the minute vibrations on the steering, pedals and gearbox while accelerating. The engine noise inside the cabin makes it sound like a diesel engine at high speeds. Again not a deal breaker but there is a drone. Otherwise the wind noise and tyre noise was nil.

OTHER POINTS

* Loved the instrument cluster in the base variant. The analog dials looked sweet with classy white lighting.
* A "High Speed" light starts glowing on the instrument panel when you cross 80kmph. Once you cross 120kmph, an Overspeed message also pops up.
* The high speed warning beep was very classy and not irritating
* Tata being a company that is known for safety at the moment should seriously include the rear wash wipe as standard across the range. This is a big omission.
* A-Pillar creates a bit of a blind spot and the IRVM is tiny.
* Doors close with a nice heavy thud.
* Stock low beams are fine, but the throw from the high beams was not adequate.
* Seat belt reminder for the passenger also with a dedicated warning light. Well done Tata.
* The central locking system (pushing the door handles in to lock and vice versa to unlock) reminded me of my Punto.
* My Friend's car had a weird niggle, the aircon was blowing air to the footwells even though it was set only for the dashboard vents.

IMHO:

The 1.2L Revotron NA engine is an extremely decent engine for a daily car and is not a slouch. I found this base XE variant very decent for the 6.5 odd Lakhs my friend paid. Although my suggestion remains, If you can afford the diesel go for it.

Would I buy this car ? YES ! (If I was in the market for a big hatchback with a budget of 7-9 lakhs)

Can this be my next car ? NO ! Feels like a more modern version of my Fiat Grande Punto but definitely not a significant upgrade over it.

[RavenAvi]

So, the first annoying feature of the XM needed a serious upgrade - the single-tone horn!

I swear, I have never heard a more meeker horn than this one. Traffic doesn't even bother to move, let alone look behind - for most of them it might have been just an Activa asking for side to pass through. Heck, forget traffic, this horn doesn't even bother the flies sitting on the bonnet!

I had a couple of hours to spare from my busy February schedule, so I was off to the dealership. They recommended the pressure horn (Pom! Pom! type) but I rejected it. Needed something more sleeker than that, specially something shrill which suited the Altroz's profile. And, but of course, it needed to be dual-tone.

Came to know from the dealership that the new Tiago & Tigor are also coming with single-tone meek horn units, same as the Altroz! (haven't checked it out myself)

You would never guess which ones I finalised. Let the pics do the talking.

Out comes the front bumper + grille portion. What's that on top of the wheel well section?


A closer look - it's an additional hidden layer of insulation padding!


On the other side too. How thoughtful of Tata.
I am told the new Nexon also has these.


Label on top of the white plastic tank in front of the wheel well (second pic). Date can be seen.


Label on the wiring headed out from the left headlamp.
Notice the "x451" code?


The OEM single-tone "meekest of the meeks" horn. Removed.


The much, much elder brother of the above - from the Safari (also used in the Storme)!


Notice the size and finish differences?


Finding a suitable spot for the second horn was a pain.


Spot finalised and wiring done.


The final setup. Twin Safari babies - shrilly as heck!


Each horn cost me Rs 500/-.

Needless to say, the effect was seen instantly. Not only did the traffic quickly sway to the sides, but they also turned around to see which car was behind them causing all the ruckus.

Nighthawk has been a real head-turner on the roads. Mine is the first Grey Altroz in our city and and it's been making a big impression on the people all around. Some also pose by our car while taking a selfie, while others come forward to check her out thoroughly. Makes us proud.

I wonder what effect it will have on my wife's groups when she starts driving it. It's already become our ONIDA TV - neighbours' envy, owner's pride.

Next on the agenda - OEM foglamps with DRLs. Hopefully next week.

[Storm2.0]

Hi RavenAvi, any plans to swap the wheels and the tyres? They look too small for a beautiful premium hatchback, don't they?

[gururajrv]

Perhaps indirectly direct mocking at the competition

Valentine’s Day came early for competitors - besides, this reminds me of days between the big 2 or 3 Germans who kept mocking at each other in ad campaign

https://youtu.be/ManmhLn-oME

[blackwasp]

Thanks to Sreerudran for sending these images in. Heartfelt gratitude for sharing it with other enthusiasts via this Team-BHP page!

Sreerudran shares his experience us:

Issues reported is as follows from the date of procurement with just 2162 km of usage till date.

This is how we have registered complaint with Tata Motors

i) The roof top antenna slot found leaking during cleaning snaps attached for reference. This is a “HAZARD”, the cabin light was filled with water and this might have trigged the issue for short circuits which may cause issues to the end users life. It’s a risk and threat to end user to use the same vehicle.

ii) Complaint registered on 10th Feb 2021. As per the guidance from Tata Motors, dealer contacted and have taken the vehicle on 11th Feb 2021, the same was returned after checks by 12th Feb 2021.

iii) In order to cross-check the stability and consistency of the roof antenna slot cap, we have tried to wash the vehicle on 14th Feb 2021.

iv) The result after washing was annoying, the Antenna cap came all the way down. This really is not a piece of quality product from “TATA Motors”.

v) This is to inform that till date we used to praise TATA Motors for built quality and 5-star rating and hence we took this vehicle to home.

vi) The leakage made us to think for a second time to suggest this peace of vehicle to end users like us.

Case study:
i) There was no proper quality fixed ceiling mount (antenna slot cap) from TATA which makes leakage. The HAZARD’s of this kind is a threat to passengers - may begin with a normal short circuit and collapse with a big loss.

Conclusion:

The above mentioned compliant may be simple according to organization but the consequences may not be as simple as we think where I could inform TATA Motors team that it’s a 100% quality failure from your end. This needs to be rectified with immediate effect, if you feel that this car is having batch issue please recall the vehicle and satisfy the customer with 100% CSI. This may help to avoid future consequences like contacting National Consumer help lines and agencies.

[CarGuy_DM]

Kudos to Tata for their laser focus on safety. But in the end what matters is your driving and sometimes it’s a matter of sheer luck. 5 star safety doesn’t give you the license to be irresponsible. Check this video out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eCI...ature=youtu.be

[blackwasp]

Originally Posted by blackwasp

Sreerudran shares his experience us:

We have got an update from Sreerudran.

We have received the vehicle by yesterday evening. It took only one day for fixing and testing the leakage at the dealer premises.

The complaint started on 10th February 2021 and the issue was resolved by 23rd by Tata Motors. There were no SLA terms followed by OEM.

Note: The commitment from the dealer at Kodungallur, Kerala was good. We will share the feedback after our testing to confirm if the issue is fixed permanently.