Tata Altroz : Official Review

RavenAvi · 23rd April 2020, 16:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reinhard

The 120 PS Altroz whenever it comes - will not be cheap either.

Wait with Tiago and buy 120 PS Altroz when it arrives - If you don't need the high ground clearance, like a sporty low riding car to throw around on curvy roads - you can wait for an Altroz 120 PS automatic.

Slight correction - the upcoming 1.2L turbocharged Altroz petrol will be coming with a 100HP (102PS) & 141Nm Revotron engine.

It will most possibly go on the production floors once the lockdown is lifted, aiming for a festive season launch.

Kosfactor · 23rd April 2020, 17:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

Slight correction - the upcoming 1.2L turbocharged Altroz petrol will be coming with a 100HP (102PS) & 141Nm Revotron engine.

It will most possibly go on the production floors once the lockdown is lifted, aiming for a festive season launch.

It would be very interesting to see what the automotive enthusiasts will say when that engine comes up finally (Perhaps no sunroof then or dual clutch automatic or voice command or some other nonsense) , the reality is this.

Altroz already has a competent engine - The diesel! If you do like the car, saying it has a weak petrol engine is a lame excuse, just buy it if you are really into the market for buying a car. Besides the diesel is an already proven unit from the Nexon, you can also modify it later if you do wish to.

RahuKetu · 23rd April 2020, 19:19

A very well written review. Congratulations. TATA has come out with another great product with lot of attention to finer details. But TATA, how can you miss the Engine which is the heart of the vehicle? Why not Turbo engine on the launch itself? Same was the case with Harrier too with the lack of an auto-gearbox at the launch. The interest dies down after some time and people don't like to wait when they have so many options in the market.

But deep in my heart, I want Indian manufacturers to lead the market. TATA is doing 90% things right. Hope it reaches 98-99% very soon.

Striker · 25th April 2020, 19:03

Thanks for the excellent review, Aditya.

This one is a looker for sure. Major goof-up in the engine department which otherwise is a great overall package. It would be interesting to know what the thought process went into coming up with such a blunder, especially so when you already have a capable 1.2 turbocharged revotron petrol engine ready.

If I were in the market for a premium hatchback, it is hard to look past the elite i20 or the Baleno. Hope the customers will return to the showroom once the turbo petrol with DCT gearbox is launched.

simplyself · 26th April 2020, 07:05

Though I have never driven a Tata petrol, it's about time Tata gets good petrol engines across segments, complimenting it's very good designs.

Three cylinder s or four, engines should be at the very least on par with competition.

While it is commendable that Tata are developing their own petrol engines, it is perceived lack of power that and regiment that is hindering progress, sales wise, especially since Tata donot have a legacy in petrol engines.

padmrajravi · 26th April 2020, 11:33

In a segment dominated by Baleno and i20, it is very tough to sell Altroz petrol even if it comes with a competent engine. Diesel is a very different story though. BS6 means there is very little competition for Altroz diesel. So it is possible that Tata may not have plans to sell Altroz petrol in big numbers. They may not be trying to take volumes from lower-end Baleno and i20 petrol customers. Altroz 100 hp petrol will surely be higher priced than both Altroz and i20 petrol.

jayguar · 26th April 2020, 13:13

A very well detailed review. I was actually looking at the Altroz for a future purchase. Now eagerly waiting for the turbocharged petrol since JTP no longer exists.

JithinR · 27th April 2020, 01:33

Don't remember seeing any pics of the Instrument Cluster of the lower variants.

It's shown in this video:

https://youtu.be/2mairommde8

Knighted06 · 29th April 2020, 12:22

I had a chance to see an Altroz demo car in a shopping mall before the lockdown and these are my thoughts. I simply loved the driving posture. It was just perfect. the quality of the materials was really nice. I did not like the speedometer. The speedo and the tacho are oddly shaped. They should've had a better shape. Ever since Tiago, I think Tata has the best shaped steering in all the segments IMHO. And in Altroz, they took it one step further, it feels great to hold. Sadly I did not not get a chance to drive this car, so cannot comment on the driveability. From the outside, if the badge read Volvo, it would've retailed for 25 lakhs (I love the oldgen Volvo V40 Crosscountry and this looks a little close to that car). Tata has done a fantastic job in designing this car. Hopefully this puts Tata back on the map.

vivek_god9 · 29th April 2020, 20:41

5 star for a wonderful review.

I must say TATA has done a fantastic job in terms of designing this car. The new design language is pretty compelling and it brings the best out of Altroz. It looks pretty fantastic from every angle and a worthy competitor to mighty i20. It will be interesting to see the sales figure in coming months but I feel this will give TATA much needed volume in the premium hatchback space.

Cheers,
Vivek-

northstar* · 29th April 2020, 23:32

I am a big fan of Altroz styling. I had seen the car couple of times on the road, that slim headlight - grill combo and the black elements in the rear keeps the car stand out of the crowd. I really wish it was equipped with a better engine from day 1 to complete the package.

But the biggest drowner I felt was with the meter console. I am a person who glances at speedo every now and then. Even if it is a Uber, I will just glance the speedo and check how many kms it had run. I wonder what on earth TATA was thinking while approving this console on such a modern car. That speedo seems to be lifted straight from their truck range. A similar one was found with Nexon Electric also. Seems to be their new design language.

A big thumbs down here TATA.

AntPaul · 3rd May 2020, 19:14

The difference in price between 1.2 NA petrol and 1.5 diesel in Altroz in 1.6 lacs. The (much lesser talked about) price delta between the 1.2 turbo petrol and 1.5 diesel in BS6 Nexon is 1.5 lacs .
Since the same 1.2 turbo petrol will make its way to the Altroz, and assuming petrol-diesel delta is same as in Nexon (as they are detuned versions of same engines), the Altroz 1.2 turbo petrol should be ideally priced at just a premium of 10k over the NA petrol. The premium might actually be in the range of 40k-50k. The premium could be justified by the better performance and will also bridge the gap between petrol-diesel prices in the Altroz to some extend.

VKumar · 4th May 2020, 08:35

Everything in the said segment has anemic petrol motors other than Baleno (Weight advantage) and Freestyle/Figo (But that requires a lot of revving). Still, 1.2l is not the flavor of this segment. Better engines are needed there.

Upcoming i20 may bring in the 1.0 turbo petrol, so will be Polo. But it's also a known fact that these 1.0l engines bring a poor low end and poor city drivability with them (Displacement factor).

So, an Altroz with sorted dynamics, decent NVH and a 1.2l turbo petrol motor with a linear power delivery shall make for the best package overall.

Reinhard · 6th May 2020, 16:58

So the Polo gets the following good features in its top 2 trims -

Anti pinch windows
Auto dimming IRVM
Remote key controlled power windows

These are quite nifty features & generally very useful! I always find safety related features as very valuable. I wish these get added in the Altroz also sooner or later.

Otherwise - with the even smaller 1.0 TSI, decade old body style & design, I don't see too much going for the Polo once the Altroz turbo makes an appearance. will be an interesting duel this! If at all the Altroz turbo arrives before eternity.

professor.march · 14th May 2020, 19:36

I went to Lakshmi Tata in OMR, Chennai today to check out Altroz. They had a gold colour model in XM and red colour in XT. The car just looks beautiful. They have to be the best headlights that I have seen on a car since the BMW Corona rings. Build quality was good and doors closed with a nice heft. But I felt XT was lacking a lot of features. Steel wheels just don't look nice on a variant just below the top-end.
Gold colour looks nice but it will look odd a few years down the line. Anyone remember the pink zen estilo? Red and grey are good.

I asked the salesman about the turbo petrol and they haven't received any sort of information from the company. All the information available is just what's on the blogs. And diesel will be available after the lockdown ends.

They are planning to make test drives available from Monday. No discounts on altroz though.

[My thoughts: it will be a masterstroke if Tata launches the turbo petrol with the xz and xz(o) variants just like Volkswagen did with Polo now.]

23rd April 2020, 19:19	#108
RahuKetu BHPian Join Date: Jan 2020 Location: Dushanbe Posts: 53 Thanked: 143 Times	Re: Tata Altroz : Official Review A very well written review. Congratulations. TATA has come out with another great product with lot of attention to finer details. But TATA, how can you miss the Engine which is the heart of the vehicle? Why not Turbo engine on the launch itself? Same was the case with Harrier too with the lack of an auto-gearbox at the launch. The interest dies down after some time and people don't like to wait when they have so many options in the market. But deep in my heart, I want Indian manufacturers to lead the market. TATA is doing 90% things right. Hope it reaches 98-99% very soon.
	() Thanks

25th April 2020, 19:03	#109
Striker BHPian Join Date: Apr 2020 Location: Chennai Posts: 73 Thanked: 282 Times	Re: Tata Altroz : Official Review Thanks for the excellent review, Aditya. This one is a looker for sure. Major goof-up in the engine department which otherwise is a great overall package. It would be interesting to know what the thought process went into coming up with such a blunder, especially so when you already have a capable 1.2 turbocharged revotron petrol engine ready. If I were in the market for a premium hatchback, it is hard to look past the elite i20 or the Baleno. Hope the customers will return to the showroom once the turbo petrol with DCT gearbox is launched.
	(2) Thanks

26th April 2020, 07:05	#110
simplyself Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 1,064 Thanked: 637 Times	Re: Tata Altroz : Official Review Though I have never driven a Tata petrol, it's about time Tata gets good petrol engines across segments, complimenting it's very good designs. Three cylinder s or four, engines should be at the very least on par with competition. While it is commendable that Tata are developing their own petrol engines, it is perceived lack of power that and regiment that is hindering progress, sales wise, especially since Tata donot have a legacy in petrol engines. Last edited by simplyself : 26th April 2020 at 07:15.
	() Thanks

26th April 2020, 11:33	#111
padmrajravi Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2019 Location: Kozhikode Posts: 1,284 Thanked: 5,755 Times	Re: Tata Altroz : Official Review In a segment dominated by Baleno and i20, it is very tough to sell Altroz petrol even if it comes with a competent engine. Diesel is a very different story though. BS6 means there is very little competition for Altroz diesel. So it is possible that Tata may not have plans to sell Altroz petrol in big numbers. They may not be trying to take volumes from lower-end Baleno and i20 petrol customers. Altroz 100 hp petrol will surely be higher priced than both Altroz and i20 petrol.
	() Thanks

26th April 2020, 13:13	#112
jayguar BHPian Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Chennai Posts: 300 Thanked: 218 Times	Re: Tata Altroz : Official Review A very well detailed review. I was actually looking at the Altroz for a future purchase. Now eagerly waiting for the turbocharged petrol since JTP no longer exists.
	() Thanks

29th April 2020, 12:22	#114
Knighted06 BHPian Join Date: Apr 2020 Location: Ontario Posts: 40 Thanked: 73 Times	Re: Tata Altroz : Official Review I had a chance to see an Altroz demo car in a shopping mall before the lockdown and these are my thoughts. I simply loved the driving posture. It was just perfect. the quality of the materials was really nice. I did not like the speedometer. The speedo and the tacho are oddly shaped. They should've had a better shape. Ever since Tiago, I think Tata has the best shaped steering in all the segments IMHO. And in Altroz, they took it one step further, it feels great to hold. Sadly I did not not get a chance to drive this car, so cannot comment on the driveability. From the outside, if the badge read Volvo, it would've retailed for 25 lakhs (I love the oldgen Volvo V40 Crosscountry and this looks a little close to that car). Tata has done a fantastic job in designing this car. Hopefully this puts Tata back on the map.
	(5) Thanks

29th April 2020, 20:41	#115
vivek_god9 BHPian Join Date: Sep 2019 Location: Noida/Dehradun Posts: 27 Thanked: 35 Times	Re: Tata Altroz : Official Review 5 star for a wonderful review. I must say TATA has done a fantastic job in terms of designing this car. The new design language is pretty compelling and it brings the best out of Altroz. It looks pretty fantastic from every angle and a worthy competitor to mighty i20. It will be interesting to see the sales figure in coming months but I feel this will give TATA much needed volume in the premium hatchback space. Cheers, Vivek-
	(1) Thanks

29th April 2020, 23:32	#116
northstar* BHPian Join Date: Apr 2020 Location: Trivandrum Posts: 178 Thanked: 741 Times	Re: Tata Altroz : Official Review I am a big fan of Altroz styling. I had seen the car couple of times on the road, that slim headlight - grill combo and the black elements in the rear keeps the car stand out of the crowd. I really wish it was equipped with a better engine from day 1 to complete the package. But the biggest drowner I felt was with the meter console. I am a person who glances at speedo every now and then. Even if it is a Uber, I will just glance the speedo and check how many kms it had run. I wonder what on earth TATA was thinking while approving this console on such a modern car. That speedo seems to be lifted straight from their truck range. A similar one was found with Nexon Electric also. Seems to be their new design language. A big thumbs down here TATA.
	(12) Thanks

3rd May 2020, 19:14	#117
AntPaul BHPian Join Date: Apr 2020 Location: bangalore Posts: 99 Thanked: 167 Times	Re: Tata Altroz : Official Review The difference in price between 1.2 NA petrol and 1.5 diesel in Altroz in 1.6 lacs. The (much lesser talked about) price delta between the 1.2 turbo petrol and 1.5 diesel in BS6 Nexon is 1.5 lacs . Since the same 1.2 turbo petrol will make its way to the Altroz, and assuming petrol-diesel delta is same as in Nexon (as they are detuned versions of same engines), the Altroz 1.2 turbo petrol should be ideally priced at just a premium of 10k over the NA petrol. The premium might actually be in the range of 40k-50k. The premium could be justified by the better performance and will also bridge the gap between petrol-diesel prices in the Altroz to some extend.
	() Thanks

4th May 2020, 08:35	#118
VKumar BANNED Join Date: Nov 2016 Location: Dehradun Posts: 948 Thanked: 8,347 Times	Re: Tata Altroz : Official Review Everything in the said segment has anemic petrol motors other than Baleno (Weight advantage) and Freestyle/Figo (But that requires a lot of revving). Still, 1.2l is not the flavor of this segment. Better engines are needed there. Upcoming i20 may bring in the 1.0 turbo petrol, so will be Polo. But it's also a known fact that these 1.0l engines bring a poor low end and poor city drivability with them (Displacement factor). So, an Altroz with sorted dynamics, decent NVH and a 1.2l turbo petrol motor with a linear power delivery shall make for the best package overall.
	(7) Thanks

6th May 2020, 16:58	#119
Reinhard Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Pune Posts: 4,908 Thanked: 18,122 Times View My Garage	Re: Tata Altroz : Official Review So the Polo gets the following good features in its top 2 trims - Anti pinch windows Auto dimming IRVM Remote key controlled power windows These are quite nifty features & generally very useful! I always find safety related features as very valuable. I wish these get added in the Altroz also sooner or later. Otherwise - with the even smaller 1.0 TSI, decade old body style & design, I don't see too much going for the Polo once the Altroz turbo makes an appearance. will be an interesting duel this! If at all the Altroz turbo arrives before eternity.
	() Thanks

14th May 2020, 19:36	#120
professor.march BHPian Join Date: May 2020 Location: Telangana Posts: 94 Thanked: 149 Times	Re: Tata Altroz : Official Review I went to Lakshmi Tata in OMR, Chennai today to check out Altroz. They had a gold colour model in XM and red colour in XT. The car just looks beautiful. They have to be the best headlights that I have seen on a car since the BMW Corona rings. Build quality was good and doors closed with a nice heft. But I felt XT was lacking a lot of features. Steel wheels just don't look nice on a variant just below the top-end. Gold colour looks nice but it will look odd a few years down the line. Anyone remember the pink zen estilo? Red and grey are good. I asked the salesman about the turbo petrol and they haven't received any sort of information from the company. All the information available is just what's on the blogs. And diesel will be available after the lockdown ends. They are planning to make test drives available from Monday. No discounts on altroz though. [My thoughts: it will be a masterstroke if Tata launches the turbo petrol with the xz and xz(o) variants just like Volkswagen did with Polo now.]
	() Thanks