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My Tata Altroz DCA: 9 significant observations over the first 5000 kms

8th July 2023, 11:27 by Dev Shah

The DCA gearbox is a boon in bumper-to-bumper traffic.The positives of the automatic gearbox outweigh all the cons combined.

BHPian W.A.G.7 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

So, the Altroz crossed 5000 km today! It's a good milestone for us to achieve in the last 10 months. The monsoons have arrived here. Read that as an excuse to head out somewhere for a drive.

A few points, related to the car, before some pics of the drive:

The average fuel efficiency is hovering between ~11.5 km/l in the city to ~13.5 km/l on the highway. This is quite a decent figure considering that it is a heavy car with an underpowered petrol engine.
The strange thing is that this engine delivers a better fuel efficiency in environments where it's not supposed to be! We tend to get a fuel efficiencey of 13-14 km/l on the highways, but it's main area of expertise is the cityscape! We do not expect the fuel efficiency of the car to increase beyond these limits.
The DCA gearbox is a boon in bumper-to-bumper traffic. I have mentioned it enough times on the thread - the positives of the automatic gearbox outweigh all the cons combined. The shifts are seamless and you can realise the gear has changed only because of the engine noise.
For 90% of the time when the car would be used in the city, there is sufficient power available on tap. As an example, since our car is used in full traffic twice a day, where the average speed, does not cross 25km/h; the lack of power doesn't matter at all. There is always enough power and torque available and the gearbox never goes beyond 3 or 4 at the maximum.
If you are someone who does a lot of of highway driving then the power output of the engine and the gearbox combo may not be enough for you. There will be situations on the highway where you will be left wanting for power. Of course, the engine is powerful enough on the highway but it takes its own sweet time to get into the power band on the highway.
For highway driving, I would go for the diesel engine + manual gearbox combo. That would be the best one to regulate the power and have good fuel efficiency.
While climbing ghats, the gearbox tends to hold on to the second gear, but you can see the empty road ahead and you wish it would upshift to the third quickly. However, the ECU needs to hold it in the second gear just so the engine remains in the power band. This is where the lack of power output becomes evident.
The rear camera is situated just below the round Tata logo. One practical disadvantage is that when driven on the highway the mud that gets thrown up tends to soil it so much that there is almost no visibility. For example, today we had to stop and clean it thrice during the trip. Maybe a lower position would have helped!
The car has had its fair share of nicks and cuts in the daily traffic but the body has held on well. The piano black finish however is one thing I can crib about all day. Its a huge swirl magnet and will catch up swirls no matter how careful you are!

In conclusion, in the last 10 months, we have learnt that the best place for this car is in the city where it is supremely comfortable to drive in traffic. Its extremely useful for ladies as well - the convenience of a proper automatic in a premium feel hatchback. It's quite a head turner too. For everything else that falls under driving - we have our Ecosport!

The one year / third service (which is the actual service; the prior two ones were not services - they were only checkups and fluid top-ups) is approaching in August when we will complete one year with the car. I will report the details here once that is completed. It will be useful for everyone to know how the experience of the first "proper" service is.

Now for some pics!!

Here is how our Altroz looks after 10 months:

I like this angle the best for photos:

The chrome is not overdone in the front of this car. However, the front overhang is huge. (not saying because of this photo, but a general observation):

The paint quality is top-notch and has held on nicely. We haven't done any kind of coating on the paint:

Here is the fuel efficiency when we realised we had missed to click a photo of 4999 or 5000 km! We just missed clicking a photo of the 5000 km mark by a whisker:

Here is the average fuel efficiency at the end of the trip. Pretty decent for a heavy hatchback:

A shot of how the car looks from the rear:

I think the rear three quarters is probably the best angle to click a photograph of this car. Notice that the camera is positioned below the Tata logo, so it gets soiled pretty quickly when all the muddy water gets thrown up:

The thick flat bottom steering wheel is a pleasure to hold. It's thick and the feedback is quite decent too, sufficiently weighted at all speeds:

When monsoon and road trips combine, you cannot miss having tea! The weather was just beautiful today for a long drive. We had to cut short because of personal commitments today: