Test driving the Tata Altroz Racer in mixed conditions: 15 observations

It might not be as fun as the Hyundai i20 N Line but I would definitely suggest it for the 5-star build and high-speed stability.

BHPian G13BB recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Test drove the Altroz Racer a couple of days ago. It was the nardo grey colour which looks amazing in the flesh! However, I would've liked a darker shade of grey, but looks are subjective anyway. Also why not a dark edition of the racer?

Below are my quick observations from the test drive which included a couple of open stretches and bumper-to-bumper traffic as well:

1. Push the ignition button and the engine turns on with a slight hint of the 3 cylinder-ness.
2. The clutch travel is VERY VERY long, it is light, but very long.
3. Shift to 1st gear and the lever slots fine, gearbox is fine for most people, but try to shift a little enthusiastically and it just refuses to slot into the gear, not a smooth-shifting gearbox by any means of imagination.
4. Release the clutch and the car crawls forward without any throttle input, which is a boon in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
5. Turbo-lag is minimal and the mid range is strong enough. Not in the same league as the TSIs or the TGDIs, but more than adequate.
6. Floor the accelerator pedal in gear and there is a slight delay with the engine response, even though the turbo is spooled up and the engine is in the mid range, the throttle response is just satisfactory.
7. The steering is light enough and weighs up decently well with speed.
8. The suspension, chassis, handling of the Altroz have always been great and things only get better with the Racer.
9. The exhaust is no different on the inside but sounds nice near the outlet.
10. The steering is adjustable only for rake, not reach
11. The driver seat gets the height adjust but doesn't go low enough, being a sporty version of a hatchback I would've liked it if the seat could go really down. You do not get the feeling of sitting "in" the car or close to the ground.
12. The all black interior looks very sporty, but might not be to everyone's liking and can get really hot during summer. But the air conditioner is an absolute chiller.
13. The front seat ventilation button is placed in an odd position, I completely forgot to test that cause out of sight is out of mind.
14. The indicator and the wiper stalks are not well-damped and feel a little cheap.
15. Sitting in the driver's seat, it felt like a much bigger car and felt safe, which is a boon on the highways.

I know I have mentioned a lot of negatives cause most of the positives have already been discussed in the forum and I truly believe the pros outweigh the cons.

The Altroz Racer might not be as fun as the N Line, but if you are in the market for a premium hatchback which is going to be the only car in the garage and you are going to use it for long drives as well, I would definitely suggest the Altroz Racer for the 5-star build and the high-speed stability.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.