The service manager apologized for the carelessness on their part and did a diligent job of rectifying the problem.

BHPian PrasannaDhana recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Well, I was in for a shock the next day when I started the car and started to move, the steering automatically turned right. I thought it must be a flat tyre, but it wasn't the case.

Then I took it up with Kaveri Tata. Apparently, the steering column had to be removed for the AC actuator motor replacement. While reinstallation, the steering angle calibration had not been done properly.

The service manager apologized for the carelessness on their part and promised to rectify it ASAP. I left the car at the dealer in the morning and got a call stating the work has been completed at 4 pm. I went and did a thorough test ride. One advantage in Altroz top trim is that it shows if the tyres are aligned, in the MID during start-up. When the issue cropped up, the tyres would be aligned but the MID would show unaligned graphics, either to the left or right. Now it is back to normal.

The steering height adjustment has also been rectified.

Phew! All is well that ends well! I was frustrated, to say the least. I did loop in the dealer GM after I left the car for rectification. Though the work has been done 100% effectively now, it should have been done this way the first time around.

As the widespread opinion goes, Tata A.S.S definitely need to up the game. I am just glad Kaveri at least owned up to their carelessness and did a diligent job of correcting the mistake.

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The Tata Altroz Racer is touted as a rival to the Hyundai i20 N Line.

The Tata Altroz Racer has been confirmed for launch. According to the company, prices for the sporty version of the hatchback will be announced soon.

The Tata Altroz Racer is touted as a rival to the Hyundai i20 N Line. The car was showcased at the recently concluded Auto Expo 2023.

The show car featured a dual-tone exterior with a Black roof and bonnet with a contrasting bright Red paint job. The car had black ORVMs and was fitted with sporty black alloy wheels.

Keeping with the sporty theme, the Altroz Racer had an all-black interior with red accents and a larger 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system. It was equipped with features like ventilated front seats, a voice-activated electric sunroof, a wireless charger, an air purifier and a digital instrument cluster. It will be interesting to see which was these make it onto the production version.

The Altroz Racer uses the 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine from the Nexon. It puts out 120 BHP and 170 Nm and is mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox.

Hyundai offers the i20 N Line with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic. It’s unclear if the Altroz Racer will get the 7-speed DCA transmission as an option.

If launched, the Altroz Racer 1.2L turbo-petrol could compete with the Hyundai i20 N Line.

Tata Motors has showcased a sporty variant of the Altroz called the Altoz Racer at the ongoing Auto Expo 2023. If launched, it could compete with the Hyundai i20 N Line.

The Altroz Racer features a dual-tone exterior with a black roof and bonnet with a contrasting bright red paint job. The car has black ORVMs and sporty black alloy wheels as well. 

The Altroz Racer has an all-black interior with red accents and a larger 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The car is also equipped with ventilated front seats, a voice-activated electric sunroof, a wireless charger, an air purifier and a digital instrument cluster.

Under the bonnet of the Altroz Racer is the 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine from the Nexon. It produces 120 BHP and 170 Nm and is mated with a 6-speed manual gearbox. 

There's one issue with the car that I'll get rectified on the next service at 45,000 km.

BHPian PrasannaDhana recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

37,500 km service - general check up & warranty replacement

I had given the Altroz for 37,500 km scheduled service. This service was just a routine check-up accompanied by wash and vacuum.

I decided to get the warranty replacement done for the AC air recirculation assembly which was not closing the external air intake properly. Gave it yesterday morning and took back the car this afternoon.

AC works fine now. Parts replaced under warranty were the air intake assembly and actuator motor, both totalling 2500 rupees.

Total bill was 2100 rupees for the general check-up and wash. Attaching the at the end.

I always was paranoid about getting the dashboard removed for any work. I didn't do that in Ciaz until I sold, even though AC work was pending in it. I was afraid the car would develop rattles after dashboard reinstallation. Fortunately, it remains as fine as it was before.

There were some dirt marks on the upholstery which I wiped off as soon as I saw them. Other than that Kaveri Tata did a wonderful job. CRM Mr. Rajesh himself took the car into service. My usual service advisor Mr. Raja has resigned and I was worried about the next person who would be taking care of my cars. Altroz has been taken care of by Raja since purchase and Storme since 30k km on odo. Now I have been directed to equally efficient service personnel by the CRM.

Other issues with the car

The steering height adjust is not settling in properly. Thankfully it's now in my usual position. I am suspecting that something happened during the alignment I did last week at an FNG. Will get it rectified during the 45000 km service.

Some pics as usual

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The 6-speed manual transmission from the Nexon should give it an edge over the Hyundai i20 N Line.

Tata Motors is reportedly working on a new hot hatchback based on the Altroz to take on the Hyundai i20 N Line. The new variant, dubbed Altroz Sport, is rumoured to debut at the upcoming Auto Expo 2023.

Currently, the Tata Altroz is available with two engine options. These include a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol and a 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine, the latter being the sportier of the two. Latest reports suggest that Tata could plonk a 1.2-litre turbo-petrol tuned to produce 118 BHP and 170 Nm in the Altroz Sport.

It is also said that the engine could be paired with a 6-speed manual gearbox from the Nexon. While the manual transmissions aren’t Tata’s forte, it should give the Altroz Sport an edge over the i20 N Line, which is only available with a clutchless iMT and a 7-speed DCT.

The Altroz Sport could also receive subtle styling changes to differentiate it from the i-Turbo variant. A few tweaks to the bumpers and a sporty set of alloy wheels should do the trick.

Source: Zigwheels

There's ample space in the cabin for all the passengers and the air conditioning is superb.

BHPian SavoyWalrus recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

The iTurbo has completed a year and exactly 10,000 kilometres since I bought it in December 2021. The car has served me well and I haven't encountered any issues thus far.

It has primarily been used on the highway (I work from home, so no commutes for me) and has been fantastic for long-distance drives (quite a few 8-10+ hour journeys). The suspension works well at high speeds, the seats are pretty comfortable, ample space for all passengers, superb AC, plenty of cubby holes, huge door pockets, and a spacious glove box (can easily store three 1-litre bottles and the cooling is excellent), and decent power to keep it in triple-digit speeds.

The engine, as mentioned by most owners and reviewers, is sort of a weak point; it could've been a brilliant package with a little more torque. There's ample power to chug along on the highway, but you'll have to change gears quite a bit on the hills. There's also the very annoying momentary hesitation down low in the rev range.

Fuel economy has been pretty consistent -- 13-14 in the city and 15-16 on the highway. I run the car with AC almost all the time so I'm happy with these figures.

I haven't done any modifications to the car (this is the top-spec XZ+) apart from underbody rust protection, Michelin Primacy 4 tyres, and swapped the stock wheels for Momo Revenge wheels.

There was a little bit of rattling from the roof liner at triple-digit speeds which was rectified during service. The gearbox was a little clunky in the first few months of ownership, but that was mostly sorted out during one of the services and I've kind of gotten used to working around the clunkiness.

I have a few mods planned for the car which I'll probably do in the next year or so.

• Sound deadening to reduce the engine noise in the cabin.
• Dechrome some bits up front
• Get sportier pedals; these make an annoying squeaky noise at times
• Remap (after the warranty expires)
• A sportier end can (like the ones in the JTP)

I'm in two minds about getting lowering springs -- Bangalore roads are terrible and the Altroz is already lower than most hatchbacks, but it would give it a nice stance and improve handling a little.

Will probably get a downpipe later down the road.

Happy with the car so far and hope to put on more kilometres in the next few months!

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If I add up the running I did in all my cars (Safari, Kwid, Celerio & Altroz), then the total would reach 47,000 km. So, a good year for driving.

BHPian PrasannaDhana recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Year End Update

December usage: 2542 km

Odo : 36,925 km

Any issues to report - None

Total mileage done in 2022

• Altroz 1.5 D - 31,000 km
• Storme V400 - 9500 km
• Kwid 1.0 (now sold) - 4500 km
• Celerio 1.0 - 2000 km

A good year for driving, clocking a total of 47,000 km of driving for me. Glad most was on Altroz diesel. A very nice mixture of frugality & fun!

Some pics as usual

I had the chance to push a Ford Fiesta 1.6S on highways today. I can't say any further without facing the risk of an infraction, lol. It was fun, but I expected a better top end. But a solid-handling compact sedan nevertheless. I am spoilt by the Polo 1.0 TSI I guess. This blue shade is gorgeous!

I also did the routine wheel balancing and alignment last week

Ended 2022 with a trip to my inlaw's home. A 300 km round trip.

With my 2021 Celerio which has run just 3500 km in 2022

My close pal is buying a nexon diesel. Pics during PDI

2022 was a good year. I wish everyone a better, happier, more prosperous and more productive New Year 2023!

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I really like the Hyundai. So much so that now I don't even want to test-drive the Altroz Turbo!

BHPian sibi6613 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi all,

I wanted to purchase a used Polo 1.0 TSI or a 1.2 GT TSI (had a budget of about 6-8L). My search for these beauties led me to a hard realization. Good 1.2 TSIs (2018/2019 with less mileage) were very hard to come by (I did not want to risk owning a DQ200 with 70k+ km on the odo) and a few of the newer 1.0 TSIs were crazy expensive for a used car (9-10L for a 2020 model). Since I'd be financing ~80% through a used-car loan, it made no sense for me to be paying the higher interest rates for a used, small car, when a new Altroz Turbo costs only 11L OTR (at a lower interest rate since it's a new car).

And thus began my search for a new car. I did a short test drive of the Altroz DCA (apparently there's not even 1 Turbo TD vehicle available in Coimbatore according to SGA Motors), and the first thought that came to me was 'Oh boy, this engine is a dud'. I've read about how the 1.2NA was slow and lethargic but I never imagined that our 12-year-old Ritz with an aftermarket LPG kit had a way better throttle response and accelerated more briskly. After about 1-2km, I lost interest in driving the car any further and returned to the showroom. This made me feel a bit sad for Tata because I was genuinely looking forward to having the Altroz as my first-ever car. Apart from the engine and the gearbox, I kinda liked the rest of the car though. I work in Bangalore, so I reassured myself by saying that the Turbo is supposed to be much better and that might change my opinion.

Two days in, I was scrolling Spinny for used 1.0 TSI Polos and I came across a 2021 i20 Turbo petrol iMT. Hyundai was never even on my radar given their lower NCAP safety scores (my primary usage will be on the highways between Bangalore-Karur/Erode with limited usage in the city). I wanted to test the iMT because I've never experienced it before and I thought I might do a bit of competitive intel as well, w.r.t the Turbo petrol engine. After all, I was going to take a TD of the Altroz Turbo and it was going to be my first car!

But boy was I wrong! A 10-min of the i20 TD within Coimbatore's traffic had me smiling for a solid couple of hours! The iMT worked much smoother than I expected it to. It can take most situations thrown at it except for very quick shifts. I wasn't impressed by the GB enough to consider owning an iMT car, but I was definitely impressed by the Turbo Petrol! I'm sure it doesn't pull like the Polo does, but it still is VERY capable for our Indian roads! Though I liked the engine, I still wasn't sure if this was the car for me as I felt that the steering had a lot of deadzone initially and it felt a bit disconnected. I've been researching the i20 and the N-Line version of the car for a few days now and I am convinced that the N-Line is the car for me, owing to its stiffer suspension and better steering.

I am back in Bangalore and I stay in Bellandur. Checked out the N-Line version car in the Advaith Hyundai outlet in ORR and the car looks great in person (I wasn't really a fan of the Altroz for its looks - the rear looked a bit weird for my taste and the front reminded me of the Indica). Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take a TD of the vehicle as the customer who took it out for a TD just crashed the car as I was waiting in the showroom for him to come back.

Now, here's the conundrum. The i20 N-Line DCT costs 15.3L OTR. I can maybe save ~20-30k by going for an insurance plan outside but it is still about 8-9L more than my original budget! I really, really like the car despite it costing so much and now I do not want to take a TD of the Altroz Turbo (I did put up TD requests on Tata's website and I'm yet to hear back from them even after 15 days).

I can afford the i20 on my own but it is going to really stretch my wallet thin for the next few months (until there's an appraisal in Mar) but the Altroz will not be such a tight squeeze as it is ~4L cheaper on the road. I also haven't discussed the idea of buying a 15L car with my very budget-oriented family yet (my dad fitted an aftermarket LPG kit when petrol prices hit 100 per litre, what else can be expected). I am also not sure about Tata's service levels with even more frequent service intervals (every 6 months/7500km vs i20's 12 months/10000km). Though the i20 is a 3-star rated car, it has ESP+TC which can prevent accidents from happening in the first place and an additional 4 airbags in the unfortunate event of a crash.

I have started going down into existential spirals asking myself questions such as how much this 4L is going to matter in 40 years time or if will I regret choosing a car that does not excite me every day.

My heart yearns for the i20 N-Line DCT while my head says Altroz is a saner choice.

Looking forward to hearing from you folks about how I should be going ahead with my decision.

Here's what GTO had to say about the matter:

First thing you should do is test-drive the Altroz 1.2 Turbo. Without driving it, you'll never know what it's like for you. Me & Aditya took the car on a long test drive and our review is here.

The Altroz Turbo is vastly superior to the weak 1.2 NA motor, but it is still a "warm" motor at best. The i20's turbo + DCT powertrain is fantastic, way better than the Altroz' turbo-petrol.

Both are premium hatchbacks & the best on sale. Personally, I like the Altroz more because of its "big car" feel, more mature suspension, solid build, 5-star safety rating, impeccable highway manners & stunning design.

I'd just put it down to MT vs AT. If I want an MT, I'd pick the Altroz. If AT, then the i20 DCT.

Here's what BHPian SavoyWalrus had to say about the matter:

This is a conundrum that I was in a year ago before I purchased the Altroz iTurbo. The price gap between the two cars was much too big in the end for me. Also, I wasn't really sure about the long-term reliability of the DCT or the IMT, and the usual issues that crop up with dual-clutch gearboxes.

The iTurbo and i20 Turbo are almost in two different categories despite both being premium hatchbacks. I've driven my car for 10k kms, most of which has been on the highway, and it performs pretty well over long distances.

Love the high-speed ride quality, space, fantastic AC, comfy seats, and superb music system. Handling is pretty decent too, even though the steering can be a little dead at times. I've done quite a few 8+ hour trips and it's a brilliant place to be in. The power is nowhere near as explosive as the i20, but it does the job well enough either on the highway or the city. Torque down low isn't very great which means you'll have to shift a bit if you're in the city or the hills. I'm planning a remap which should sort out that issue.

Test drive the iTurbo, it has significantly more power than the NA Altroz and is a far superior car.

I've not encountered any issues so far and I'm pretty pleased with my decision.

Here's what BHPian Kosfactor had to say about the matter:

It's probably unconventional around here to suggest a Hyundai to someone who loves to drive - But times have changed, Hyundai has hired the sort of people who knows how to make it feel like a Hyundai (light controls, excellent NVH, soft ride etc) and yet perform very well on the road.

GDi engine - The actual on-road performance of a GDi and I'd include all their GDi models (KIA too) is excellent, and very well tuned for Indian road conditions, you would not know that it is such a small engine while driving around.

My choice would be the i20 - if you are ready for the asking price, it will stay with you for longer and you will get excellent value for the car when you are ready to upgrade.

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The wearable smart key will not be available on the XT, XZ and XZ+ variants of the Altroz from January 2023.

Tata Motors offers the Altroz with a very convenient wearable key. But, this will change come 2023, as the company plans to discontinue this feature.

The PEPS wearable band is currently available on the XT, XZ and XZ+ variants of the Altroz. However, from January 2023, customers will only get two PEPS smart keys instead.

The leaked document also confirms that the XE variant will come with two mechanical keys, while the XE+ and XM+ variants will get a mechanical key and a foldable key with remote.

It’s common practice for carmakers to tweak the features list on products. Earlier this year, Tata had rejigged the Altroz variant line-up by discontinuing a handful of petrol and diesel variants.

The Tata Altroz comes with 1.2-litre petrol, 1.2-litre turbo-petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engine options. A 5-speed manual transmission is standard across the range, while a dual-clutch automatic is available with the naturally aspirated 1.2-litre petrol engine.

Source: Motor Arena India

Engine isn't a strong point but it absolutely isn't bad. 5 people + Luggage + AC - it easily climbs slippery slopes super easy.

BHPian freakmuzik recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I have had the opportunity to drive the petrol (naturally aspirated) Altroz for quite some distance over the past couple of months. The primary car is my good friends', and another being one of another acquaintance in which we recently traveled through a set of very horrible roads+4 laned roads to places like Tada waterfalls and other parts around it. Wanted to share a few points which stood out for me:

• Engine isn't a strong point but it absolutely isn't bad. 5 people + Luggage + AC - it easily climbs slippery slopes super easy. In very low revs esp in 1st & 2nd gear, there is a cabin shake/ judder as the clutch pedal is released - noticed this in both the examples of the Altroz (P). Didn't get a very positive feeling about the gearshift quality - there's something very unrefined about it in layman terms. But overall, the drivetrain does a very decent job.
• Suspension is brilliant! It is a bit stiff in lower speeds but overall, it's superbly tuned and it tackled bad roads in decent speeds easily without rattling the occupants. Also, the ground clearance wasn't an issue on the worst of roads. Not once did it bottom out with 5 passengers on board. The stability is solid, steering is very precise & the brakes do a great job as well.
• Seating and comfort - I loved the front seats but not the rear. The rear seats are too upright to relax and under-thigh support was a little lacking. Otherwise, legroom is great, Air-con is good and armrests are very useful too. For the driver, the dashboard is set a little high so I always preferred raising the seat height.
• Infotainment has been really good. Apple Car Play and Android Auto worked seamlessly every single time and audio quality was really good even in the XT trim. For the very first time, I tried using Cruise control in a manual vehicle and it was interesting. I'm okay with the screen size.
• Car no. 1 has run 6k kms - zero rattles + one or two tiny niggles. Car no. 2 has run 17.7 k kms and has been handled quite roughly - zero rattles.

Absolutely loved the car as I drive it more and more. I would have loved if the engine were smoother and the cabin shake in low revs never existed. It doesn't fit in a 9L car or rather, any car in 2022. Along with it, a slightly more inclined rear seat would make such a huge difference to the rear seat comfort. Can't wait to drive the Diesel sometime soon!

Cheers!

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