Tata Altroz: A potential hit among hatchbacks

Traffic-free roads and the quietness of the desert make for a great driving experience. It was the perfect environment to test the Tata Altroz hatchback that is due to be launched next month.

. Moreover, date of the test drive and destination were of great significance. The drive was from Jaisalmer to Longewala on December 4. It was on this day in 1971 when India began to push back Pakistan’s battle advances at Longewala. India scored a decisive victory after about four days of fighting and it was the perfect opportunity to remember fallen soldiers.

. To begin with, Tata Motors has done a great job with the styling. Safety has been kept in mind with the Agile Light Flexible Advanced (ALFA) architecture. The automaker calls it the gold standard car for its features.

. Get into the cabin and there is quality written all over. The floating island dashboard unit with blue ambient surround light looks very futuristic and pleasing to the eye. The top part of the dashboard houses the central AC vents and audio controls. The upper part has a smooth satin chrome finish. The lower part, which also has a spacious cooled glove box, is textured and has the AC controls, 12V charger socket and the USB port. Above the AC vents is the infotainment touchscreen system from Harman. It has both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

. Below the gear shift lever is a button with which one can switch between City and Eco driving mode.

. There is a 17.78 cm TFT instrument cluster. The analog speedometer is on the right side and digital engine rev counter on the left. In the middle is the fuel gauge. The fuel is indicated in a blue background and keeps reducing as fuel is used. This gives it a real tank-with-fuel look. Other car settings, like torque and power indicators, and driving mode are also displayed on it.

. The steering wheel feels good to hold and has audio and car settings, including cruise control, buttons on either side. The bottom part of the wheel is flat instead of the traditional fully round ones. This allows the driver to get in and out of car easily and without the driver’s legs brushing against it each time.

. Cabin space is ample and the seats are pretty comfortable. However, folks with longer legs might like a little more thigh support.

. There are AC vents and a 12V charger at the rear too and the good part is the absence of the hump in the middle. The fully flat floor means the centre occupant can sit comfortably without having to put one foot on either side of the hump in other cars.

. Boot space is ample (345 litres), more than sufficient to hold luggage for a short trip.

. The exterior has been designed well too. One of the most striking things is the front LED headlamp assembly and front grille that has been integrated and sweeps across almost till the front windshield. The sides of the car have bulging wheel arches and the doors have a trough. Tata has integrated the rear door open lever in the C-pillar. The outer rear-view mirror is in black with a chrome accent.

. The rear has a meaty, classy look with the brake and turn indicator assembly at the ends of a black strip across the width of the car.

. Tyres will be 14 or 16 inch with steel wheels or alloys depending on the variant.

. The Altroz will be available in XE, XM, XT, XZ and XZ (O) variants and features will depend on the variant chosen.

. Some of the interesting features are doors that open for the full 90 degrees that allows easier entry and exit, speed warning, idle stop-start, drive away locking, rear AC vents, ambient lighting in footwell, dual front airbags, reverse parking sensors, auto headlamps, wearable car key, push button stop-start, front armrest with storage, anti-glare inner rear view mirror and a whole lot of other things.

. Tata Motors is offering factory customisation, a first in this segment.

. There is also an Altroz Voice BoT feature with help from Google Assistant. With this, one can get information and features about the car.

. First, this author drove the petrol variant. The first thing that one notices is the smoothness of the 1199cc three-cylinder Revotron engine (86 ps @ 6000 rpm). It accelerates without a fuss and is up to speed in no time at all. We put the machine through the paces on the long, straight roads outside Jaisalmer. Gear shifting of this five-speed manual transmission is smooth and can be done quickly, meaning that the engine need not lose too many of the revs it has built up.

. The petrol variant can do in the excess of 120 Kmph easily and without a hint of vibration. The car responds well to steering inputs from the driver. Tata Motors has done a good job in ensuring a comfortable ride.

. Moving on the diesel variant, the aggressive acceleration due to the higher torque of the 1497cc four-cylinder Revotorq turbocharged power plant (90 ps @ 4000 rpm) is very evident. The 200 Nm of torque (113 for the petrol variant) it produces gives a nice kick-in-the-pants feeling and the car is doing good speeds in no time. Above 110 Kmph or so, a hint of vibration is felt in the steering wheel.

. Personally, this author preferred the petrol variant for its smoothness. Of course, a bit more sound and vibration in the diesel variant is to be expected. It’s there but far below the extent to which a driver could get annoyed.

. The petrol variant might be more suitable for the city because the engine can be good at low speeds and take you along without a hitch in heavy traffic. It can be aggressive on the highway too. The choice depends on the distance to be travelled every day. With diesels tending to give better fuel economy, there is a bit of economics to be considered for those who drive a lot. The good thing here is that both engines are BS-VI compliant and there will be no hassles after the new emission norms come into effect from April 1 next year.

. In summing up, Tata Motors has done an excellent job in putting together the Altroz from the 45X concept that was unveiled earlier. Both variants shine and appear to be good buys. It is all left to the fuel economy and pricing announcements that the company will make. If Tata gets it right, the Hyundai i20, Maruti Suzuki Baleno, Honda Jazz or Volkswagen Polo could face the heat.

Tata Altroz: A potential hit among hatchbacks

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