Even though SUVs have long been the tasteful flavour in the Indian auto sector, the early days of 2020 has so far seen cars in different segments getting prime attention. It is this attention that Tata Motors is betting big on and will officially launch the Altroz hatchback on Wednesday as its first big product in the year.
The Altroz is a big statement by Tata Motors in a segment that has seen quite a bit of stagnation owing to an overall slowdown in the Indian auto industry over the past several months. The stagnation may be only the smallest of hiccups for Tata Motors, one that the company would look to overcome courtesy a car that promises a lot of style quotient and a sporty drive.
Based on Tata Motors’ ALFA (Agile, Light, Flexible and Advanced) platform, the Altroz is indeed quite a looker. It has an arrow-head like front grille and sweeping head lights with DRLs. The rear gets a black strip under the back window in a unique design proposition.
The cabin of the Altroz gets a number of segment firsts and boasts of ambient lighting, seven-inch infotainment system, cruise control, six-speaker Harman sound unit and a brand new steering. The car sits on 16-inch alloys and while its dimensions are not the biggest vis a vis its rivals, the Altroz could fit in four very comfortably on long rides.
Altroz recently also secured a five-star rating in Global NCAP safety tests.
Under the hood, there are two engine options to choose from – a 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine (84 hp and 114 Nm) and a 1.5-litre four-cylinder diesel motor (89 hp and 200 Nm – peak power and torque). Both engines will meet the BS 6 emission norms that will kick in from April 1.
Once launched, the Altroz will grapple with Baleno from Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai’s Elite i20 for space in the hatchback segment. Pre-launch bookings have been open for some time at a down payment of ₹21,000.