It’s been more than a year since we first saw Tata Motors’ upcoming premium hatchback Altroz in its concept avatar, the 45X, at the auto expo. And almost six months have passed since the car made its official debut at the Geneva Motor Show in a near production-ready avatar. Several test mules of the Altroz have also been spied testing on Indian roads. Also, spy shots from the factory as well as dealerships hint that the production and consequent arrival of this car’s unit to Tata’s touch-points have already commenced. The only thing that now remains is the announcement of the official launch date of the Altroz from Tata Motors. The Altroz could emerge as a major game-changer in the premium hatchback segment and also a major sales driver for the homegrown automaker. As we wait for the Altroz to make its debut in India, here are five things that you should know about this Maruti Suzuki Baleno and Hyundai i20 rival.
Price Expectations
With their new range of products, which includes the likes of the Tiago, Tigor, Nexon and even the Harrier, Tata Motors have managed to keep the prices quite competitive. We expect the Altroz to feature aggressive pricing as well. Altroz’s base prices should start from around the mark of Rs 5.5 lakh with its top-spec ideally retailing at Rs 8.5 lakh. With these prices, the Tata Altroz will stand as a value for money alternative in its segment.
Launch Timeline
Earlier, it was almost certain that the Tata Altroz is going to launch in India during the month of August this year. But for some reason, the launch currently stands delayed. So far, there has been no official confirmation from Tata regarding the launch date of the Altroz in India. However, it is likely that the debut of the same will take place this year itself.
Attractive Design
Tata Motors’ design department has been amazing us with some pretty out-of-the-box concepts in the recent past. And all of these concepts have turned out to be quite exciting road-going cars in terms of their aesthetics. The 45X concept was no less. As a result of this, the Altroz also comes with unique exterior design. It’s sharp and edgy. It has a sleek front fascia and bold character lines on the side profile. The alloy wheels, which are likely to be 16-inch rims, also look the part. The rear fascia though, with the rather large blacked-out fixture, might not be to everyone’s liking.
Feature Loaded
Automatic climate control, projector headlamps, LED daytime running lights, a floating touchscreen infotainment system with smartphone connectivity, a semi-digital instrument cluster, steering mounted audio controls with voice commands are some of the features that you can expect on the top-spec trim of the Tata Altroz. In addition to this, it will also feature LED tail-lamps, a front central armrest, and also possibly, automatic headlamps and rain-sensing wipers to name a few.
Powerful Engines
The pre-production, European-spec Tata Altroz, that was showcased at the Geneva Motor Show this year, was powered by a 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder, turbocharged petrol engine which is capable of churning out 110 hp of power along with 135 Nm of peak torque. This is the same engine which currently does its duty under the hood of the Tata Nexon. Tata Motors could either use this unit or its naturally aspirated version which is capable of churning out 82 hp of power along with 114 Nm of peak torque and is available on the Tiago hatchback.
