Tata Altroz revealed, gets ready to roll in early 2020

Tata Motors has revealed its snazzy Altroz premium hatchback  in production-ready guise, with its launch set to take place at the Auto Expo in early February 2020. The first Tata Motors' product to use its new ALFA (Agile, Light, Flexible and Advanced) platform, the Altroz will be squarely targeted at the Maruti Baleno, Honda Jazz and Hyundai i20 in India.

On the styling front, the Altroz stays more or less true to the 45X Concept (which was shown at the 2018 Auto Expo) on which it is based. The Altroz was also showcased at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show as a production version of the 45X concept.

The hatchback uses Tata Motors' new Impact 2.0 design language, which is very evident from its overall design. It features design elements such as the sleek, sweptback headlamps which flank the grille up front, a prominent belt line and a rising window line. The rear, too, gets some interesting details – like the blacked-out elements on the tailgate just below the rear windscreen that houses the tail-lamps.

On the powertrain front, the Tata Altroz will come equipped with at least two BS 6-compliant engine options – a 1.2-litre, naturally aspirated, three-cylinder petrol engine that develops 86hp and 113Nm, and a detuned version of the Nexon’s 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine that delivers 90hp and 200Nm torque.

There were talks of a 102hp, 1.2-litre, three-cylinder turbo-petrol unit as well, but info on this engine has yet to be revealed. Initially, all engines will come paired to a 5-speed manual gearbox, but an automatic gearbox option is slated to be introduced down the line.

On the inside, the premium hatchback sports some unique features such as the free-standing, 7.0-inch infotainment screen which is new in the segment. The infotainment system will also come with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support. The Altroz will also come with a steering wheel not seen on a Tata car before.

Safety features are at par for the segment, with the top-spec Altroz XZ variant coming with auto headlights and wipers, adjustable head restraints for the front and rear seats and more.

Tata Motors has added quite a few segment-first features to the Altroz to help keep it competitive:  ambient lighting, doors that open 90 degrees to aid ingress and egress and a 7-inch colour multi-info display (in the instrument cluster binnacle) that mirrors the media and navigation display shown on the infotainment screen. Interestingly, the Altroz petrol comes with an idle start stop system while the diesel does not.

Tata Motors will open pre-orders for the Altroz on December 4, 2019, at a booking amount of Rs 21,000. Prices will officially be announced in January 2020. Expect the premium hatchback to be priced in the range of Rs 500,000 to Rs 800,000 (ex-showroom).

Also read: Full details on Altroz dimensions, powertrain and safety features

Tata Motors readying dual-clutch auto for Altroz