It’s been just over a year since we drove the Tata Altroz in Jaisalmer prior to its launch and came away impressed. Tata’s offering in the premium hatchback space has seen good success in the market and the 5 star safety rating from Global NCAP has been the cherry on top. What also works is fantastic looks, space and excellent ride quality and handling. And while the 1.5 litre diesel was fun to drive, the 1.2 litre naturally aspirated 86 hp petrol was a disappointment. Well, the good news is that the nice guys at Tata Motors took our feedback seriously and what we have here is the Tata Altroz iTurbo, with the much needed turbo boost. And gets some additional features too. But first let’s talk about the engine and driving part.
Tata Altroz iTurbo Engine & Performance
The Altroz iTurbo features a 1.2 litre 3 cylinder turbo charged petrol engine that also powers the Nexon compact SUV but in a different state of tune. The Altroz now makes 110 hp and 140 Nm of torque, up from 113 Nm that the non turbo engine makes. The difference is immediately apparent once you start driving. It doesn’t feel underpowered like the NA counterpart which was the biggest fly in the ointment. However, there is lag at the low end but a surge comes in after 2000 rpm giving it a nice mid-range. I wouldn’t call it outright punchy but the linear acceleration helps all round drivability. Tata Motors claims a 0 to 100 kph timing of under 12 seconds for the iTurbo. The 5 speed manual gearbox has well slotted ratios and makes the engine very tractable even at low speeds. You don’t feel the need to work the gearbox too much. Gearshift quality is decent too and doesn’t feel notchy. The Altroz Turbo comes with two drive modes – City and Sport and I would recommend the Sport mode at all times to extract the maximum from this motor. There is a noticeable difference in how the power comes in when driving in Sport mode. It is just so much better than City. The engine feels refined for a 3 cylinder but surely cannot match a 4 pot motor. It does feel coarse when you push it at higher rpms and there is prominent road noise as well. That said, it is pretty silent at low and medium speeds. To sum up, it isnt hot hatch territory but has a balanced approach.
Tata Altroz iTurbo Ride & Handling
The ride and handling of the Tata Altroz was always impressive and a strong point of this hatchback. Tata knows how to tune the suspension just perfectly and the Altroz just sails over bad and uneven roads and even some rougher patches that were encountered during the drive. You don’t get unsettled in the cabin and there is no vertical movement either. The Altroz feels grippy going around corners and feedback from the steering is very confidence inspiring. Be it hard cornering or going around hairpin bends, it has you covered. The steering also feel light at city speeds and weighs up nicely as you go faster. The car feels planted at high speeds in a straight line and braking is excellent as well.
