Power comes from a pair of BS VI ready engines. The first of the Tata Altroz models I drove was the petrol. It gets an enhanced version of the 1.2-litre three-cylinder with 86 hp and 113 Nm. A five-speed manual is standard. Exiting the parking of the beautiful Suryagadh luxury resort in Jaisalmer, it was evident that the space in the car was immense, but the compact proportions make for easy manoeuvring once you get used to them. A few elements still prevail where style gets priority over practicality notably the A-pillar extensions with glass, which from the driver’s point of view, only makes for a larger blind-spot. Secondly, the seats feel mediocre at best and not at par with the rest of the car. Better side cushioning and shapelier bolsters would do wonders for the feel. Finally, the gloss finish large piece of trim in front of the front passenger seat on the dashboard is blinding when the sun hits it at certain angles — a major portion of my north-west route at two in the afternoon. That definitely needs to be replaced with a matte black or darker colour with less reflective properties. That aside, there wasn’t anything else to really complain about.
Where the new Tata Altroz shines is in the ride and handling department. The steering feel is commendable and the responsiveness is excellent. It’s a speed-dependent unit and, as such, makes light work of low-speed manoeuvres and is equally able at highway speed, lending greater confidence when changing lanes and overtaking. The suspension set-up is nothing short of phenomenal. It’s pliant, absorbent, and appreciably progressive in its working, soaking up undulations and rough patches with ease and maintaining its course uninterrupted.
The Revotron petrol engine is reasonably strong and refined and pulls cleanly. The Altroz is only slightly heavier than the Tiago and, thus, the 1.2-litre three-pot does more than an adequate job. Being BS VI complaint, it’s also cleaner and further optimized. There is no need to rev up to the red-line and the Altroz finds its sweet-spot between 2,000 and 4,000 rpm. Torque peaks towards the mid-3,000s so there’s enough punch. The five-speed manual does a good job of transferring the power. With fourth and fifth gears both overdrive, efficiency on the go is a given. There are two drive modes on offer, too: City and Eco. Push the little leaf button below the gear lever fir Eco mode. What it felt like was a dulled response for most part of pedal travel and that does get rather dull, but it helps with fuel economy. Cruising in top gear, I managed to get the onboard display up to 17.6 km/l. Not bad at all. I can also confirm that Mr Pareek did mention a dual-clutch automatic option is being considered as an automated manual (AMT) simply wouldn’t cut it in the segment.
