Tata Altroz

The interior of the 2022 Tata Altroz BS6 isn’t as astonishing as the exterior, but the layered effect of the dashboard comes up from premium class material quality standards. The key element which adds on to the beauty of the interior is a free-standing 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system by Harman which positioned high up above the dashboard. The only disturbing factor of the new BS6 Tata Altroz is the thickness of A-pillars which creates blindspots while turning and driving in the city. The car gets large seats with decent cushioning and provides excellent comfort to both the front and rear passengers. If we talk about space inside the cabin, the new BS6 Tata Altroz might not be the most spacious of the premium hatchbacks but there’s enough headroom and knee room for six-footers to sit at the back in comfort with decent under-thigh support. The rear occupants even get AC vents with armrest, and a flat rear floor to deliver first class standards of comfort to passengers sitting in the rear seat. Even the 345-litre boot space adds more value for money to the package. And how can we forget the front driver seat with height adjust feature and a sliding armrest with storage in between.

Starting of the all new BS6 Tata Altroz interior package includes reverse parking sensors, manual air-conditioning along with dual airbags and central locking system. Furthermore, you’ll get to see all four power windows and two infotainment systems from Harman to opt between a 3.5-inch one and a 7.0-inch touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. 2022 Tata Altroz BS6 also gets power-adjust and folding mirrors and ambient lighting on the dashboard as well as at the footwell. The instrument cluster part incorporates a 7.0-inch digital MID screen with push-button start and a reverse camera. Additions like cruise control, fully automatic climate control, rain-sensing wipers, automatic lights and start-stop tech on the petrol’s is something which you’ll only get to see on the top of the line variants.

Now let’s move on to the new 7.0-inch digital MID instrument cluster with a multi-information display which reads distance to empty, average fuel consumption, and voice alerts to grab the attention of the driver while driving. Apart from all that, the new BS6 Tata Altroz even gets a large cooled glove box with a retractable tray. This time Tata is also offering premium paid features like flat bottom leather-wrapped steering wheel, leather gear knob and mood lighting. Also, they will provide you with a wearable key as a premium paid feature if you want. You can also connect your 2022 Tata Altroz BS6 with a smartphone through Tata’s Connectnext application.

The new BS6 Tata Altroz has two engine options, one is a 1.2-litre petrol engine while the other is a 1.5-litre diesel. The 1.2-litre petrol engine churns out a max power output of 86PS and 113Nm of peak torque. While on the other hand, the 1.5-litre diesel motor has been derived from the Nexon but is de-tuned for the 2022 Tata Altroz BS6. It delivers 90PS of max power and 200Nm of peak torque output. Both the motors comes mated to a 5-speed manual transmission which transmits all the power to the front wheels.

Now if we go in detail with the 1.2-litre petrol engine, it’s quite refine at low speeds, but once you rev the engine hard or push it to higher speeds the three-cylinder engine does start to fade out and vibrate a little. Although, light clutch action and 5-speed gearbox make the Altroz petrol easy to handle in city. While the 1.5-litre, four-cylinder diesel engine does feel sluggish in low-speeds but picks up the pace really quick when pushed hard. The diesel motor easily manages to build up power even from lower rpm, and if you keep the engine in its medium rev range, you’ll be able to gain confidence both at lower and higher speeds. Although, the diesel engine does get clunky above 3,000rpm.

If you ask about our honest opinion, it’s the diesel Altroz which delivers more refinement and a better level of performance as compared to petrol. Ever the gearbox and clutch feels better on the diesel Altroz.

Handling and stability is something where the new BS6 Tata Altroz actually outshines its competitors. All thanks to its ALFA architecture underpinning’s, the car easily manages to deliver excellent ride and handling balance. Also, the suspension setup of the car with independent McPherson dual path strut with coil spring at the front and twist-beam with coil spring and shock absorber works very efficiently and manages to absorb even one of the roughest terrains with much of an ease. The 2022 Tata Altroz BS6 is Tata’s first car introduced with the ALFA Platform, and the platform plays a gigantic role in maintaining great driving pleasure at high-speeds. You’ll even notice the same level of confidence in the way the car changes its direction in tight corners. The steering provides great feel and feedback at high speeds but does start to fade out at low speeds. The electric steering automatically becomes light when you need it to be at low speeds, but weights up gradually as you push the pedal hard.

The petrol unit that you get to see on the new BS6 Tata Altroz is a slightly enhanced version of the Tigor’s 1.2-litre, three-cylinder engine. Though the motor doesn’t sound to be pleasant and refine at high speeds and even misses out on responsive feedback in the midrange. Also, the 5-speed transmission doesn’t allow quick shifts and feels a bit soggy. Throttle response is quite decent at low speeds but still misses out the real fun even in the more powerful City mode. After all the negatives, the light clutch feel of the car does manage to bring a smile on your face both in the city and highway rides.

Here comes the icing on the cake, the 1.5-litre, four-cylinder diesel derived from Nexon. When we compare the petrol engine with the diesel one, the car feels much better to drive with the diesel motor. The diesel engine can be frustrating due to turbo lag in on-off throttle transactions and low-speed driving, but once the turbo kicks in, you will immediately notice the build-up of power from the turbocharged engine. All that build of power can be easily accessed at cruising speeds on the highways to overtake other vehicles when required. Even the Refinement and Cabin NVH levels stay decent in the diesel Altroz.

But, no matter whether its the diesel or the petrol motor, the 2022 Tata Altroz BS6 isn’t the car that likes to be over-revved and you will notice certain vibrations and engine stressing out if taken out of comfort zone.

The all-new BS6 Tata Altroz braking system has disc brakes in the front and drum brakes at the rear with the anti-lock braking system and electronic brake-force distribution for incredible stopping power.

Overall, the all new BS6 Tata Altroz marks an immediate impression for the way it looks and the way it drives. If we talk about the sharp and aerodynamic design of the 2022 Tata Altroz BS6, there’s no other car in its rivalry that can compete with its eye appealing design from outside. The Tata Altroz BS6 on road price in India makes it a perfect family car too with a cabin that meets high-class standards both in terms of space and comfort. The car also turns out to be amazing to drive with arguably the best driving dynamics among premium hatchbacks due to its ALFA architecture platform. Apart from all that, one thing that you can’t ignore about the Altroz is its 5 Star Global NCAP crash test rating which again makes the 2022 Tata Altroz BS6 a reasonably best deal to go for in the premium hatchback segment in India.

The refinement and performance from the motor will further assist you in configuring the way you want to drive your car with the help of 3 drive modes: Eco, City, and Sports mode. The feel of power steering system with smooth shifting of gears and comfortable driving posture of the driver provides a memorable driving pleasure over long drives.

Even after so much on offer, the new BS6 Tata Altroz faces a tough competition with the models such as the Maruti Suzuki Swift, Hyundai i20, Fiat Punto, Ford Figo, Toyota Glanza and Maruti Suzuki Baleno.