The Tata Altroz comes with significant improvements and updates

The Altroz has always been a successful product of Tata and it is not difficult to see why. It is spacious in its segment and comes well specified, with the segment’s first dual-clutch automatic (DCA) added to it sometime back. Now the vehicle has a complete refresh and many more goodies have come in. What stays however is the standard petrol and diesel engines, the latter being one of the very few choices left in the segment. You also have a CNG and an automated manual (AMT) so plenty of choices here. But is the beauty merely skin deep or does it genuinely bring about a change? Let’s take a closer look.

What are the new updates on Tata Altroz?

LED lights and DR:s are becoming de rigueur these days and the Altroz is not immune to their charm. So headlights, taillights, foglights and daytime running lights have all gone LED. There is of course, the new design of the 16-inch diamond cut alloys, which look pretty decent. But the biggest change on the outside have to be the new flush fitting door handles, which have a request button on each end and a LED at night to tell you about its positioning. We are not fond of these new fangled door handles, but most people like them and they do look suitably high-tech, so its par for the course. The rear door handles are the concealed types, and do require a bit of effort to open. In the positive side, the 90-degree opening of the doors enables easy ingress and egress to all including those who are saree-clad and the generously proportioned. Of course, you do get a 360-degree camera now on the top models with excellent clarity, though we must admit we found the rear parking sensors to be a tad too sensitive. A Blindspot monitor debuts on the new infotainment screen of course.

On the inside come the major changes. Besides standard things like new upholstery material, a great ergonomic enhancement is proper under-thigh support both on the front and rear seats. This increases comfort for everyone by a high margin. You also get niceties like fast charging USB-C ports, although we wish the rear seats had one more fast charging port instead of the existing one. The greatest change has to be the twin 10.2-inch screens for the infotainment as well as driver information. Both of these are highly customisable and display a wealth of data. You also get wireless Apple CarPlay and AndroidAuto, besides a wireless phone charger. Tata has always had excellent audio systems in its cars, and the Altroz is no different with a Harman system that has 4 speakers and 4 tweeters for an immersive experience. Naturally, a sunroof is available and that trick D-cut steering wheel with the illuminated T logo looks amazing. Six airbags are standard across all variants for your peace of mind.

Engine options are similar to the previous variants with the 3-cylinder 1.2-litre that produces 88 horses in petrol mode and 74 in CNG. The former can be had in a choice of DCA, manual and a new AMT. Performance on the CNG is a little lethargic understandably because its tuned for economy though there is no denying that the twin-cylinder fitment is a work of genius. The fire cracker here is undoubtedly the 1.5-litre 4-cylinder diesel that puts out 90 horses and 200 Nm of torque, giving you sprightly performance. If you like power, you know which variant to go in for.

Overall, the new Tata Altroz makes a lot of welcome changes to its earlier version. It has multiple engine and transmission choices for everyone and at a starting price of INR 6.9 lakhs, is quite pocket-friendly as well.