Tushar BurmanJan 29, 2021 09:25:44 AM
When we drove the Tata Altroz for the first time in December 2019, it was a refreshing change from the Tata Motors products we had seen before, and it felt like a conscious start of something new. It was a competent, practical, and good looking car that ticked the boxes and exceeded expectations. Back then, Tata was making even hotter JTP-branded Tiagos and Tigors, and we were hoping they would eventually fit the Nexon’s turbocharged engines into the Altroz and make a JTP version.
Tata Altroz iTurbo. Image: Tech2 / Tushar Burman
A year later, JTP disappeared and relegated to history as an interesting but brief experiment. However, Tata Motors finally put a turbo engine in the Altroz and called it the iTurbo.
What has changed?
We did a cool 360 degree video review of the original Altroz (click here) if you want the basics. In essence, the Altroz remains a premium hatch with a refreshing design language. A year later, the design still holds up, and Tata is offering it in a striking blue color that enhances the face. My feeling is that this design will age well.
A year later, the design still holds up, and Tata is offering it in a striking blue color that enhances the face. Image: Tech2 / Tushar Burman
The interior remains functionally identical, but Tata Motors listened to feedback and optimized the interior a little. With the new color scheme, the dashboard looks a lot less boring than in the original car. The new IRA vehicle system from Tata Motors is also new, with which you can only control and monitor your Altroz to a limited extent via a mobile app.
The interior remains functionally identical, but Tata Motors listened to feedback and optimized the interior a little. Image: Tech2 / Tushar Burman
The turbo in ‘iTurbo’ is via the turbo-charged 1.2 liter gasoline engine that the hatch is now offered with. The numbers are modest – 110 hp, 140 Nm, but better than the 87 hp and 113 Nm of the outgoing car. There are several new driving modes for the new engine – City and Sport – that noticeably affect the behavior of the car.
A word about technology
We didn’t have any associated features in the original Altroz, but the market has changed quite a bit since then. Almost every new model in the recent past has some form of app connectedness or comparability, and the iTurbo hasn’t been left behind. Fortunately, Tata Motors was conservative. The ‘IRA’ app works on iOS and Android devices and doesn’t try to do too much. There is no remote start / AC pre-cooling. There are mainly geofencing, security functions and remote locking / horn / lighting and diagnostics. The app is relatively clean and works as advertised in urban areas. How it behaves when the cellular network does not work together (as it often does not) remains to be seen.
The app is relatively clean and works as advertised in urban areas. Image: Tech2 / Tushar Burman
The navigation is enhanced by a clever system called “What3Words” which essentially assigns three random (but easy to remember) words to specific locations and allows you to set them up for locations. This makes navigation – especially voice activated navigation – fairly easy. What3Words is a service that is also available in other vehicles and other apps and contexts and is an interesting, practical innovation that we hope will become the standard for hands-free navigation.
The infotainment system remains the same as on the most recent Tatas like the Nexon. The touchscreen is responsive and didn’t bother us during our time with the car. Unfortunately, the automaker hasn’t quite figured out how to create a sleek looking user interface. Tell-tale icons are usually tiny and inconspicuous, making me wonder whether a particular mode was enabled or disabled until I found the dark icon hidden somewhere on the screen. The menus are fine, but Tata has to work on the passive information displays they put in their last few cars.
Refreshed interior
There isn’t a big story here, but the dark / light tone of the interior with the new synthetic leather seats is a positive change. Back in 2019, we complained about the improper expansion of matte plastic on the dashboard, which really spoiled the premium feel of the rest of the vehicle. Fortunately, that’s not the case with the iTurbo, and now it looks pretty good. The rear accommodations are still comfortable for tall passengers, and the floor panel is almost flat if three are side by side. The doors open almost 90 degrees and make it easier to get in and out.
There isn’t a big story here, but the dark / light tone of the interior with the new synthetic leather seats is a positive change. Image: Tech2 / Tushar Burman
One problem that seemed to pop out this year is that the Altroz doesn’t have the best center console storage. Things just feel a little tight when you have to put something down. However, the doors have a lot of space.
On the way
The turbo engine brings things to life compared to the old naturally aspirated gasoline engine. This is expected, although unfortunately Tata Motors is falling victim to its own benchmarks. The original Altroz set the bar pretty high, and the iTurbo doesn’t deliver the performance I thought most testers expected. It’s a relatively light car for its 5-star NCAP rating, but the 140Nm of torque doesn’t make it place really quickly.
The turbo engine brings things to life compared to the old naturally aspirated gasoline engine. Image: Tech2 / Tushar Burman
The “Sport” mode is the way to go if you want to feel the turbo deserve its hold, but I find that engine stutters a bit even in the Nexon. The “City” mode makes this a little boring and is fine in town, but in “Sports” you can get a slight smile on your face. Turbo lag is minimal, but this car doesn’t have point-and-squirt torque that allows quick overtaking and pushing into any traffic gap. The power is there and triple digit travel speeds are achieved without the drama or the hairy feeling you get with a smaller engine that works very hard. While the three-cylinder engine is quiet, the refinement and noise level remain a bugbear of the original car.
While the suspension feels nifty, I noticed a rumble on uneven surfaces that I didn’t have in the old car – a distinctly German car feel that I’m not a fan of. It’s not a deal breaker, but it’s not a magic carpet.
A contender?
We say: “Why not?” The color “Harbor Blue” makes the already arrested Altroz all the more conspicuous. The iTurbo starts over Rs 7.74 lac ex showroomwho is in the stadium of rivals. Unfortunately the performance is not. It’s a perfectly good premium hatch and arguably one of the best looking ones on offer, but I wouldn’t mind the “turbo” in the badge. It’s a better Altroz, and that’s still an achievement.
