carandbike Awards 2021: Premium Hatchback Of The Year

The carandbike Awards are one of India's most credible awards in the Auto space and finally we are back with the 2021 edition. The last few days have been really busy and exciting for all of us at carandbike. We have been putting all models launched in 2020 to thorough test in our jury rounds to find out how each model fares against its competition in the segment. The Hyundai i20 and Tata Altroz were the most prominent premium hatchback models launched last year and both of them are also available with a sportier turbo engine and our jury members didn't hold back from putting both models through a comprehensive test.

Hyundai i20

The new Hyundai i20 comes with segment best features like sunroof, wireless charging, and BlueLink connected car tech

The new-generation Hyundai i20 was launched in India in November last year and the Korean carmaker had received 30,000 bookings within just 40 days of its launch. The new Hyundai i20 is offered in four variants Magna, Sportz, Asta and Asta (O) and with a choice of engine and gearbox combinations. There are three engine options on the new i20 - a 1.2-litre, naturally-aspirated petrol, a 1.0-litre turbo-petrol and a 1.5-litre diesel. While a manual gearbox will be available with both the 1.2 petrol and 1.5 diesel, the 1.0 turbo only gets an intelligent manual transmission option. Both petrol engines will be available with an automatic gearbox as well, the 1.2 petrol will have a CVT (IVT in Hyundai-speak), while the 1.0 turbo will have a 7-speed DCT. The 1.2-litre petrol belts out 87 bhp and 115 Nm on the IVT version, while the manual produces 82 bhp and 115 Nm. The 1.5-litre diesel puts out 99 bhp and 240 Nm. But the most powerful is the 1-litre turbo petrol which punches out 118 bhp and 172 Nm of peak torque.

The new Hyundai i20 has been developed from ground up and is underpinned by a new platform that offers better rigidity and handling. But what people find even more impressing the extensive feature list it offers. There is a new digital instrument cluster as well and the cool animation, and a TFT screen with plenty of information - including tyre pressure monitoring. Taking centre stage on the dashboard is that 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The touchscreen sits above the central AC vents, which are incorporated into the horizontal blades that stretch all the way to the other end of the dashboard. There are some physical switches and buttons for essential functions mounted lower on the centre console, and there's wireless charging as well. It also gets Bluelink connectivity now, which makes it a connected car, a segment first. There are 50 features that are on offer and yes, we've seen this on the Verna, Creta, Elantra and many other cars from the Hyundai stable. It comes with rear AC vents, climate control, Apple Carplay, Android Auto and even a sunroof, which is a first in segment feature offering.

Tata Altroz

The Tata Altroz is offered with three engine options.

The Tata Altroz went on sale in India in January last year and the iTurbo variant with the 1.2-litre Turbo engine joined the range last month. It's the first five-star safety rated premium hatchback on sale in India and has won applauds for its design and practical elements like the doors that open 90-degrees for better ingress and egress. The Tata Altroz partially shares its powertrain with the Nexon. It gets the BS6-compliant 1.2-litre, Revotron naturally aspirated motor tuned to put out 85 bhp and 113 Nm of torque. The Tata Altroz diesel is powered by a 1.5-litre turbocharged Revotorq unit producing 89 bhp and 200 Nm of power figures. The iTurbo variants get a 1.2-litre, three-cylinder, turbo petrol engine that puts out 108 bhp and 140 Nm of peak torque. Transmission duties are carried out by five-speed manual gearbox as standard.