Tata Altroz

Tata dropped the older, smaller screens to give the Altroz a better digitised environment.

Cabin Layout and Quality

• A new 10.25-inch infotainment screen sits prominently in the centre.
• The steering wheel features illuminated controls, adding a premium touch.
• Tata also added ambient lighting to elevate the cabin experience at night.

Seating Comfort

Front Row

• An adjustable front armrest raises the comfort level for long highway trips.
• The front seats are wide and have proper side bolstering.
• Top trims now include a ventilation function.
• The driver gets a height-adjustable seat as well.

Second Row

• The rear bench easily accommodates two adults; a third fits reasonably well, too.
• The nearly flat floor design ensures the middle passenger has adequate legroom.
• Rear passengers get dedicated AC vents, a rear centre armrest, and fast-charging 65W Type-C USB ports.

Jaiveer says,

"Space is decent, and seats are comfortable, though light fabric does attract stains."

Features That Improve Daily Use

• An Ultra View 10.25-inch HD touchscreen infotainment system
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity
• A 10.25-inch fully digital instrument cluster
• A high-definition 360-degree surround-view parking camera
• A voice-assisted electric sunroof
• A wireless smartphone charging pad

Around 27 variants are available under the Tata Altroz nameplate, sorted under specific main trims.

If you select the diesel or the highly practical CNG powertrains, expect some pretty reasonable mileage numbers. The ARAI-certified number starts from 19.33 kmpl (from the naturally aspirated variant). Meanwhile, fuel tank capacity for all three engines is 37 litres (the CNG also gets a combined capacity of 60 litres).

The Tata Altroz is rightly considered one of the safest hatchbacks on the road.

Passive Safety and Crash Protection

• It’s built on Tata’s rigid ALFA architecture, which famously secured a five-star Bharat NCAP crash test rating.
• Addressing previous market feedback, Tata now provides six airbags as standard equipment.
• It also features ISOFIX child seat anchor points in the rear.
• There are three-point Retractor Pretensioners and Load Limiters as well.

Active Safety and Stability Systems

• Electronic Stability Program (ESP) is standard across the board.
• Top variants get a high-definition 360-degree surround-view camera with a blind-view monitor.
• ABS and EBD are available, along with a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).

Tata completely overhauled the digital experience for the latest model, removing the sluggish, small screens of the past.

Infotainment and Interface

• A new 10.25-inch high-definition touchscreen sits atop the dashboard.
• This system is highly responsive and supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
• For real-time navigation prompts, the driver gets a matching 10.25-inch fully digital instrument cluster.

Cabin Convenience and Practical Features

• The front seats come with a ventilation function.
• A voice-activated electric sunroof lets in natural light.
• The cabin features an Xpress Cooling function that rolls down the windows and blasts the AC to drop cabin temperatures rapidly when parked in the sun.
• A wireless charging pad can be seen on the lower centre console.

Packaging a CNG cylinder usually compromises boot space, but Tata made do with a workaround.

• The standard petrol and diesel models offer 345 litres of cargo capacity. It easily fits in two large suitcases and a few duffel bags.
• The iCNG variants use Tata’s twin-cylinder technology. By splitting the large tank into two smaller cylinders hidden completely under the boot floor, you retain 210 litres of highly usable luggage space.
• The rear seats fold down fully, unlocking massive cargo room when you need to transport large items. But it doesn’t have a 60:40 split functionality.

To balance comfort with high-speed stability, the Altroz uses a well-tuned suspension setup.

City Driving

• The low-speed ride is noticeably softer and more compliant than before.
• It handles broken city streets and sharp speed breakers without disturbing the passengers.
• The steering is also nimble, while the 360-degree camera makes parallel parking effortless.

Highway Driving

• The heavy kerb weight starting from 1,036 kg keeps the vehicle firmly planted.
• The steering gains reassuring weight as you drive faster.
• It doesn’t feel nervous during triple-digit speeds at all.
• The 1.5-litre diesel engine pulls the heavy chassis effortlessly during quick overtakes.
• Minor body roll around corners is present, but it’s well-controlled most of the time.

Bilal muses about the performance,

“It is a torquey motor by nature, and a lot of it is available from as low as 1250 rpm.”

Tata groups the Altroz into four core 'Persona' variants. The availability of the sunroof is denoted by the 'S' suffix.

The Essentials That You Don’t Get

• A punchy, high-performance turbo-petrol engine (unless you step up to the specialised Altroz Racer edition).
• A quiet cabin when revving the 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine hard.

All three engines of the Tata Altroz return reasonable mileage, so buyers wouldn’t go wrong settling for either.

Best on a Tight Budget: Pure S

We recommend skipping the Smart variant and opting for the Pure S trim instead. It provides an eight-inch touchscreen, a reverse camera, automatic climate control, and an electric sunroof without pushing into expensive territory.

Best for City Commutes: Creative AMT CNG

If your route involves heavy, bumper-to-bumper traffic but you refuse to pay high petrol prices, this is the variant to buy. You get the ultra-low running costs of CNG combined with the sheer convenience of an automatic gearbox.

Best Value Overall: Accomplished Plus S

This variant steps up the tech game by adding the massive dual 10.25-inch screens and the 360-degree camera. It also looks premium from the outside thanks to the alloy wheels.