Features like front ventilated seats and sunroof offered with Tata Altroz Racer are segment first and add a lot of flash value
Even though Indian hot hatches are nowhere comparable to hot hatches Europe gets like a VW Golf GTI, Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG, or a Toyota GR Corolla, something is better than nothing. As of now, Hyundai is the king of hot hatches with i20 N Line 1.0L Turbo. Soon there will be a new challenger in town.
That challenger is none other than Tata Altroz Racer which gets a turbocharged 1.2L engine. This is in a different tune than the i-Turbo variant of Altroz that was offered before. It was first unveiled at 2023 Auto Expo and features a few segment first features. Let’s take a look.
Tata Altroz Racer Launch Soon
This is by far the most powerful Altroz that Tata has put together. Altroz already had a turbocharged 1.2L engine that was on sale under the name i-Turbo. That only made 108 bhp and 140 Nm which is 10 bhp and 30 Nm less than Tata Altroz Racer. It is still 23 bhp and 27 Nm more than regular Altroz with a NA 1.2L petrol engine.
Performance seems to be the name of the game here and Tata is offering 120 bhp of power and 170 Nm of torque with Altroz Racer. When compared to 85 bhp and 113 Nm of standard naturally aspirated powertrain, Altroz Racer makes 33 bhp and 57 Nm more. This is in line to 118 bhp and 172 Nm that Hyundai offers with i20 N Line.
Not just the engine upgrade, Tata has even upgraded the gearbox from a 5-speed unit, to a 6-speed unit that does duty in Nexon. With this combination, performance is likely to be spritely and even hit 100 km/h in under 10 seconds. Changes with Tata Altroz Racer are not just confined under the bonnet. There are subtle changes on the outside.
We now have sporty dual-tone colour schemes along with a black bonnet. There are white stripes that start with its bonnet and extend across its roof. Wheels are now blackened and there is a larger roof spoiler as well. Tata should have provided rear disc brakes which is the only sore point on an otherwise complete package.
Segment-First Features
On the inside, we now have a black theme, headrests get Racer insignia, blue ambient lighting is now red and it gets a lot of red elements to enhance the sportiness. It does look a lot more special than regular Altroz. Along with these updates, Tata Altroz Racer brings a few segment-first features as well.
These are ventilated seats and a sunroof. These features were unheard of in premium hatchback space and Tata Motors can now benefit with a fatter brochure. Speaking of a fatter brochure, we now have an updated infotainment system with a larger 10” screen and a slicker user interface as well. These additions should be enough to rival recently unveiled Maruti Suzuki Fronx and Hyundai i20 N Line. Launch might happen very soon.
If we combine 6 airbags, 5 star crash safety, ventilated seats, a powerful engine with 6-speed MT, a larger touchscreen and a sunroof, it is going to be one of the most awaited premium hatchback launches this year. Expect pricing to be in the Rs 10 lakh range, ex-sh.
