Tata Altroz CNG will go on sale next month in India and will directly take on Maruti Suzuki Baleno CNG
Tata Motors revealed the Altroz CNG and Punch CNG at the 2023 Auto Expo in January. The former is expected to go on sale next month in India while the latter will arrive later this year. The homegrown auto major is also preparing the facelifts for the Nexon, Harrier and Safari. The trio will likely be launched this year with new styling and updated interiors.
The Altroz CNG does not get any major exterior changes compared to the regular model, except for the addition of the i-CNG badging on the bootlid. Currently, the premium hatchback competing against Maruti Suzuki Baleno and Hyundai i20 is priced at Rs. 6.45 lakh for the entry-level trim and it goes all the way up to Rs. 10.40 lakh for the top-spec model (ex-showroom).
We can expect the Tata Altroz CNG to be available in an expansive range and compared to the respective regular petrol variants, the prices could be up by around Rs. 1 lakh. It could be positioned competitively against the base CNG variant of the Baleno, which costs Rs. 8.35 lakh for Delta and Rs. 9.28 lakh for the top-spec Zeta (ex-showroom).
The features list will comprise 16-inch two-tone alloy wheels, LED Daytime Running Lights, projector headlights, rear door handles mounted on the C-pillars, integrated spoiler, glossy black finish across several elements, two-tone seat upholstery, layered dashboard with a silver finish, etc. The prototype showcased at the biennial auto show had an electric sunroof and it could be offered in the production model as well.
As for the performance, the Tata Altroz CNG will use the familiar 1.2L three-cylinder petrol engine producing around 85 bhp and 113 Nm in its regular petrol guise while the CNG iteration makes 76 bhp and 97 Nm, and is linked with a five-speed manual transmission. One of the key features will be the availability of a dual CNG tank system.
It is arranged in parallel to each other (each of 30L capacity) and thus won’t occupy the bootspace big time. It also comes with a single ECU in the CNG range, a modular fuel filter, a micro switch, fire protection device and direct start in CNG mode.
