Tata Altroz is expected to get a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine producing 110 PS maximum power and 140 Nm of peak torque soon
Tata Motors introduced the Altroz in the early parts of this calendar year and it has been a huge hit for the homegrown auto major. The premium hatchback has established itself as the third best-seller in the segment with a premium package and is retailed for a price range between Rs. 5.44 lakh and Rs. 8.95 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) across XE, XM, XM+, XT, XZ, and XZ (O) variants.
The five-seater competes against Maruti Suzuki Baleno, recently launched new-gen Hyundai i20, Honda Jazz and Volkswagen Polo. It is powered by a 1.2-litre naturally-aspirated petrol and a 1.5-litre four-cylinder diesel engine. The former three-pot unit produces a maximum power output of 86 PS at 6,000 rpm and 113 Nm of peak torque delivered at 3,300 rpm.
The latter delivers 90 PS at 4,000 rpm and 200 Nm of peak torque between 1,250 and 3,000 rpm. Both the engines are paired with only a five-speed manual transmission. The Altroz is the first Tata model based on the ALFA (Agile Light Flexible Advanced) platform and the gasoline mill, which also powers the Tiago hatchback, is considered underpowered for its applications.
Thus, a turbocharged version of the same powertrain is expected to be launched in the coming week. This has been fueled by the latest teaser video Tata has released ahead of Christmas. It showed a red coloured Altroz with words saying: “Your Santa Altroz”. Also, it is advertised to be “coming soon” and we suspect it could be a limited edition or a new variant.
Recently, Tata has added new variants to its popular vehicles such as Harrier and Nexon. If it turns out to be the 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine, it will more likely develop a maximum power output close to 110 PS at 5,500 rpm and 140 Nm of peak torque at 1,500-5,500 rpm. The chances of it being offered with a standard five-speed manual transmission or an optional dual-clutch automatic transmission are high.
The turbo motor will help in expanding the Altroz’s range and more crucially, it will rival the Hyundai i20 turbo with a 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine developing 120 PS. We will have to wait and see what really happens!