The Tata Altroz is the market name for the 45X hatchback that will rival models like the Maruti Baleno, Hyundai Elite i20, and Honda Jazz
The cat is finally out of the bag. After a lot of speculation, it is now officially confirmed that the Tata 45X hatchback, which made its debut in the concept form at the Auto Expo 2018 in February last year, will be sold as the Tata Altroz. The most premium small car from Tata will be introduced in the B2-segment, where it will be a rival of the Maruti Baleno, Hyundai Elite i20, and Honda Jazz.
There are good chances of the Altroz offering a strong fight to all the above rivals. Here, we have compared it with the Maruti Baleno to find out how it stacks up against the best-selling model in the segment. Read on for our Tata Altroz vs Maruti Baleno comparison:
Tata Altroz vs Maruti Baleno – Design
Previewed by the Tata 45X concept at the Auto Expo 2018, the Tata Altroz, which is the production model, will make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month. The new model will bear the company’s IMPACT 2.0 design language, which will make it quite bold and striking. Going by the many spy images we have seen so far, the Altroz will be smaller in size than the 45X.
This is because the concept was purposefully made larger than an average B2-segment hatchback to highlight the flexibility of the Alpha Arc platform it is based on. However, it will retain many design features of the concept. It will have a similar face, but will have a wire mesh grille instead of the closed panel, a smaller and a different set of alloy wheels, and pillar-mounted door handles for the rear.
The Maruti Baleno is based on the ‘Liquid Flow’ design language, which leads to many smooth lines and a design that is bold and modern but still soft on the eyes. The Baleno looks modern and the recently introduced facelift even makes it a bit bolder than before. The B2-segment hatchback from Maruti even has hints of the Mercedes A-Class, because of which it is considered to be quite sporty by many.
And things get even hotter if you take the Baleno RS into the picture, which gets a sporty body kit and a wire mesh grille. We can’t give a judgment on which one of these looks better but what we know for sure is that the Altroz won’t be able to make the Baleno look ugly in comparison. However, the fact that the production-spec 45X will be a fresher car will work in its favour.
Tata Altroz vs Maruti Baleno – Comparison of Interior
Many spy images have already revealed that parts of the interior of the Tata Altroz. Going by these pics, the dashboard will look a lot like the one you can find on the Harrier. While it misses out on some of the premium features that the Harrier comes with, it will surely impress everyone with a similar design.
The highlight will be a floating-type touchscreen infotainment unit will support Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Also, the speedo console will be a semi-digital unit quite similar to that of the Harrier. The steering wheel will be a three-spoke flat-bottomed unit that should be sufficiently sporty to hold.
So far, the spy images have revealed features like push-button start, an adjustable steering, automatic climate control and steering-mounted controls. Instead of the slide switches that the Harrier offers for volume and track change, the Altroz gets conventional buttons. It is not for sure if the new model will come with cruise control.
The Maruti Baleno has received the SmartPlay Studio touchscreen infotainment unit with the launch of the facelift. It has also got refreshed trim and revised speedo console that looks a bit sportier than before. The Baleno also offers features like push-button start, an adjustable steering, automatic climate control and steering-mounted controls.
The Baleno doesn’t get rear AC vent, which is not exactly a bad thing as the AC is quite powerful. It’s not knowing if the Altroz would offer this feature. However, as has been the case with every Tata model, it will offer a spacious cabin that could turn out to be more spacious than that of the Baleno.
Tata Altroz vs Maruti Baleno – Engine, Specs and Performance
The Tata Altroz will likely be sold with a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated three-cylinder petrol engine and a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine, with the latter coming from the Nexon.
Both the engines are expected to be available with a manual transmission and the company is likely to offer an all-new dual-clutch automatic transmission option on the petrol variant. Also, the petrol engine may even have a mild-hybrid setup similar to Maruti’s SHVS. It’s too early to comment on the specs but as always, Tata is likely to offer segment-leading figures.
The Maruti Baleno is available in three engine options – 1.2-litre petrol, 1.0-litre turbo-petrol, and 1.3-litre turbo-diesel. All the engines come mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. Additionally, the Baleno is available with a CVT. The naturally aspirated petrol engine offers a maximum power of 84 PS and a peak torque of 115 Nm. The diesel engine offers 75 PS and 190 Nm, while the turbocharged petrol engine outputs a maximum power of 101 PS and a peak torque of 150 Nm.
Going by how much we are yet to know about the Tata Altroz, it won’t be fair to give our judgment on the winner of our Tata Altroz vs Maruti Baleno comparison. However, it definitely looks like the Maruti Baleno is about to get a really strong competitor from Tata Motors.