By : RACHNA TYAGI
MUMBAI :
Albatross. Glittering Eye. Mariner. Coleridge. Sounds like a load of gobbledygook? Not really. When Tata Motors christened their 45X Concept, they decided to call it the Altroz, a word inspired by the large seabird, the Albatross, found in the Antartic and the Pacific oceans, and mythologically celebrated for bringing good luck to sailors. In fact, many of you may also remember the Albatross as the bird that appeared in Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s oft-quoted poem, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Now, the Albatross, whose two significant talents lie in its ability to travel unbelievably long distances and in its beautiful gliding movements, are undoubtedly qualities that most people would love to have in their cars as well. Little surprise then that Tata Motors’ premium hatch came to be named the Altroz, inspired by the strong and beautiful Albatross bird that travels for miles without a break and is indeed a sight to behold.
The Altroz, designed by Pratap Bose, VP, Global Design, Tata Motors, and his team, under the IMPACT 2.0 design language is in fact, quite the looker! It was at the the Auto Expo, in Greater Noida, in 2018, where it caused, what can easily be described as “a mini stampede,” when it was introduced to the frenzied crowds who just couldn’t have enough of it.
And now, seeing it in flesh and blood, is no different. The first reaction is WOW! From its proportions to the design details to its futuristic look, every angle of the car completely wows you as you begin to appreciate how the designers and engineers at Tata Motors have worked in tandem to create a complete package. Available in both, petrol and diesel (1.2L Revotron turbocharged petrol BS-VI engine and the 1.5L Revotorque turbocharged diesel BS-VI engine), we got behind the wheel of the Altroz diesel, to bring you this review.
Tata Motors calls the Altroz the “Gold standard” because they want to redefine the premium hatchback segment in the industry which currently sees other contenders such as the Maruti Suzuki Baleno and the Hyundai Elite i20, to name a few. And redefine, they certainly have because of all that they have made available with this neat little offering. There is a line that is often quoted from Coleridge’s The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, “He holds him with his glittering eye,” and quite frankly, that is precisely the effect the Altroz’s headlamps have on most of us. The dual chamber projector headlamps are radically different from the run of the mill ones that one sees on every other hatch out there. You can’t miss them, they’re bound to catch your eye because of their distinct design which extends from the side of the grille all the way almost up to the end of the bonnet.
Then there are the crease lines on the bulging bonnet which add character to the hatch. Not to mention the beltline which give the hatch its rakish look. The Altroz gets two conventional door handles up front and the other two door handles at the rear are housed within the C-pillar.
There is a lot of black that has been used on the finishes outside and that is a nice touch, especially at the rear where the taillamps are, it only further enhances the Altroz’s well-chiseled look.
The Albatrosses, famous for their outstretched wings are known to glide for very long durations without expending any muscle, and it is their wingspan that seem to have inspired the Altroz’s designers who have ensured that the Altroz’s doors too open wide like the Albatross’ wings at 90 degree angles, thereby making ingress and egress literally a breeze.
The Altroz’s 16’ inch laser alloys in dual tone look good and the 345-L boot space is good enough not only for grocery shopping but even for transporting your stuff while changing addresses.
Inside, the cockpit-like cabin, the grey fit and finish looks rather upmarket and everything about the Altroz, has a very tactile quality to it. The steering is nice and meaty to grip.
The three different textured finishes on the dash lend a very classy look to the Altroz.
The 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment display gets a matt finish and looks rather sturdy in the brushed aluminum casing that houses it.
Last but not the least, the part-digital, part-analogue instrument cluster is utterly gorgeous, unlike anything we’ve seen before.
The fabric seats, in grey, are generous, offering good back, thigh, and shoulder support both to both the front seat as well as rear seat passengers. The large cooled glove box is deep and can hold not just several big bars of your favourite chocolate, but even full-sized documents and even a large tab comfortably.
The Altroz also gets deep cubby holes and adequate space in the door pockets for holding full 1-liter water bottles. In terms of connectivity also, the Altroz offers excellent features, not to mention Android Auto and Apple Car Play besides a bunch of other features that will bring a smile on your face. However, the one thing that rivals are going to find difficult to compete with is the sheer feeling of spaciousness inside the Altroz’s cabin. This is one hatch which will easily allow you to do a cross-country expedition, without feeling cramped in the backseat.
The Altroz is not just a hatch with good looks and a beautifully sculpted body but it also delivers a performance to match. The first product from Tata Motors to be engineered on their new ALFA (Agile, Light, Flexible, Advanced) platform, the Altroz, is the first premium hatchback, in India, and it is quite a trailblazer. We drove the 4-cylinder, 1.5L, (1497cc) Revotorque turbocharged diesel, BS-VI engine, that has been mated to a 5-speed gearbox that belts out 90 PS@4000 rpm and has a max torque of 200 Nm@1250-3000 rpm and yes, we came away impressed. This is the same engine that powers the Tata Nexon but the only difference is that this engine has been recalibrated to work in sync with the Altroz’s five-speed gearbox, as opposed to Nexon’s six-speed gearbox. The Altroz’s gearbox, seems a bit high, but it is a smooth unit and once you get past the 2000 rpm mark, the slight diesel engine clatter also fades away and it settles down comfortably offering linear power delivery. You can drive it in the ‘ECO’ mode in the city and in the ‘CITY’ mode on the highways and you’ll notice that the Altroz is only too eager to be pushed. That doesn’t mean that the low-speed performance of the Altroz is a problem, on the contrary, this hatch is a brilliant performer when it comes to low-speed driving as well, and does a very good job in slow moving traffic too. The best thing about driving the Altroz, is the 5m turning radius of the steering, which is such fun, especially while maneuvering the hatch through city traffic and driving in and out of really tight parking spots. The Altroz comes with a combination of disc and drum brakes and they have enough bite even for those instant stopping moments.
The only gripe that I have is with the Altroz’s horn which is located on the center of the steering but is rather hard even for people with large hands. Another horn has been provided on the side but that will take some getting used to.
The Altroz boasts features that are found on cars of a higher segment such as headlamps that automatically turn on in dark areas like in a tunnel for instance. It is features like this which the Altroz comes loaded with that give it that premium hatchback feeling while ensuring that the driver feels reassured at all times while s/he is on the road.
Talking of that reassuring feeling, the Altroz, has received the 5-Star adult safety rating from Global NCAP (GNCAP) where it was tested and evaluated for both, front and side impacts, thereby becoming one of the safest passenger cars out there. Besides, it also gets ABS, EBD, CSC and dual airbags as standard.
With the Altroz, Tata Motors, has definitely raised the standard when it comes to the premium hatchback segment and shown the world what the gold standard is all about. The Altroz is a very good buy if you’re looking for a strong, durable and good-looking hatch that can be both, your first car or even the second car in your family. It is quick, offers enough driving pleasure to keep even the budding enthusiasts in the family happy, is spacious, comes loaded with smart tech, and most importantly, is really big on safety. All in all, it is a great package and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that with the Altroz, you will have most definitely have struck gold. As for Tata Motors, with the Altoz, their fortunes may just soar, quite like the way the Albatross does, in all its splendor, who knows?
