June 2022 - Tata Altroz Petrol Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

 

Also Read: Tata Tigor Petrol, CNG Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

Maruti Nexa Baleno Petrol Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

Nissan Magnite Petrol Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

Update: After introducing the Altroz DCT automatic, Tata updated the prices of the Altroz hatchback. This update includes the June 2022 prices of the Altroz along with our buying recommendation for all Altroz petrol variants.

What Are The Pros And Cons Of Tata Altroz Petrol?

The pros or advantages of Tata Altroz petrol are:

• 5-star GNCAP crash test rating for adult safety
• Reasonable premium of Rs. 60,000 for the turbo petrol engine (compared to the rivals) and Rs. 1.07 lakh for the 6-speed dual-clutch automatic
• Option of 3 powertrain options, petrol-manual, petrol-automatic and turbo petrol-manual
• Well-priced and feature-loaded XZ variant
• Notable features of the Altroz include projector headlamps, font and rear armrests, auto AC with rear vents, cruise control, power mirrors, keyless entry with push-button start/stop and full-colour LCD instrument cluster
• 1.2L normal petrol engine offers peak torque at a fairly low 3300rpm for easy drivability in the city

The Tata Altroz petrol has the following shortcomings or problems:

• The turbo petrol engine has the lowest power and torque output compared to its rivals
• Lower variants get skinny 165-section tyres with 14-inch wheels, even with the XT turbo variant
• Automatic transmission not available with the turbo petrol engine
• Long and confusing variant lineup makes decision making difficult
• Stripped down base XE and XE Plus variants miss out on several must-have features

What Is The Price Of Tata Altroz Petrol Variants?

The 2022 Tata Altroz petrol is available with 3 engine-transmission combinations:

• 1.2L normal petrol with manual transmission
• 1.2L normal petrol with DCT automatic transmission
• 1.2L turbo petrol with manual transmission

The normal petrol engine is available in all 6 primary variants with prices starting from Rs. 6.20 lakh for the base model and going up to Rs. 8.65 lakh (ex-showroom) for the XZ Plus variant. The top model is also available with black colour for Rs. 8.95 lakh. The 1.2L normal petrol with the new 6-speed dual-clutch automatic is available in the XM Plus and higher variants for an additional price of Rs. 1.05 - 1.10 lakh.

The turbo petrol engine with a manual transmission is available in the XT and higher variants with prices ranging from Rs. 8.25 lakh to Rs. 9.55 lakh for the XZ Plus Dark  The Altroz turbo carries a premium of Rs. 60,000 over the comparable Altroz 1.2L normal petrol variants. Only in the case of the XZ variant, the turbo petrol carries a slightly higher asking price of Rs. 72,000 over the 1.2L normal petrol engine as it also offers a few extra features.

Note: Check your Car EMI with our - Car Loan EMI Calculator

Tata Altroz Petrol XE - Base Model Features & Review

The base XE variant of the Tata Altroz is only available with the 1.2L normal petrol engine and a manual transmission. It costs Rs. 6.20 lakh (ex-showroom). The most notable features of the Altroz XE are:

• Drive modes
• Front power windows
• Body-coloured bumpers and door handles
• Black outside mirrors
• Adjustable front headrests
• Tilt steering
• Dead pedal
• Bottle holders and pockets in all doors
• Umbrella holders in front doors
• MID
• 14-inch steel wheels
• Flat bottom steering wheel
• Manual central locking

The base variant is missing several must-have features like:

• Remote central locking
• Power mirrors
• Internally-adjustable outside mirrors
• Music system
• Steering-mounted controls
• Day/night inside mirror
• Larger wheels with wheel covers

With so many features missing in the base XE variant, we can’t recommend anyone to buy this variant.

Tata Altroz Petrol XE vs XE Plus Variant - Price, Feature Comparison

The Altroz XE Plus variant also gets only the 1.2L normal petrol-manual powertrain for Rs. 6.55 lakh, which is Rs. 35,000 more than the base model’s price. For this additional cost, it adds the following notable features:

• Music system with 4 speakers
• Remote central locking
• Internally-adjustable outside mirrors
• Follow-me headlamps

Even with the addition of some must-have features, it still doesn’t offer the following:

• Power mirrors
• Internally-adjustable outside mirrors
• Steering-mounted controls
• Day/night inside mirror
• Larger wheels with wheel covers

The Altroz XE Plus doesn’t offer good value either as the incremental asking price is much higher than what you’re getting for the price. You should stretch your budget and skip the XE Plus trim for a higher variant.

Tata Altroz Petrol XE Plus vs XM Plus Variant - Price, Feature Comparison

The Tata Altroz XM Plus variant is the next in line with 1.2L normal petrol-manual and DCT automatic. It costs Rs. 7.15 lakh with the manual and Rs. 8.25 lakh with the automatic. This variant is Rs. 60,000 more expensive than the lower XE Plus variant while the XM Plus automatic carries a premium of Rs. 1.10 lakh. It adds the following notable features:

• 7-inch touchscreen
• Android Auto and Apple Carplay
• Steering-mounted controls
• Power mirrors with auto folding
• Rear parcel tray
• Rear power windows
• 16-inch steel wheels with wheel covers
• Dual horn
• Voice alerts

The additional features of the Tata Altroz XM Plus also don’t justify the price gap from the lower variants. But for budget-conscious buyers, this is the minimum variant worth buying to enjoy a decent ownership experience. We’ll still strongly recommend stretching your budget for the XT if you can to get better value as well as more meaninful features.

Tata Altroz Petrol XM Plus vs XT Variant - Price, Feature Comparison

The Altroz XT onwards all variants are available with all 3 powertrain combinations. With the 1.2L normal petrol manual and automatic, it costs Rs. 7.65 lakh and Rs. 8.75 lakh, respectively. With the turbo petrol engine, the Tata Altroz XT carries an ex-showroom price of Rs. 8.25 lakh. These prices are Rs. 50,000 higher than the lower XM Plus variant. For this additional sum, it adds the following notable features:

• Auto AC
• Cruise control
• Rear camera
• Front fog lamps
• Day/night inside mirror
• Keyless entry with push-button start/stop
• Footwell lighting
• LED DRLs
• Cooled glovebox
• Idle start/stop

For the Altroz 1.2L normal petrol manual and automatic buyers, the XT is a good option and the most affordable one we can recommend without any hesitation. It not only offers a well-rounded ownership experience with the features, but also justifies the higher asking price over the lower variants. The only features you might miss in the XT are projector headlamps, height-adjustable driver seat, front and rear armrests and rear AC vents.

Unfortunately, if you buy this variant with the turbo petrol engine, then you will get smaller 14-inch wheels without wheel covers. So, for Altroz turbo buyers, we’ll not recommend the XT variant.

Tata Altroz Petrol XT vs XT Dark Variant - Price, Feature Comparison

The XT Dark variant of the Altroz is another Rs. 46,000 more expensive than the XT trim. It costs Rs. 8.11 lakh with the 1.2L normal petrol-manual; Rs. 9.21 lakh with the automatic and Rs. 8.71 lakh with the turbo petrol engine. It adds the following features to the mix:

• Black exterior colour
• Black interior
• Leather upholstery
• Height-adjustable driver seat
• Style wheel covers
• Leather steering wheel
• Rear armrest
• Adjustable rear headrests
• Knitted roof liner
• Sunglass holder
• 16-inch wheels with turbo also

While the XT Dark justifies the asking price for the features while also offering a unique black theme, we strongly suggest you consider the XZ variant instead of the XT Dark. Let’s look at its features in the next section to see why we’re suggesting this upgrade.

Tata Altroz Petrol XT Dark vs XZ Variant - Price, Feature Comparison

The Tata Altroz XZ costs Rs. 8.15 lakh with the normal petrol manual, Rs. 9.25 lakh with the automatic and Rs. 8.87 lakh with the turbo petrol engine. These prices are only Rs. 4,000 higher than the XT Dark except in the case of the turbo. With the turbo, the jump in price is of Rs. 16,000. The XZ variant adds the following notable features over the XT Dark

• Automatic halogen projector headlamps
• Rear washer wiper
• Rear defogger
• Rear AC vents
• Rear fog lamps (with turbo only)
• Front armrest
• Auto wipers
• Fabric upholstery
• 16-inch alloy wheels
• Ambient lighting on dashboard

The value of these additional features is far higher than what Tata are asking for. If you buy the XZ variant instead of the XT Dark, then you’ll have a far better ownership experience. Also, you’ll get a far superior value-for-money option in the Altroz lineup. This is the most affordable variant we can safely recommend to Altroz turbo petrol buyers. Even for Altroz automatic and 1.2L normal petrol-manual buyers, the XZ is our top recommendation.

Tata Altroz Petrol XZ vs XZ Plus Variant - Price, Feature Comparison

The Altroz XZ Plus variant is another Rs. 50,000 more expensive for the 1.2L normal petrol buyers. For the turbo petrol engine, the price jump from the XZ to the XZ Plus variant is Rs. 38,000. The XZ Plus normal petrol-manual carries an ex-showroom price of Rs. 8.65 lakh while the automatic costs Rs. 9.75 lakh. With the turbo petrol engine, the Altroz XZ Plus variant costs Rs. 9.25 lakh. For the higher asking price, the XZ Plus variant adds the following features over the XZ variant:

• Rear fog lamp (with normal petrol also)
• Tyre pressure monitor
• Telematics
• Dual-tone exterior
• Flat wiper blades
• Leather upholstery
• Leather steering and gear
• 7-inch full-colour LCD instrument cluster
• Navigation on instrument cluster LCD display

Strictly on the value front, this one is right up there with the XZ variant. However, it adds mostly good-to-have features. So, we’ll leave it up to you to decide if you want to upgrade to the top model or not.

You can also buy the XZ Plus Dark variant for additional Rs. 25,000 - 30,000. It’ll offer black alloys, black interiors, black exterior colour and black upholstery. The asking price is reasonable and worth a look if you want that black theme.

Which Variant Of The 2022 Tata Altroz Petrol Should You Buy?

Let’s start with the 1.2L normal petrol-manual variants. With the diesel engine, you should skip the XE and XE Plus variants as they don’t have several must-have features. Even if you don’t want to stretch your budget, you should at least buy the XM Plus variant and compromise a little bit on the value for a significantly better ownership experience.

On a side note, if you buy the XT non-turbo, then you’re getting a far better value. But we’ll suggest you stretch a bit for the XZ turbo. The additional features alone justify this upgrade. On top of that, you’ll get the more powerful and torquier turbo petrol engine.

You should skip the XT Dark and go straight to the XZ variant, which is not offers phenomenal value for money, but is also our top recommendation. From there, you can decide based on your budget if you want to upgrade to the XZ Plus and XZ Plus Dark. They both offer good value for money but only offer feel-good features.

For the Altroz petrol-automatic buyers, the XT is the most affordable option worth considering if you can’t stretch your budget further. However, if you can, then the XZ is an easy choice for the additional features and value for money it offers.

For the turbo petrol buyers also, we’ll suggest getting at least the XZ variant. It’ll offer a good ownership experience and a far better value for money than the lower variants. You’ll have to decide based on your budget if you want the higher XZ Plus or XZ Plus dark variants as they mostly offer feel-good features.

What Are The Engine Specifications Of The Tata Altroz Petrol?

The 1.2L normal petrol engine in the Altroz is the only other normal petrol engine among the B2 segment hatchbacks with 3 cylinders besides the Polo 1.0L. All other cars, which offer a normal petrol engine have a 4-cylinder setup. Its power and torque output are on par with the rivals. It’s the only car, not only in its segment but across all price points to offer a dual-clutch automatic with a normal petrol engine.

The mileage figures of the Altroz automatic are not available at the moment but we expect it to offer similar mileage as the Altroz 1.2L normal petrol-manual. In terms of fuel efficiency, the Baleno and Glanza twins offer the best-in-class figures of 22.35kmpl and 22.94kmpl with petrol-manual and petrol-automatic respectively.

*Estimated

Also Read: 10 Tips To Get Better Mileage From Your Petrol, Diesel Or CNG Car

Besides the Altroz, i20 and Polo are the only other B2-segment hatchbacks with a turbo petrol engine. The Altroz 1.2L turbo’s power output is acceptable for this class, but the torque output is a fair bit lower than its rivals. The Polo and i20 turbo, both offer 170Nm+ torque from their smaller, 1.0L  engines. The Altroz turbo is also the only one in this comparison not available with an automatic transmission. The i20 turbo offers a dual-clutch while the Polo offers torque converter automatic.

*Estimated

You can use our Fuel Cost Calculator to see how any petrol, diesel or CNG car will cost to run based on the latest fuel price in your city.

Fuel Cost Calculator in India

What Are The Dimensions Of The 2022 Tata Altroz?

The Tata Altroz is about as big as the other B2-segment hatchbacks but doesn’t stand out in any way. The i20 is the largest one with best-in-class width and wheelbase for a phenomenal road presence.

The only notable aspect of the Altroz is its 14-inch wheel size for lower variants with a small 165-section tyre. The Polo is the only other car with a 14-inch wheel size in this comparison and even that offers a wider tyre size than the bargain basement 165-section. We wish it had at least 175-section tyres with 15-inch wheels even in the base variant.

*Estimated

What Are The Colour Options Of The 2022 Tata Altroz Petrol?

The 2022 Altroz is available in the following 7 exterior colour options:

• Grey
• Light blue
• Dark blue
• Gold
• Black (with black interiors in Dark Edition only)
• White
• Red

Note: Here is a quick look at our length-based segmentation of cars to give you an idea of how we classify cars based on their size.