Tata Altroz CNG Accomplished S Drive Report: Strong Design, Practical Family Hatchback

Altroz CNG Drive Report: Tata Motors, India’s leading passenger vehicle manufacturer, recently launched the updated version of its premium hatchback, the Altroz, for the Indian market. The new Altroz got exterior and interior updates, new features, and some deletions in the powertrain options. However, the automaker has cut corners in some areas and removed some basic features from the Altroz. It competes with the Hyundai i20, the Maruti Suzuki Baleno, and the Toyota Glanza in its segment.

Recently, we got our hands on the Tata Altroz Accomplished S CNG variant, and we drove it in the city and on the highways. We tested its performance, sound output from the speakers, its ride and handling, and other parameters. Here’s our experience on whether the updates are worth it or not.

Let’s Begin!!!

Tata Altroz CNG Exteriors

The new Tata Altroz received a new exterior design.  The front profile of the Altroz is revamped. There are new LED headlamps and LED fog lamps that are inspired by the Tata Nexon. Further, it has functional air vents, which somewhat improve the aerodynamics.

On the sides, it has new flush door handles that are inspired by the Curvv. Since we drove the Accomplished S variant, it has request sensors only on the driver side. 

Tata has cut corners, and the Altroz misses out on a request sensor on the passenger side doors. Further, the design for the 16-inch alloy wheels is new and it has all-four disc brakes on offer to ensure sure-footed stopping.

At the rear, the tail lamps now have a connected treatment. The rear profile is now sharper, and the blacked-out treatment on the bumpers reduces the visual bulk. 

Since Tata Motors offers a dual-cylinder CNG technology in the Altroz, it has a good amount of boot space on offer. A full-size suitcase, along with small cabin bags, easily accommodated inside the boot.

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Tata Altroz CNG Interiors

Tata Motors has also revised the interiors of the new Altroz. Starting from the rear seats, minor tweaks have been made to improve space.

Talking about the rear seats experience, there is a decent amount of knee, leg, and shoulder room on offer. The middle passenger seat has a decent amount of legroom on offer. 

Further, to ease out, there are rear AC vents and a 65W USB Type-C charger port for convenience. Since Tata Motors has used beige upholstery, which enhances the sense of airiness inside the cabin, maintaining it in the long run can be difficult as it is prone to becoming dirty very easily.

Coming to the front, the dashboard design is slightly revised. Since we drove the Accomplished S variant, it had a smaller, 7-inch touchscreen infotainment, a digital instrument cluster, but having a single-view mode, a new panel for the air conditioning, which is also present in the Nexon, Curvy, Harrier, and Safari, and others.

Talking about practicality, you can place your coffee mug or glass in the front dashboard area, as it does offer a space for them. However, this is a problem that we have faced in the Curvv and the Nexon, which miss out on a cup holder.

Tata Altroz CNG Features

With the update, Tata Motors has added new features to the Altroz. Now it offers multiple colours of ambient lighting, a wireless charger, a sunroof, a 360-degree parking camera, and others. 

The camera quality is good and provides a good view of what’s around. The touchscreen’s user interface is similar to what we have seen on other Tata models. Further, it has a two-spoke steering wheel, having multiple controls for the instrument cluster.

Tata offers wireless connectivity for the Apple CarPlay and the Android Auto, which we feel is a plus point for this vehicle in its segment. 

However, we feel some features could have been offered in the Tata Altroz, like front ventilated seats, a digital instrument cluster, which is present in the Accomplished Plus variant, and a few others.

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Tata Altroz CNG Engine Specifications

The Tata Altroz CNG is equipped with a 1.2L naturally aspirated inline three-cylinder petrol engine, making 72 bhp and 103 Nm of peak torque in the CNG mode. This engine is paired with a five-speed manual gearbox.

The engine is quite silent at idle, and some vibrations filter inside the cabin due to the three-cylinder effect. Talking about the performance, there is some sluggishness which can be felt and for quick overtakes, you need to downshift gears. However, the gear shifts are smooth enough, and the clutch is super light, and you’ll enjoy driving this car in city conditions. In the petrol mode, the power can be felt more easily.

There are two driving modes, which also alter the engine's performance. In the ECO mode, the performance dulls out, and this mode is best for fuel efficiency. The second is the City mode, which is the default mode in which the vehicle starts. This mode offers decent engine performance.

Tata Altroz CNG Ride Quality

Since we drove the Tata Altroz with a dual-cylinder CNG technology, the suspensions are tuned specifically for the dual-cylinder. 

While we took the Altroz to an extreme rough patch, it performed well, and the suspension is on the softer side. However, on hard cornering, there is some body roll, which is present, making you lose confidence while going hard in the corners.

Tata Altroz CNG Brakes

The brakes on the Tata Altroz CNG provided sure-footed braking. They were strong and responsive to the light input. However, under heavy braking, there is a nose dive, but the car stops immediately and the ABS and EBD kicks in immediately.

Tata Altroz CNG Price

The price of the Tata Altroz CNG starts at ₹9.01 lakh (on-road, Noida) for the base Smart variant. The price of the top-spec Accomplished S variant is ₹12.95 lakh (on-road, Noida).

Conclusion:

The Tata Altroz got a good update. The automaker has added new features, and the cabin feels refreshed but remains unchanged mechanically. The cabin is roomy, and there is good space in the rear seats, similar to the previous Altroz. The Accomplished S is the top-end variant for the CNG, and the fuel efficiency is better compared to the sole petrol variant. The boot space with the dual-cylinder CNG is ample enough, and makes it a strong competitor in the premium hatchback segment. 

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