Last week at the Geneva Motor Show, Tata Motors took the wraps off the production-spec Altroz, an all-new premium hatchback, which is also the first in a series of new models to be built on the company’s all-new ‘ALFA’ platform. Positioned in a segment above the Tiago, the Altroz is aimed squarely at the Maruti Suzuki Baleno and the Hyundai i20, its chief rivals with which it stacks up quite favourably in terms of space and size
The engine Altroz’s engine line-up too is quite comprehensive and consists of two petrol motors and a diesel option. The base petrol will essentially be the Tiago’s 85hp, 1.2-litre naturally aspirated motor but with the addition of balance shafts to smoothen out the inherent vibrations of a three-cylinder motor. "Refinement is important in this segment and the target is to have best-in-class NVH." said a Tata Motors powertrain engineer. However, the increase in engine friction as a result of the balance shafts may rob the engine of some of its power and fuel efficiency, which Tata Motors is hoping to compensate with the Altroz’s relatively low kerb weight. Compared to the Tiago, the Altroz is approximately 15kg lighter.
Higher variants of the Altroz will get the Nexon’s 1.2 turbo-petrol and 1.5 diesel, but both motors will have lower power and torque. The officially released figures of the Altroz’s 1.2 turbo-petrol confirm a power output of 102hp, which is marginally lower than the Nexon engine’s 110hp. Torque is substantially down too, with the Altroz’s unit developing just 140Nm compared to 170Nm in the Nexon. Tata hasn’t officially confirmed a 1.5 diesel option in the Altroz but it is definitely coming and company sources have indicated that again, it’s a detuned version of the Nexon’s motor and develops 90hp, a good 20hp less. Tata engineers are confident that even with the lower power and torque outputs of both the petrol and diesel turbo engines, performance will be “class-leading” thanks to the Altroz’s lightweight build (approximately 980kg for the 1.2 turbo-petrol). Compared to the Nexon, the Altroz is over 200kg lighter and seeing as it is stacked against the Baleno and Hyundai i20, the Altroz turbo-petrol - with its favourable power-to-weight ratio - promises to run away from its immediate rivals.
Tata Motors cites balancing performance and fuel economy as the rationale for detuning the engines in the Altroz, but company sources have admitted that the main reason power and torque had to be capped is because of the torque limitation of the 5-speed, TA-65 gearbox. Packaging constraints in the Altroz’s smaller engine bay meant that Tata Motors had no choice but to use the Tiago’s TA-65 unit, which has a lower power and torque rating, instead of the Nexon’s heavier duty 6-speed T6300 manual gearbox.
The Altroz will be launched in the second half of this year and, like most Tata products, will be priced very competitively. Tata Motors also showcased the electric Altroz at Geneva, which is likely to be launched in the next two years.
Also see:
Tata Altroz EV unlikely to be priced under Rs 10 lakh
Tata Altroz specifications revealed
Harrier 4x4 a possibility but not a priority: Tata Motors
from Autocar India - Cars https://ift.tt/2J5wwjZ
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