After being in development for almost two years, Tata Motors has finally introduced an automatic gearbox for Altroz. Named Altroz DCA (Dual Clutch Automatic), prices of automatic variants of the premium hatchback start from Rs 8.09 lakh and go all the way to Rs 9.89 lakh ex-sh.
The company will be offering this new gearbox in three trims including XT, XZ and XZ+. In comparison, the manual versions of the same trims are Rs 1.07 lakh cheaper.
Along with regular trims, this automatic transmission will also be available in Dark Edition variants. The homegrown carmaker has already started accepting bookings for Altroz DCA through its official website or any authorised dealership at a token amount of Rs 21,000.
The new dual-clutch automatic gearbox has been made available with the 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol unit only. As of now, there is no word from the company on offering this new automatic gearbox in other engine options of Altroz. Prior to this, all variants of Altroz were paired with a 5-speed manual gearbox as standard across the range.
Output of this 1.2-litre NA automatic petrol unit remains same as its manual counterpart at 85 bhp and 113 Nm of peak torque. Altroz range is also offered with a 1.2-litre turbo petrol unit and a 1.5-litre diesel engine. No visual updates have been made on Altroz DCA in comparison to its manual variants. However, the former receives a few more gizmos than manual variants of the premium hatchback.
Unlike Tata Altroz automatic, rival Hyundai i20 automatic is offered in a choice of two engine options and two automatic transmission options. Hyundai i20 IVT is priced from Rs 8.9 lakh to Rs 10.51 lakh while the i20 DCT is priced from Rs 9.76 lakh to Rs 11.33 lakh. It also gets IMT, priced from Rs 8.78 lakh to Rs 9.99 lakh. Speaking about Baleno AMT, it is priced from Rs 7.69 lakh to Rs 9.49 lakh. All prices are ex-sh.
Speaking about features, top-spec trim of Altroz DCA gets a larger touchscreen infotainment display. Rest of the automatic variants come with a regular 7-inch touchscreen unit. Additional features on offer in the top-spec Atroz DCA include ventilated front seats, auto-dimming IRVMs and an air purifier.
Other novelties offered by the Altroz lineup include Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, iRA connected car tech, rain-sensing wipers, auto climate control, a semi-digital instrument cluster, ambient lighting, rain-sensing wipers, automatic headlights, push-button start/stop and more. Safety of occupants is taken care of by dual front airbags, ISOFIX child seat anchors, and rear parking sensors as standard fitment.
Altroz DCA also gets a new paint scheme called Opel Blue in addition to other options including Arcade Grey, Cosmos Black, Downtown Red, Harbour Blue and Avenue White. It also gets an all-black exterior paint scheme in the Dark Edition trim. Units of Altroz DCA have already started being dispatched to dealerships across the country.