Tata Altroz DCT Turbo Petrol will take on the newly launched Hyundai i20 DCT – With a likely price advantage
We already know that Tata Motors will be introducing two key developments to its premium hatchback Altroz. First is a turbocharged petrol engine and second is an DCT automatic gearbox. All set to be launched in early 2021, more powerful Altroz has now been spied undisguised in Pune, by automotive enthusiast Rohit Bubanale, who has shared the images on Rushlane Spylane Facebook Group.
Tata Altroz turbo petrol will be offered with an all new seven-speed DCT unit. This is going to be sourced from Belgian automotive components manufacturer Punch. The gear-shifter on the wet clutch DCT unit will be supplied by Lumax.
The seven-speed ‘DT1’ DCT unit sourced from Punch for Altroz, is a more affordable unit in comparison to the Schaffler unit from Germany – that was also under consideration. DCT gearbox will be offered on the top-end trim of the turbo petrol variant of Altroz.
Minute Change in Dynamics
This engine and gearbox combination will make Altroz slightly heavier, than the regular naturally aspirated petrol and manual Altroz. In spite of added weight, it is expected to offer an impressive power to weight ratio. This also means that Tata might not have to tweak the suspension setup too much.
The additional output of a turbocharged petrol engine added to the quick shifts of a DCT automatic will surely make for a spirited performance. Upon its launch, it will go up against the likes of new Hyundai i20 DCT, VW Polo 1.0 TSI (AT) and CVT offerings in the form of Maruti Baleno, Honda Jazz and Toyota Glanza. The move to a wet clutch will definitely translate for better performance in the premium hatch since dry clutch units face several glitches in typical Indian driving conditions.
Apart from the Turbo badging, there is no likelihood of other visual differentiators from the regular Altroz (except for new colour/s). For the DCT variant, it will sport an additional ‘DCT’ badging as well. Feature list as well is expected to remain identical to the top-end XZ trim available on Altroz.
Current Powertrain Specs
Currently, Altroz is offered with two engine options- a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated engine and a 1.5-litre diesel engine. The former produces 85 bhp at 6,000rpm and 113 Nm of peak torque at 3,300rpm whereas the latter churns out 89 bhp at 4,000rpm and 200 Nm of peak torque between 1,250-3,000rpm. A 5-speed manual gearbox is offered as standard across the range.
Leaked document states that Turbo Altroz will deliver 108 bhp and 140 Nm. Though this is lower than rival Hyundai i20 DCT, it will likely have a huge price advantage. Hyundai i20 DCT is offered in two trims, priced at Rs 10.67 lakh and Rs 11.18 lakh, ex-sh. Turbo petrol Altroz DCT top variant is expected to be priced in the region of Rs 9-9.5 lakh, ex-sh. Tata has not revealed prices or specs of Altroz Turbo officially. These will be revealed at launch next year.
The Altroz Turbo is expected to launch sometime early next year after the company has launched its much-awaited SUV- Gravitas. Other than this, Tata Motors is also looking to launch HBX and the updated Hexa later next year.
