Tata Altroz DCA

 

Tata Altroz requires no introduction among Indian automobile enthusiasts. It is the only premium hatchback in India which scored 5  -star rating on adult safety in GNCAP crash test and so it is considered as the safest Indian hatchback. Here we are reviewing the DCA(Automatic) variant of the Altroz.

Exterior

The Altroz is unique by its design. We can see beautiful creases and cuts over bonnet and sides. Projector headlamps and halogen tail lamps are provided. The LED DRLs and fog lamps provided on the bumper adds its beauty from the front.

When come to sides, you can see the piano black finished ORVMs. A thick piano black element starting from the front corner glass flowing to the rear window adds a bit premiumness. Also you can find the thick front wheel arches and bold character lines on the sides of the car. With all these, the 16 inch diamond cut alloy wheels of the car is enhancing its overall beauty from sides.

The car looks more attractive from rear too. It is a unique kind of design. We can see it's smoked tail lamps, DCA badging and thick rear bumper. The car having a boot space of 345 litres which is sufficient to pack the luggage of a family of four people.

Interior

Before entering into the car you will notice it's door opening itself, yes it has wide opening doors. These doors open up to 90Degree, so any person of any size can can get in and out very comfortably. 

Altroz has a very spacious cabin. Seats are in leatherette upholstery and are well cushioned. Driver seat can be adjusted manually.

Altroz comes with a premium looking dash board. A 17.78 cm. touchscreen is provided on it. This system can support AndroidAuto and AppleCarplay. Apart from these it supports other connected feature like IRA connectivity feature. Harmann music system and rear view camera are also connected with this system.

If you are thinking about utility and storage spaces, the Altroz won't disappoint you. It has plenty of storage space inside the cabin. All doors comes with bottle holders, the cool glove box having 15 litres of storage capacity is a great thing in Altroz. 

Apart from these there is a storage space under the sliding arm rest. An umbrella holder is also avilable with the left front door is a unique or simply clever like feature of Skoda cars.

Altroz comes with a beautiful flat bottom steering wheel. Cruise control and volume control switches are provided on it. This steering wheel can be adjusted manually for tilt function only, reach is not provided.

Rear seat comfort is also very good with Altroz. It has a very spacious rear seat. Three people can sit very comfortably on this seat.

Rear A/c vents and a 12V charging sockets are available. As the floor is flat the middle passenger won't have much problem on long journeys. Two adjustable headrests and and an arm rest is also provided in this seat.

 

Drivability

Altroz is known for its comfortable driving characteristics. The car is available in three engine options.

• 1.2 litre petrol
• 1.0 litre turbo-petrol &
• 1.6 litre diesel engine

Whereas the DCA gear box is paired with 1.2 litre petrol engine models only. This engine produces 86PS power and 113Nm Torque. This engine and gear box works well in the city driving conditions and on the comfortable highway cruises. But it is not meant for the enthusiasts. Even though it is a dual-clutch transmission, you can't compare it with the performance of the Polo DCT or i20 DCT. But it does its purpose well for what it is made for. It is a comfortable cruiser and a city commuter. Moreover you will get a decent real world milage between 12 to 15km even without compromising on safety.

The new DCA  gear box itself has some important facts to discuss. First of all it is developed in India by Tata motors itself, infact it is a patented technology of Tata Motors. Secondly, as it is developed for India, it can handle all the extreme conditions like weather, rough roads or terrains whatever it is, it can handle easily. Also it comes with automatic dust cleaning technology. As per Tata, it has less than 35percent moving parts over the conventional DCT gear box and so it is more durable. The wet-clutch mechanism inside the gear box protects it from overheating of the gear box, moreover the whole system works on drive by wire technology. Gear shifts are quicker with this DCA, shifts takes place in less than 203milli seconds, that much quick are the shifts.

Riding Comfort

It has excellent riding comfort. Suspension works well on the broken roads. You can feel the boldness of the car while inside. The car feels very stable at highway speeds too.  But the tyre and wind noises are evident on higher speeds. Apart from the comfortable suspension, it's spacious cabin and comfortable seats will make your trips more enjoyable.

Safety

Altroz is best known for its safety features. It is built on ALFA Arc platform.

Energy absorbing body structure, two airbags at the front,ESC, ABS with BSC (Brake Sway Control), EBD,Corner stability control,Auto park lock, reverse parking camera with active guide lines, rain sensing wipers,fog lamps,Tyre pressure monitoring system etc and many more. 

Conclusion

Altroz is a premium hatchback. It is beautiful, bold and a Five star rated car in terms of GNCAP safety ratings. Definitely you can consider this car if you are primarily driving in city traffic conditions or doing occasional highway trips. In simple-it is a unique car in many ways.

Thanks for reading.

" Always give way to Ambulances and Emergency vehicles"

Note: All images in this blogpost are taken from manufacturer's website for presentation purpose only.