Tata 45X premium hatchback becomes Tata Altroz!

Altroz! That’s the official name of Tata Motors’ latest hatchback, which was code-named the 45X in concept form. The  Tata 45X’s production version will be called the Altroz, and the car will take on the likes of the Maruti Baleno and the Hyundai Elite i20. The Altroz will be launched by November this year, and the production version of the car will be showcased to the world first at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show. We’re just a week away from the Geneva Motor Show, which means that the Tata Altroz is nearly here.

The name Altroz is inspired by the Albatross, one of the biggest sea birds on the planet. The Altroz will be the  biggest hatchback that Tata Motors has built, and is expected to be quite spacious on the inside. The car will use  the Alpha platform (Tata Motors’ market name for the Advanced Modular Platform). This platform will involve a high level of parts sharing and localization, and will be seen on a range of upcoming Tata cars. The Altroz is likely to  be priced in the Rs. 5-8 lakh bracket.

The premium hatchback is likely to borrow its petrol engines from the Tata Tiago. The 1.2 liter-3 cylinder petrol  motor could be offered in two trims – naturally aspirated (NA) and turbocharged. In NA guise, the 1.2 liter petrol is  expected to put out 84 Bhp-115 Nm, figures similar to that of the Tiago’s motor. In turbocharged trim, the motor  could make 112 Bhp-150 Nm. 5 speed manual gearboxes are likely to be standard on both engines, and a 5 speed AMT option could be offered on the turbocharged trim.

It’s not clear if Tata Motors will offer a diesel engine with the Altroz considering the fact that the impending  Bharat Stage 6 (BS6) emission norms are likely to make diesel powered cars a lot more costlier than petrol engined  ones. If Tata decides to go ahead with a diesel motor for the Altroz, it’s likely to pick the 1.5 liter-4 cylinder  diesel motor from the Nexon – in detuned guise – rather than the 1.1 liter-3 cylinder turbo diesel from the Tiago.  The smaller diesel will be quite underpowered on the Tata Altroz, and this is one reason why Tata is likely to go with the Nexon’s diesel motor.

Among other things, expect a sharp design for the new Tata premium hatchback, and value pricing is highly anticipated given how competitively the automaker has been pricing its new cars. The Tata Altroz is also likely to have segment leading levels of equipment.

Meanwhile, Mr. Mayank Pareek – President, Passenger Vehicle Business Unit, Tata Motors has this to say about the upcoming Altroz premium hatchback,

We are extremely elated to announce the name of our upcoming model, which will redefine the premium hatchback segment for the industry. With superlative design elements and a versatile architecture, the Tata ALTROZ is the perfect amalgamation of futuristic design, advanced technology, class leading connectivity, thrilling performance and smart packaging. We are excited to introduce this product to our customers and are gearing up for its commercial launch in mid – 2019. With Turnaround 2.0 now in full swing, we aim to continue winning sustainably in the PV segment through such timely product interventions.