Tata will soon equip its premium hatchback – the Altroz with a new engine and a transmission. The i20 and Baleno challenger will soon get a more powerful turbocharged petrol engine and an all-new dual-clutch transmission (DCT) too. Here are the details on the first-ever DCT from Tata Motors.
The DCT automatic will be available only with the top-end trim according to the information by ACI. Also, the DCT will be available only with the 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine that will be available with the Altroz soon. It should be noted that the same engine is also available with the Tata Nexon and it produces a maximum power of 110 PS with that car. For the Altroz, Tata may tweak the power and torque output to make it more suitable for the transmission and the Altroz.
Also read: Tata Altroz Ground Clearance: Is it enough for Indian roads? (Video)
The transmission is sourced from Schaeffler and it will be a seven-speed unit. The gear shifter will come from Lumax. Tata does not offer an automatic transmission with the Altroz at the moment but all its competitors including the all-new i20, Baleno, Polo, Jazz, and even Glanza offer an automatic transmission. Other cars in the segment that offer a turbocharged petrol engine includes all-new i20 and Volkswagen Polo.
According to the report, Tata was planning to source the seven-speed dry-clutch DCT from the Belgian manufacturer Punch. However, that plan has changed to favour the relatively affordable wet-clutch transmission from the German component manufacturer Schaeffler. It is not known if Tata has compared the performance of both the transmission types in Indian conditions. The DCT version of the Altroz will be around 22 kg heavier than the 1.2-litre naturally-aspirated petrol version of the car. With more power and fast-paced DCT, it sure will become sportier to drive. Since there is not much of a difference in the weight, Tata may keep the suspension untouched.
The DCT will be available only with the top-end version of the Altroz. Only the Hyundai i20 offers a DCT in the segment at the moment. Tata will announce the prices of the new Altroz DCT in 2021 and it is likely to happen in January.
Looks-wise, there will be no changes in the car. It will continue to look similar to the current version of the Altroz. However, we may get to see a few additional features with the Altroz. It should be noted that the more powerful 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine will also be available with manual transmission too. However, customers looking to buy the lower trims will not get an option of an automatic transmission yet.
With the introduction of the DCT in the Tata model line-up, more products with the same transmission might get launched in the near future. Tata plans to launch the all-new Gravitas in the Indian market and is also testing the BS6 version of the Hexa in the market. Tata will also launch the production version of the HBX concept, which was showcased at the 2020 Auto Expo in Delhi.
Also read: All-new 2020 Hyundai i20 premium hatchback: India-spec version REVEALED (Video)
