Tata Motors has launched a new XE+ variant of the Altroz. The new variant sits above the base XE variant. It has been priced at Rs. 6.35 lakhs ex-showroom for the petrol engine and Rs. 7.55 lakhs ex-showroom for the diesel engine. It demands Rs. 50,000 more than the base variant and is Rs 15,000 and Rs 10,000 less than the XM petrol and diesel, respectively. Tata has also discontinued the XM variant now. The XE+ variant is not offered with the turbocharged petrol engine.
The main addition to the XE+ variant is the infotainment system. It is not a touchscreen unit, but a 3.5-inch infotainment system that comes with Bluetooth connectivity and is connected to four speakers. Tata has also added a front USB charger.
Other features include follow me home headlamps, electric temperature control, manually adjustable and electrically foldable outside rearview mirrors, front power windows and remote keyless entry. It still does not get wheel covers, electric adjustment for the outside rearview mirrors and rear parcel shelf.
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For safety, the XE+ variant still comes with dual front airbags, an Advanced Anti-lock braking system, Electronic Brake Distribution, Cornering Stability Control, rear parking sensors, ISOFIX child seat mounts, seat belt reminders, puncture repair kit and a high-speed alert system.
Engine and gearbox
Tata is offering the XE+ variants two engine options. Both are mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. As of now, there is no automatic transmission available with the Altroz. There are two driving modes on offer, namely City and Eco.
The petrol engine is a 1.2-litre, three-cylinder naturally aspirated unit. It produces 86 PS of max power and 113 Nm of peak torque. The diesel engine is a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder unit. It produces 90 PS of max power and 200 Nm of peak torque.
The Altroz is also offered with a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine only with XT, XZ and XZ+ variants. It produces 110 PS of max power and 140 Nm of peak torque. This engine gets three driving modes. There is City, Eco and Sport. The turbocharged engine is essentially the same engine as the Nexon but has been detuned for the Altroz. In Nexon, the same engine produces 120 PS of max power and 170 Nm of peak torque.
5 star GNCAP rating of Altroz
Altroz is based on Tata’s new ALFA platform. It stands for Agile Light Flexible Architecture. Altroz scored 5 stars in the Global NCAP Crash test which makes it the safest premium hatchback in our country. It scored 16.13 points out of 17 for Adult Occupant Protection and 29 points out of 49 for Child Occupant Protection.
Prices and Rivals
The price of Altroz starts at Rs. 5.84 lakhs ex-showroom and goes all the way up to Rs. 9.59 lakhs ex-showroom. It competes against the Hyundai i20, Maruti Suzuki Baleno, Volkswagen Polo, Honda Jazz and Toyota Glanza.
Variants
The Altroz is offered in six trims. There is XE, XE+, XM+, XT, XZ and XZ+. Only the top three variants are also offered with the turbocharged engine which Tata calls iTurbo.
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