Priced between Rs 5.29 lakh and Rs 9.29 lakh, Tata’s newest offering, the Altroz premium hatchback, has arrived with two BS6-compliant engine options – an 86hp, 1.2-litre petrol unit and a 90hp, 1.5-litre diesel. For now, there’s just a 5-speed manual offered with both engines and we now have ARAI fuel efficiency figures for both. The Tata Altroz petrol delivers 19.05kpl while the Altroz diesel is rated at 25.11kpl.
In the premium hatchback segment, the Maruti Suzuki Baleno and the Toyota Glanza are the only models to have BS6-compliant engines. However, Honda will soon follow suit and upgrade the Jazz with BS6-compliant petrol and diesel engines. Hyundai, on the other hand, will roll out a BS6 petrol model in the coming weeks, though we’ll have to wait until June for the next-gen i20, which will get a BS6 diesel engine. We’ve lined-up the current versions of all five premium hatchbacks in manual form, on paper, to find out which is the most fuel-efficient.
How does the Altroz petrol-manual compare on mileage?
Considering the Baleno and Glanza are badge-engineered siblings – they share the same light-weight platform and efficient engines – it isn’t surprising that they both sit at the top of this list. They’re also the only models here that get a mild-hybrid engine option, which posts the highest ARAI efficiency figure in the segment of 23.87kpl. The Altroz petrol is nowhere as efficient as the Maruti or Toyota, but out performs the Hyundai i20 and Honda Jazz by a comfortable margin. It should be noted that the Honda and Hyundai are in their respective BS4 forms. Another point of note is that besides the Tata Altroz, all the premium hatchbacks here get a CVT automatic option. While Tata has confirmed a Altroz petrol-automatic – with a dual-clutch unit – is in the works, there is no word on a launch date as yet.
How does the Altroz diesel-manual compare on mileage?
From the table, we can see that the Maruti Baleno and Honda Jazz diesel are the most fuel-efficient diesel premium hatchbacks while the Hyundai i20 diesel is the least. The Tata Altroz diesel’s 25.11kpl figure doesn’t come close to the Maruti or Honda, but is comfortably more than the i20 diesel’s fuel efficiency figure.
With Maruti Suzuki deciding to forgo small diesel engines for now, the Baleno will not get a BS6-compliant diesel, and neither will the Glanza, which is based on the Maruti. This means that the Tata Altroz is the only BS6-compliant diesel premium hatchback available, at least until Honda and Hyundai bring out theirs. The next-gen i20 will get the Kia Seltos’ 1.5-litre diesel engine in a lower state of tune (about 90hp) while Honda has opted to upgrade the current 1.5-litre diesel unit so that it complies with the more stringent norms.
How does the Altroz compare on price?
Starting prices for the Altroz petrol undercut rivals by a decent margin and that’s despite the extra cost that is associated with BS6-complaint engines. Meanwhile, the top-spec Toyota Glanza is the most affordable range-topping variant available, costing just Rs 11,000 less than the equivalent Altroz variant. Maruti Baleno prices are competitive but not segment-leading. Prices for the i20 and Jazz petrol, which are already on the higher side of the segment especially in top-spec form, are set to increase in the coming days with the addition of BS6 petrol engines.
Coming to the diesels, the Tata Altroz is very well priced – the i20 diesel range starts just below the Tata’s while Jazz diesel prices start at a Rs 1.15 lakh higher price point. As the Korean and Japanese models are only BS4-compliant and will be upgraded soon, expect a Rs 50,000 hike over the current prices.
Our review of the Tata Altroz found that its attractive pricing coupled with its 5-star safety rating, practicality and looks, makes the premium hatchback quite recommendable. Our standard on-road comparison that tests fuel efficiency figures will be required before coming to a definitive conclusion, but on paper, the Altroz seems to have what it takes to go up against the current sales champion of the segment, the Maruti Suzuki Baleno.
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Uday Singh
Suraj Viswanathan
