Tata’s premium hatchback, the Altroz is a great car with sorted dynamics, great steering feedback & impressive cornering abilities. But there was one thing that it lacked – a powerful engine. To address this problem, the homegrown automaker also introduced the iTurbo engine but buyers were still left wanting for more.
And looking at the sales of its rival’s sportier version – the i20 N-Line, Tata began work on the Altroz Racer. Apart from the peppier engine, the car also comes with cosmetic updates and some additional features over the standard model.
This sportier version of the hatchback was displayed by the carmaker at its pavilion at the 2023 Auto Expo. Here’s all that we know about the upcoming Altroz Racer.
Altroz Racer: Engine & Performance
The Altroz Racer will continue with the same 1.2-liter, 3-cylinder, turbo-petrol engine from the iTurbo albeit with the Nexon’s tuning. This means that the hatchback’s power and torque figures will be similar to its compact SUV sibling.
So, the engine will now produce 120hp and 170Nm of torque, which is 12hp and 30Nm more than the iTurbo. With this, the Altroz Racer matches the i20 N-Line in terms of power and remains just 2Nm shy of the i20’s maximum torque which stands at 172Nm.
Talking about the transmissions on offer, the Racer will swap the iTurbo’s 5-speed manual gearbox for the Nexon’s 6-speed manual. Now we aren’t sure if Tata will equip the Racer with the standard car’s dual-clutch automatic transmission. But since the i20 N-Line also offers a DCT, Tata probably will get its DCA gearbox mated with this motor.
Altroz Racer: Exterior Changes
Tata has given the Altroz Racer a red and black dual-tone paint scheme with blackened-out ORVMs. It also gets a blacked-out roof and a jet-black bonnet flaunting two white racing stripes on the bonnet and roof.
The car comes with ‘Racer’ badges on the front fenders, a shark fin antenna, and a more pronounced rear spoiler. A lot of the design elements of the car have been blackened-out to make it look sportier. The front, the headlights, as well as the alloys all have been covered in gloss black.
Altroz Racer: Interiors & Features
Coming to the interior, it feels upmarket with premium upholstery like the all-black leatherette seats with red and white racing-stripes. The biggest change is in the form of a new 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment screen perched on the dashboard. This is a welcome and much-needed change in the Altroz’s interior and should trickle down to the standard car too.
A new 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster is also part of the package which replaces the standard model’s semi-digital unit. There’s also a new voice-activated electric sunroof, which is a first for the Altroz.
Other than that, the Racer also gets ventilated front seats, six airbags, wireless charging, and an air purifier as standard.