[Ripcord09]

Tata Altroz Racer

What you'll like:

• 1.2L Turbo-Petrol offers good driveability & satisfactory performance
• We love the Altroz's overall design. Has a solid build too
• Well-priced for what it offers
• Nice interior with good quality parts & adequate space
• Accommodating 345-litre boot is among the biggest of the segment
• Mature on-road behaviour, including at highway speeds
• 5-star NCAP safety rating! Safety package includes six airbags, 360-degree camera, blind view monitor etc.
• Enjoyable Harman 8-speaker ICE. One of the better audio systems in this segment
• Impressive kit (auto headlamps & wipers, cruise control, air purifier, wireless charging, ventilated leatherette seats, sunroof, ambient lighting...)

What you won't:

• Not really a hot hatch. Performance is fair, but not explosive. 0-100 in 11.3 seconds
• Turbo-petrol is only offered in the Altroz Racer. Limited colour choices and those racing stripes won't be to everyone's liking
• No automatic gearbox option in a market that loves its ATs
• Notchy gearshift takes away some of the fun of driving
• Only one drive mode - Sport. A city mode would have provided a smoother drive in traffic (it is jerky at low speeds)
• Suspension has a firm edge at low speeds
• Service visit every 6 months / 7,500 km (1 year / 10,000 km is the norm today)
• Some missing features (auto-dimming IRVM, full size spare tyre, split-folding rear seat...)
• Tata's after-sales service quality is a hit or miss. Remains a gamble

Review Link

Altroz 1.2L Turbo-Petrol's Review

Hyundai i20 N Line

What you'll like:

• Aggressive styling with distinctive touches that set it apart from the garden-variety i20
• Punchy 1.0 turbo-petrol motor with 118 BHP on tap
• Firm yet compliant suspension coupled with a weighted steering + paddle shifters + fruity exhaust note that make the i20 N Line fun
• Tasteful N Line-exclusive steering wheel, gear selector, red accents etc liven up the interior
• Feature-rich equipment list includes cruise control, LED projectors, voice-activated sunroof, wireless charging & more
• Spacious cabin with a 311 liter boot makes this a practical yet fun-to-drive car
• Price premium over the regular i20 is totally justified by the additions & improvements
• Safety kit = ESP, 6 airbags, rear disc brakes, Blue Link SOS, Hill Assist…

What you won't:

• Although well-priced in relation to the i20 Asta variant, it is still an expensive hatchback
• 1.0L DCT variant shows initial lag. Even otherwise, it’s not as explosive as VW’s 1.0 Turbo
• Some misses such as auto wipers, split folding rear seats…
• You absolutely need a tyre upgrade. The OEM rubber gives up easily
• This 3rd-gen i20’s styling can be polarizing, unlike the more neutral previous generation cars
• Dual-clutch ATs have had a troubled reliability record in India
• More of a warmed-up hatchback in terms of power & handling, rather than a “hot hatch” like an Abarth Punto

Review Link

Maruti Suzuki Fronx Turbo

What you'll like:

• Smart looking crossover with sharp & attractive styling
• Feels better built than some other Maruti cars
• 1.0L Boosterjet turbo-petrol engine is quick and has minimal turbo lag. Driveability is satisfactory
• Smart Hybrid system ensures excellent fuel efficiency. ARAI = 20.01 to 22.89 km/l
• Nicely tuned suspension glides over small bumps, potholes and road imperfections
• User-friendly cabin with loads of space! Can easily seat 5 adults (unlike many competitors)
• Long feature list includes LED auto headlamps, LED DRLs, cruise control, 9-inch touchscreen HU paired with an Arkamys sound system, 360-degree camera, head-up display, rear A/C vents, wireless charging, footwell lighting, tilt & telescopic steering adjustment, connected car features etc
• Safety kit includes 6 airbags, 3-point seatbelts for all, ESP, traction control, hill-hold assist and ISOFIX
• Maruti’s excellent after-sales service, wide dealer network & fuss-free ownership experiences

What you won't:

• On the inside, it’s almost identical to the regular Baleno. Differentiation should’ve been more
• Quality of some plastic parts and fabric upholstery is mediocre
• 1.0L turbo-petrol although quick, is not exciting enough for enthusiasts
• 308-litre boot is among the smallest in the segment
• No diesel option like some rivals
• Rear seat’s under-thigh support is lacking for taller passengers
• A few missing features like sunroof, TPMS, rear armrest, drive modes, auto wipers and front parking sensors
• Lesser height means, despite the smart styling, it doesn’t have the road presence of typical crossovers

Review Link

Citroen C3 Turbo

What you'll like:

• Striking design! Very funky, yet likeable at the same time
• Good-looking cabin that is practical too
• Fast 1.2L turbo-petrol is genuinely fun-to-drive, while the 1.2L naturally-aspirated engine offers excellent driveability
• 6-speed MT is slick and light to operate. Definitely one of the better gearboxes in the segment
• Sorted suspension offers a very good ride & handling package
• Compact size and light controls are perfect for the urban environment
• 10-inch touchscreen with wireless Android Auto & Apple CarPlay is excellent to use
• Lots of customization options and accessories to make your car truly unique

What you won't:

• Missing plenty of features = electric ORVM adjustment, IRVM dimmer (not even manual), climate control, rear wiper & defogger, reversing camera, alloy wheels, tachometer!
• Just 2 variants at launch (no true top variant)
• No automatic transmission on offer - a big miss when ATs are rapidly gaining popularity in India
• Quality of cabin materials doesn't feel great; cost-cutting is pretty evident in certain areas
• Some ergonomic issues like the placement of rear power window switches, unusable rear headrests…
• 1.2L NA petrol’s highway performance is mediocre; 5-speed MT is notchy too
• Cabin width makes the interiors suitable for 4 adults, not 5
• Long-term reliability & after-sales service quality are big unknowns; dealer network is tiny

Review Link

Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor Turbo

Review Link

Nissan Magnite Turbo

What you'll like:

• The Magnite looks really good…that handsome face is a head-turner
• Sheer value-for-money pricing. Turbo-petrol with a proper AT under 10 lakhs!
• Peppy performance from the Magnite’s 1.0L turbo-petrol engine
• Smooth well-tuned CVT in a sea of jerky AMTs. Has Sport and L modes too
• Healthy legroom for rear passengers. Space packaging is brilliant
• Impressive kit (cruise control, LED headlamps, rear air-con vents, 360-degree camera, wireless charger, wireless Android Auto & Apple CarPlay)
• 205 mm of ground clearance is more than enough for any kind of bad roads
• Safety kit includes ESP, TPMS, ABS, EBD & hill start assist
• Base variant also gets reasonable kit, including a rear wiper. It’s not poverty-spec

What you won't:

• Stiff & basic ride quality. You feel each and everything on the road
• The Magnite is built to a cost and it does show, especially in the budget-grade cabin
• Lower variants’ 1.0L naturally-aspirated petrol is a boring, unimpressive engine
• Clunky, firm MT gearshift & a clutch pedal that has more weight than it should
• No diesel option available on the Nissan Magnite
• Cabin is narrower than some competitors. Narrow width makes it best for 4 adults
• Missing features such as an auto dimming IRVM, full-size spare tyre…
• Doesn't have the finesse or quality of premium crossovers like the XUV300, Sonet etc.
• Nissan's tiny dealership network & lousy after-sales quality

Review Link

Renault Kiger Turbo

First Drive

Ownership Review

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[Haze]

Quoting my own post from the Altroz Racer thread

Originally Posted by Haze

Well done Tata.
You have managed to make a racer car, with racing stripes and poser faux Carbon Fibre bonnet, which is slower from 0-100 than a Nissan Magnite Turbo and a Honda Elevate.
0-100 in 12.05 seconds (VBOX Autocar, see post #58 by S2!!! in the last page); joke of a "racer" car.

Honda city 0-100 time = 10.2 seconds VBOX Autocar India (https://www.autocarindia.com/car-rev...t-drive-417757)

Citroen C3 Turbo 0-100 time = 10.72 seconds VBOX Autocar India https://www.autocarindia.com/auto-fe...plained-426582

Magnite turbo 0-100 time 11.16 seconds VBOX Autocar https://www.autocarindia.com/car-rev...t-drive-419214

Honda Elevate 0-100 time 10.82 seconds VBOX Autocar https://www.autocarindia.com/car-rev...807/tech-specs

XUV 300 Turbo sport time 10.9 claimed (no autocar VBOX available, take this with a pinch of slat)

And this is before I throw in some diesels into the mix.

Kia Sonet 0-100 time = 11.48 seconds VBOX Autocar India (Diesel Auto) https://www.autocarindia.com/car-rev...t-drive-418551

Imagine buying a hot hatch for 11 Lakhs on-road, just to get smoked by a Honda city/Elevate.

Honestly, I would beg, borrow or steal another 2 lakhs and buy a base Honda City for 13 Lakhs on-road Delhi, rather than spend 11 on an Altroz racer.
Faster, more reliable, and people wont say he's having a midlife crisis when you pull up in a orange hatchback with black bonnet and white racing stripes.
Especially not when there's not enough go to back the show.

To me, all of these cars are massively overpriced.

The base C3 Turbo is 9.54 on-road Delhi. (Carwale).

If the budget is hard limited at 10, then that's your only option, and a decent one at that.

If you can extend by a couple of lakhs, really feel City/Slavia/Virtus offer a lot more for your money.

[car_guy1998]

Voted for i20 N-Line as it has stiffer suspension setup, better reliability when compared to Tata and better performance. And, the icing on the cake is, it has MT gearbox, whose performance is much better than DCT in this car and enthusiasts no longer miss having MT in a hatch with sorted dynamics.

Maybe, soon, I'd look forward getting this car as fun car or third car at home but in MT guise mostly as I always wanted to have a hot hatch.

A small note in the above post. In cons, you have mentioned that Hyundai is offering iMT instead of proper MT. Now, it's not the case anymore as Hyundai is offering proper MT in i20 N-Line.

If Polo was there, I'd have voted for it. But, destiny had other plans for VW.

[myavu]

I voted for Altroz Racer

For me, Racer is the complete package. The engine is no match for the competition, but not a slouch either. The mature handling, sure-footed ride, 5-star safety, and extended future list sealed the deal for me.

[satish.gawai]

Voted for the I20 N line for the better fun-to-drive tunning than others.

The second choice would be Altroz Racer.

[jomyboy]

I voted for the Kiger (Magnite) as I don't there is any other transmission that comes closes to the CVT/Turbo combination. It is the only thing that drove me towards the Kiger and everyone who has driven my car has marveled at how good the transmission actually is. I personally felt the suspension on the Kiger gives it an extra edge over its competitors at this price.

I haven't drive the C3 Turbo, so apart from that the others are just overpriced lab grown diamonds.

[Pkumarblore]

Hi, voted for N-Line simply because it has the AT. If the Racer had an AT option, then maybe I would have voted for it.

[Grand Tourer]

I never understood why Tata does a half chewed job for their product rollouts. I remember when the harrier was launched back in 2020, they kept saying a petrol automatic would come along soon. Here we are in 2024 and still no sign of a petrol though they at some point were forced into getting an automatic but they should realize that they lost a good chunk of customers.

Coming to this, while MT is the choice for some, there are many who would opt for the auto. I'm one of them. The issue is, Tata again is not clear if an auto is in the works and they claim they will bring it if there is demand. How do you gauge demand if there is no one coming to buy it or get turned away from the showroom owing to not having an auto. These customers are not going to wait since Tata doesn't have a release timeline

Anyways, I chose the i20 since I have the nline n8. While there are some good to have features like the 360 camera and the ventilated seats, I feel Tata should have done more to make this a more premium offering given this is a niche segment.

Let's see how the market fares and if it tells a different story

[Sensible_Speed]

Voted Toyota Taisor Turbo solely due to the 6 speed TC auto and that fantastic orange colour. The boosterjet + TC combo is very sensible, while also providing good performance. I feel the Fronx/UC Taisor have an underrated suspension/handling combo that makes even ordinary drivers feel engaged.

[ashokabs]

Tata Racer is still a half baked product with an engine and gearing that gives 0-100 that is more than Honda Elevate. On of the reviews gave quote" These tests are a good way to ascertain any car's acceleration capabilities. The 0-60kmph sprint shows how quickly the vehicle can get away from traffic and the Elevate took 4.77 seconds which is good. Similarly, the 0-100kmph acceleration was completed by the Elevate in 10.92 unquote.

When will Tata get the engine right? They've had enough time to eke out better performance from the 3 cyl 1.2 L engine. Also they still haven't managed to reduce vibrations and NVH to levels that a manufacturer who aspires to international sales.

The fit and finish remains iffy and sad that it still has a poor gearbox - long throws and notchy.

I'm not sure what Tata Motors vision is for its products. They are not improving except in copying competitors in providing more accessories!