Tata Altroz petrol, diesel or CNG: Which engine-gearbox combo to buy?

There's a good diesel which most other hatchbacks have dropped, and also a top-class CNG. What's more, there will be an EV version too.

BHPian Omkar recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Tata has managed to keep the Altroz fresh in the Indian market by introducing different variants and powertrain options from time to time (read our full review here). As of now, you have 3 engine options – a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol, a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol and a 1.5-litre turbocharged diesel. The naturally aspirated petrol engine is offered with the CNG option as well. There’s also a dual-clutch automatic option available with the 1.2-litre naturally aspirated engine while all others are offered with a 5-speed manual transmission.

So if you were to buy a Tata Altroz, which engine and gearbox combination would you pick & why?

The 85 BHP, 1.2-litre naturally aspirated engine isn’t a stonk performer. The focus is on drivability and the power delivery is just adequate. The 5-speed MT has well-defined gates and has a light clutch too. It has decent ARAI-rated fuel efficiency as well at 19.05 km/l. You can read more about it here.

You can also have the 1.2-litre NA engine with a dual-clutch automatic transmission. This is a bold move from Tata to offer a smooth automatic transmission when the segment is offering jerky AMTs. All in all, the DCT is smooth & the response times are acceptable in most driving conditions. You can read our review here.

Tata introduced the CNG variant of the Altroz this year and the integration is quite impressive. It uses two CNG storage tanks that allow the car to have 210 litres of usable boot space. In terms of driving, there is a hint of power deficit in CNG mode, but it’s very much usable in the city. Read our review here.

The turbo-petrol brings in a fair bit of performance compared to the naturally aspirated version of the Altroz. The 109 BHP motor offers good drivability and performance. However, it does not make the Altroz a hot hatch. You can read our review here.

The 1.5-litre turbo diesel is a competent engine with good driveability and fuel efficiency. And although it doesn’t get the Nexon diesel’s state of tune, there’s a good amount of performance on offer. The diesel engine is quite punchy and you can read our review here.

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

Kudos to Tata for offering a wide range of engines & transmissions. There's a good diesel which most other hatchbacks have dropped, and also a top-class CNG. What's more, there will be an EV version too.

My first choice would be the DCA; that AT extracts the best out of the weak 1.2L NA engine. My second choice, is the all-rounded workhorse 1.5L Diesel MT.

Here's what BHPian Shreyans_Jain had to say on the matter:

They have a wide range of powertrain options on paper, but the ones you really want are not available.

• 1.2 turbo petrol with DCA
• 1.2 CNG with DCA
• 1.5 turbo diesel with DCA or torque converter
• EV

If these options are made available, all of which are easily possible, then, the fortunes of this car can change. Altroz is a fantastic vehicle that deserves to sell 3 times what it does. Tata has been as lazy with Altroz as Honda was with Jazz and WRV.

From the current lot of options, my pick is the 1.2NA with DCA automatic. The superbly implemented CNG is a distant second.

Here's what BHPian NST440 had to say on the matter:

Definitely the 1.5 Diesel MT for me. I have the same, driven for around 20k kms to date and I can vouch for the power and satisfaction it offers when swung to its capabilities.

Good power, good fuel economy, and nice sound when revved and there’s a charm to driving a rare diesel hatch today in a sea of less powerful if not underpowered petrol hatches.

The gearbox is nice and it’s a nice chunky car when you want that therapeutic drive after a long day.

May soon get a Dieseltronic for her to enjoy this further. However, whatever the engine, the driving dynamics of this vehicle are really commendable, coupled with nice ergonomics and a beautiful design.

Here's what BHPian PrasannaDhana had to say on the matter:

I voted 1.5L diesel with my money in October 2021

19 months & 50,000 km later, I am thoroughly satisfied with the car.

Solid build, adequately fast(top end will surprise a lot of people), rock solid high-speed stability, nice interiors and that gem of an engine. It's an absolute workhorse which will return 18 km/l, even to someone like me with a very heavy right foot.

Regarding petrol, I would stay away from any iteration of Tata's 1.2L, 3-pot motor because most of my usage is on highways.

But for someone who lives in a metro with crazy B2B traffic, Altroz DCA is a superb choice. I loved how smoothly the car drove and how seamlessly the gears changed. But don't try slamming the accelerator or try to drive enthusiastically, it will just bore you. For daily B2B commutes, it's an excellent choice.

PS: City dwellers who get influenced by the poll & decide to buy the diesel Variant, pls be aware of DPF issues. If you aren't taking it on highways 50 km every week and aren't driving it enthusiastically (>2500 rpm), DPF issues will occur often.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.