Tata Altroz RACER Road Test Review – Faster & Better than the Hyundai i20 NLine?

Tata Motors have had their tail up recently and are eager to get a larger market share in the Indian passenger car segment. With a stew of new launches and updates the Indian car brand is aiming high ensuring their model portfolio gets vivid and looking fresh. The Altroz hatchback was launched in 2019 and has made its name in its segment and now to carter to the true blue enthusiast the car maker has got ready a special performance version of the super hatch the Altroz Racer. We head to Coimbatore to test drive and evaluate the Altroz Racer in its natural habitat which is a Brand New Race Track, buckle on your seat belts and read on to know everything on India’s latest performance hatch the Tata Altroz Racer.

Food for Thought

Tata Motors revealed the Altroz Super Hatch in 2019 at the Geneva Auto Show along with the new age model from the stable the Buzzard, Buzzard Sport and the H2X which later became the Safari, Harrier and the Punch. The Altroz uses the super flexible ALFA-ARC platform which is also shared with the Punch. Tata Altroz Racer has been co developed with Narain Karthikeyan India’s fastest race car driver who also owns the Coastt Test Track in Coimbatore making this a track ready true blue enthusiast race car.

Exteriors

Tata Altroz Racer at first glance looks like the regular Altroz in terms of design, body shape but there is a lot more to it. You will instantly notice the dualtone body color, available in Orange, White and Grey with the top being black along with blacked out hood and adorning racing stripes on the blacked out part completing the race car sporty look.

The headlights get a slight blacked out look along with black grille, dark sporty design alloys, a special Racer badge on both the fenders, blacked out wing mirrors, a sunroof, black shark-fin antenna, large blacked our sport spoiler, blacked out Altroz badging on boot-lid making up for all the visual changes on the outsides all this completing the Racer appeal. Not forgetting the twin tip exhaust that also has a meaty race grunt to it while active. The body colors, styling and the final result all looking very well done and catchy especially in the bright orange shade that we drove.

Interiors

Like the outsides the cabin area on the Altroz Racer also gets the Racing bits and theme which include an all black cabin theme with a black dashboard highlighted with orange inserts around the AC vents and the transmission shifter, black sparkle insert on crash-pad, 10.25 inch AVN touch screen, 7 inch digital cluster screen, flat bottom leather wrapped steering with orange hand stitching, racing stripes on the seats and carpets, blacked out Altroz badge on dash, orange hand stitching on the seats & front adjustable armrest, leatherette seat upholstery with ventilation for front seats,  Racer badging on headrests.

Speaking of seat comfort, the driver’s seat is the one that would be most in demand and rightly so the seat offers excellent seat comfort, support and visibility. Manual height adjust is available and both front seats get the seat ventilation feature which worked flawlessly during our time with the Altroz Racer on the Racetrack.

The electric sunroof can also be activated using voice commands in Hindi & English both which is a good party trick. The rear seats also offer excellent comfort, support and leg space along with good head room. To enhance comfort here you get a foldable armrest, adjustable head rests, rear AC vents and USB mobile charging ports. Upfront too you gets the wireless mobile charge dock and the USB ports.

Engine – Performance – Racing Capability

Now comes the most important section for the Altroz Racer, its heart and its other vitals that actually make it a Racer. Powering the performance hatch is the 1.2L 3-cylinder Turbo Petrol engine that makes 120PS of power and has 170Nm of torque in it. All this mated to a 6-speed manual transmission.

Now this is the same 1.2L Turbo engine that also powers the Nexon but here it has been retuned and recalibrated to suit the Altroz Racer and its racing instincts. On other racing updates the steering gets a recalibration, the clutch is now a hydraulic unit, transmission has also been recalibrated and so it the suspension setup that has been stiffened all this to make it a racer car.

We had some good drive fun on the Coastt Test Track in Coimbatore, a brand new facility owned by Narain Karthikeyan India’s faster racer. During our laps around we instantly noticed the drive pleasure, the fun factor and the track capability that the Altroz Racer possesses.

The car gets into the sharp corners and gets out of it in sheer race style, feels extra safe and secure during anxious high speed maneuvers all this to the super sharp steering and the stiff race tuned suspension.

The Altroz Racer can be one hell of a hot hatch whenever needed just at a tap of the accelerator paddle and the highly capable engine that is the best in the segment currently. Power delivery is instant and the hydraulic clutch with the precise shifter all adds to the race drama enhancing every bit of it.

The best part being, the Altroz Racer making you feel secure and safe at all speeds and never out of the place all this even when you corner at speeds above 100kmph. The Altroz Racer with its meaty exhaust note adds to the fun and race drive pleasure while the ventilated seats help in a big way in cooling your back actually when you need it on the track. After the first lap we instantly realized this cars racing pedigree and its capability which was more than confidence boosting. The steering has a super connected feedback tuned on the heavier side which feels perfect for the track boosting confidence at all speeds and tricky conditions.

The biggest highlight was when we were driven by none other than Narain Karthikeyan on the track, the sheer confidence and control the man has is something we haven’t seen. He explained to us how he influenced the Altroz Racer and how he was the key factor in its development. So basically what you get on the Altroz Racer is a Race ready car Engineered and Developed by India’s fasted racer Narain Karthikeyan.

Now you would be thinking that only on the track? What about normal drive conditions; well yes we also drove the Altroz Racer on the city roads where the car felt extra peppy and fun to drive even in traffic conditions. On bad roads where we put the Altroz on the car not only absorbed the adulations and potholes but made the drive feel like driving on silk roads. Easily the best tuned suspension in its class and segment.

Safety

In terms of safety the Altroz Racer comes with six airbags, ABS, EBD, 360 degree camera, front and rear sensors, height adjustable seatbelts, blind spot monitor, ISOFIX seats, rain sensing wipers, auto headlamps etc.

Verdict

Now if you are looking to get a performance hot hatch that can drive you to work, drop your kid to school and do all the daily chores but at the same time also keep your racer instincts alive and burning then the Tata Altroz Racer is just the car for you. This is a car that can put you the daily driver into the race car driver’s seat and also help you polish your racing skills eventually. A perfect no nonsense Race ready hot hatch that can bring smiles to your face every time you drive it. Go get racing now.

Prices for the Tata Altroz Racer start at Rs. 9.49 Lakh for the R1, Rs. 10.49 Lakh for the R2 and Rs. 10.99 Lakh for the top end R3 trim. The only competition to this car being the Hyundai i20 NLine.

Words – Ritesh Madhok