2019 Tata Altroz vs rivals: Specifications comparison

There’s no question that the Tata Altroz has created quite a buzz among Indian car buyers. The premium hatchback made its production-form debut at the recent Geneva motor show and the stage is set for its India launch in mid-2019.

A number of details are still not known – like its variant break-up, features list and (most importantly) its price. However, we do have the Tata Altroz’s engine specifications and dimensions. Enough information – including exclusive details on the Altroz’s kerb weight and boot space – to find out how the Tata Altroz fares against the Maruti Suzuki Baleno, Hyundai i20 and Honda Jazz.

Dimensions

While the Tata Altroz is the widest hatchback in this comparison, it sports the shortest wheelbase of the lot and is among the shortest in overall length, too. The Honda Jazz is the tallest model, indicating that it can accommodate tall passengers with ease, while the Hyundai i20 has the longest wheelbase, which could mean that it would have the most legroom for passengers. The Altroz’s wheels are expected to be the largest in the segment, while the Honda Jazz has the smallest.

We can exclusively reveal that the base petrol Altroz (with the naturally aspirated 1.2-litre engine) weighs 961kg and is even 14kg lighter than its smaller sibling, Tata’s Tiago, which weighs 975kg for the base petrol variant. The Heartect platform-based Maruti Suzuki Baleno is still expected to be the lightest of the premium hatchbacks, which should give it an edge in terms of fuel-efficiency and performance figures. Compared to its rivals, the Altroz’s boot space may not be best-in-segment (the Honda Jazz has the most luggage-carrying capacity there), but is significantly better than the Hyundai’s 285-litre boot.

2019 Tata Altroz vs rivals: Dimensions
	Altroz	i20	Jazz	Baleno
Length	3988mm	3985mm	3955mm	3995mm
Width	1754mm	1734mm	1694mm	1745mm
Height	1505mm	1505mm	1544mm	1510mm
Wheelbase	2501mm	2570mm	2530mm	2520mm
Wheel size	17-inch	16-inch	15-inch	16-inch
Kerb weight (petrol)	961kg (base 1.2)	1080-1120kg	1042-1066kg	865-935kg (RS: 950kg)
Kerb weight (diesel)	NA	1200kg (est)	1139-1155kg	960-985kg
Boot space	340 litres	285 litres	354 litres	339 litres

Powertrain

The Altroz and the Baleno are the only models here to be offered with three engine options – a naturally aspirated petrol, a turbo-petrol and a turbo-diesel motor. The Altroz’s naturally aspirated petrol engine is the same three-cylinder unit found under the bonnet of Tata’s Tiago, though Tata has added a balancer shaft to improve NVH levels. A proper comparison will be necessary to see if the Tata engine is as refined as the four-cylinder petrol engines on its rivals.

Among the naturally aspirated petrol hatchbacks, it is the Honda Jazz that has the most power while the Hyundai i20 has the least – albeit by a small margin. On the other hand, the Jazz has the lowest torque figure here, while the 1.2-litre Baleno’s 122.9Nm/tonne figure is the highest.

Switching focus to the turbo-petrol engine cars – the Maruti Suzuki Baleno RS and the Altroz – the Maruti’s smaller capacity 1.0-litre engine makes the same 102hp as the Tata’s larger 1.2-litre mill, although the Baleno does have a 10Nm higher torque output.

As we had previously reported, the 5-speed manual transmission on the Altroz (the Tiago’s TA-65 unit) cannot cope with a higher power and torque output, which is why Tata has limited the 1.2-litre turbo-petrol’s output figures. Based on available figures, it is the Baleno (in standard and RS forms) that will have the best power-to-weight and torque-to-weight ratios, indicating it could be the fastest and the most fuel-efficient model among premium hatchbacks.

The petrol Altroz loses out to rivals in transmission options, all of which get the option of a CVT gearbox with their respective 1.2-litre engines. There are talks of Tata debuting a dual-clutch automatic on the Altroz, but this has yet to be confirmed.

2019 Tata Altroz vs rivals: Petrol powertrain
	Altroz	i20	Jazz	Baleno
Type	3-cyl, naturally aspirated/3-cyl, turbocharged	4-cyl, naturally aspirated	4-cyl, naturally aspirated	4-cyl, naturally aspirated/3-cyl, turbocharged
Displacement	1199cc/1198cc	1197cc	1199cc	1197cc/999cc
Power	85hp/102hp	83hp	90hp	84hp/102hp
Torque	114Nm/140Nm	114Nm	110Nm	115Nm/150Nm
Transmission	5-speed MT	5-speed MT or CVT	5-speed MT or CVT	5-speed MT or CVT/5-speed MT
Power-to-weight	88.4hp per tonne/NA	74.1hp per tonne	84.4hp per tonne	89.87hp per tonne/107.4hp per tonne
Torque-to-weight	118.6Nm per tonne/NA	101.8Nm per tonne	93.8Nm per tonne	122.9Nm per tonne/157.9Nm per tonne

In a previous article, Autocar India confirmed a diesel engine option on the Tata Altroz – the same 1.5-litre, four-cylinder motor used on the Nexon compact SUV. However, like the 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine, the 1.5 diesel will also be detuned so as to be compatible with its 5-speed manual transmission. The Altroz’s estimated 90hp power figure is at par with the smaller-engined Hyundai i20, although the diesel Tata’s torque figure is yet unknown. While the Honda Jazz diesel leads in the power-to-weight department, the Baleno – despite having the lowest output figures – leads the torque-to-weight comparison thanks to its sub-1-tonne kerb weight.

Note: Maruti Suzuki is slowly phasing out the FCA-sourced 1.3-litre diesel engine in favour of an in-house 1.5-litre diesel. This engine will make its debut on the Ciaz mid-size sedan and then the Ertiga MPV, will eventually make its way to the Baleno within this year.

2019 Tata Altroz vs rivals: Diesel powertrain
	Altroz	i20	Jazz	Baleno
Type	4-cyl, turbocharged	4-cyl, turbocharged	4-cyl, turbocharged	4-cyl, turbocharged
Displacement	1497cc	1396cc	1498cc	1248cc
Power	90hp (est)	90hp	100hp	75hp
Torque	NA	220Nm	200Nm	190Nm
Transmission	5-speed MT	6-speed MT	6-speed MT	5-speed MT
Power-to-weight	NA	75hp per tonne (est)	86.6hp per tonne	76.1hp per tonne
Torque-to-weight	NA	183.3Nm per tonne (est)	173.2Nm per tonne	192.9Nm per tonne

Summing it up

Based on its size and engine options, the Tata Altroz should give its rivals a run for their money. While the model may be smaller on the inside than like-sized hatchbacks, Tata hopes to impress with the Altroz’s premium quality and practical cabin. The all-black dashboard will have a large touchscreen infotainment system (Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility is almost a certainty) while the Altroz will also sport a part-digital instrument cluster and a chunky steering with controls for the audio system.

Tata is expected to price the Altroz very competitively. As is, the Maruti Suzuki Baleno is the most affordable of the models here (Rs 5.46-8.77 lakh). Tata Altroz prices are expected to be in the same price band as the Baleno, thereby comfortably undercutting the Hyundai i20 (Rs 5.50-9.31 lakh) and Honda Jazz (Rs 7.40-9.34 lakh).

Based on its dimensions, engine options and expected price point, the Tata Altroz will definitely be a proper contender to the Maruti Suzuki Baleno, Hyundai i20 and Honda Jazz. Stay tuned for more details.

(All prices are ex-showroom, Delhi)

Also see:

Click here for Maruti Suzuki Baleno prices, details, reviews, images and videos.

Click here for Hyundai i20 prices, details, reviews, images and videos.

Click here for Honda Jazz prices, details, reviews, images and videos.

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