Welcome to the newest of Autocar India’s basic comparisons. True to fashion, we’ve rounded up each single rival for a head-to-head matchup. Within the highlight as we speak are diesel premium hatchbacks and the record of rivals contains the brand new Hyundai i20, Tata Altroz and, er, that’s it! You see, with the Maruti Suzuki Baleno, Volkswagen Polo and Honda Jazz diesels bowing out earlier than the BS6 emission norms period, your selection of diesel premium hatchback is right down to the 2 fashions you see right here.
Bose sound system is a wow characteristic on the i20.
The all-new, third-gen i20 (fourth-gen should you think about the Getz an i20) hopes to select up the place the previous mannequin left off as probably the most upmarket of the choices within the section. The Tata Altroz is a heavyweight in its personal proper. Simply Tata’s most completed hatchback but, the Altroz additionally began its innings with a bang, and a five-star World NCAP ranking.
The query is, which of those diesel hatchbacks must you go the space with?
Altroz will get ISOFIX mounts as customary.
Type quotient
Each hatchbacks measure just below 4m in size, are very shut in width and peak, and in top-spec guise, as featured right here, experience on 16-inch wheels too. The i20 has the longer (79mm longer, to be exact) wheelbase although that’s not the very first thing your eyes will lock on to when trying on the Hyundai. The most recent i20 is styled to face out and the look is refreshingly radical or unnecessarily overdone, relying in your aesthetic sensibilities. Hyundai’s acquainted cascading grille is XL-sized right here, there are aggressive cuts on the bonnet and entrance bumper, and even the shoulder line has a singular triangular 3D impact. Z-shaped LEDs for the tail-lights assist distinguish the i20 however apparently sufficient, the sporty, blacked-out tailgate prime is a element we had first seen on the Altroz.
i20’s styling is extroverted. Shoulder line includes complicated creases.
To most of our testers, the Altroz is the extra classically good-looking automotive. The proportions are spot on, whereas the slickly included black stylistic elaborations below the home windows lend the Tata a sporty, tipped-forward look. That shark nose-like grille, the big headlights and the chunky wheel arches additionally give the Altroz quick visible enchantment. The twin-tone remedy of the boot lid solely provides extra flavour to the Tata. If there’s one thing to carry up, it’s that the vertically-oriented rear door handles, which sit aft the home windows, aren’t as handy to make use of as typical horizontal ones (on the doorways) would have been.
Altroz’s doorways uniquely open to 90 levels and make ingress and egress straightforward.
Inside info
The fully-loaded i20 Asta (O)’s cabin makes an incredible first impression. The mixed impact of the digital instrument cluster, the crisp and enormous 10.25-inch touchscreen and the sunroof instantly set up the i20 as a premium and feature-loaded automotive. The low-set sprint can also be neat (not everyone seems to be a fan of the horizontal strakes although) and helps give an incredible view out, whereas steering rake and attain alter makes discovering a snug driving place straightforward. The place the i20 will go away you wanting is, surprisingly for a Hyundai, in cabin high quality. Certain, the steering is nice to carry, the switches and toggle-like controls on the centre console really feel good and there’s a textured floor on the sprint prime, too, however there are additionally fairly a number of exhausting and scratchy plastics on the within. Moreover, the all-black cabin theme makes the i20’s inside look a bit drab in daylight.
Massive touchscreen and vibrant digital cluster give i20 inside a new-age look. The all-black theme does look a bit drab.
Open the Altroz’s doorways (they uniquely swing open to 90 levels) and also you’ll be aware that it makes use of colors and textures to higher impact. The matte end for the centre console, the gloss band throughout the sprint and the lighter plastics decrease down work effectively collectively and assist uplift the look of issues. The dashboard itself seems modern, courtesy the high-set place of the 7.0-inch touchscreen. There are some uneven panel gaps corresponding to across the glovebox however, on the entire, high quality isn’t removed from Hyundai’s requirements, and that’s an enormous praise for Tata Motors. It’s not good inside, nonetheless. The thick A pillars impede visibility round corners and the absence of steering attain alter can also be a miss. Of the opposite issues, the devices, with the squared-out analogue speedometer and the triangular needle-end for the digital tacho, aren’t the best to confer with on the go.
Altroz’s layered sprint seems good. A intelligent use of textures and hues uplift the perceived high quality on the within.
Function story
Earlier than we dive in to the gear these automobiles include, you must know that there’s a substantial distinction of their costs. The place the Altroz diesel begins at Rs 6.99 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) and tops off at Rs 8.95 lakh for this XZ(O) trim, Hyundai i20 diesel costs vary from Rs 8.19-10.74 lakh. Evaluate the top-spec Altroz XZ(O) to the like-priced Rs 8.99 lakh i20 Sportz and also you’ll discover that it’s the Tata that simply packs in additional for the cash. Whereas the i20 Sportz has some bragging rights with a bigger and nicer 8.0-inch touchscreen, BMW-like digital instrument cluster and tyre strain monitoring system, the Tata goes one-up with its 16-inch alloy wheels, ISOFIX youngster seat mounts, rear centre armrest, ambient lighting, cruise management, push button begin and auto local weather management.
The i20 is roomier and comfier on the again. Massive home windows assist ethereal really feel.
You do get the aforementioned consolation options on the range-topping i20 Asta (O) (featured right here in single-tone guise) nevertheless it’s a disgrace that necessities like a rear wiper and adjustable headrests are solely reserved for the highest model. On the plus facet, the i20 Asta (O) units a brand new benchmark for the section by way of goodies, packing in LED projector headlamps, a sunroof, an onboard air air purifier, a wi-fi charger, a class-leading 10.25-inch touchscreen, related tech and a great-sounding Bose sound system. ESC and facet and curtain airbags are different options unique to the i20 Asta (O). Do be aware, whereas each automobiles conform to India’s newest crash requirements, solely the Altroz has been examined by World NCAP, which awarded it a prime security ranking.
Again benchers
The place the restricted rear-seat room was a weak spot of the last-gen i20, the ample room on the again is a energy on the newest mannequin. There’s glorious legroom, a intelligent scoop on the roof ensures even six-footers received’t be tight on headroom, and it’s the barely extra accommodating automotive to seat three abreast. A properly reclined backrest solely provides to the consolation.
The Altroz runs the i20 shut on rear kneeroom and the cabin is about as broad because the Hyundai’s too (a flat flooring additionally helps life for the center passenger) however general rear-seat consolation isn’t fairly on the identical degree. The backrest is a contact too upright and headroom is restricted; taller passengers will discover their heads touching the roof. Additional, the Altroz, with its smaller home windows, merely doesn’t provide the identical sense of area because the i20’s cabin.
Altroz affords good kneeroom however headroom is restricted. Backrest is upright too.
It’s a fair match by way of area for small objects. Each automobiles get cupholders up entrance, bottle holders on all doorways and enormous sufficient gloveboxes, though the Altroz’s additionally options useful compartments. On airport runs or journeys out of city, you’ll have the ability to match that little bit extra into the Altroz’s well-shaped 345-litre boot. The Hyundai affords an inexpensive 311 litres of area, as compared. Each automobiles provide the choice to fold down the rear seat backrest to release extra room, however neither provides the added flexibility of cut up seats.
Coronary heart of the matter
The i20 could be out there with a sporty 1.0 turbo-petrol engine too, nevertheless it’s really this 1.5 diesel-powered model that’s one of the best to drive. The 100hp and 240Nm engine is responsive, delivers its energy in a pleasant method and usually makes the i20 really feel mild on its ft. Easing the expertise on the town is the sleek six-speed guide gearbox and well-weighted clutch. There’s a step up in energy at about 1,800rpm that stays with you proper until 4,000rpm, providing you with a large band to play in. And you may have some enjoyable with this engine. 0-100kph takes a brisk 10.42 seconds and efficiency is greater than passable via the gears too. There’s a gravelly be aware from the engine above 2,000rpm however in on a regular basis driving you’ll really be impressed by the degrees of engine refinement.
The brand new i20 takes a step up in dealing with. The diesel corners with composure.
Just like the i20, the Altroz additionally feels its finest in diesel guise. The factor is, the Tata’s 90hp, 200Nm, 1.5 diesel by no means feels as effectively completed because the Hyundai unit. For starters, whereas the in-gear acceleration numbers (measured at full throttle) are spectacular on paper, efficiency in on a regular basis drives will go away you wanting. Half-throttle responses are humdrum and there’s additionally an uncommon throttle lag that you need to cope with, which is irritating on the town. Issues do enhance as you construct as much as cruising speeds and what’s additionally good is the inclusion of drive modes that allow you to select between effectivity (Eco mode) and energy (Metropolis mode).
The Tata engine is considerably noisier although, each at idle and on the transfer. The absence of a sixth gear additionally comes into play right here. The place 100kph in sixth interprets to 1,900rpm within the Hyundai, 100kph in fifth equates to a better 2,200rpm within the Altroz, which isn’t as relaxed over lengthy drives. For its half, the Tata’s five-speed gearbox is good sufficient to make use of, however the clutch does require exact modulation, particularly when beginning out. Ultimately, it’s the small issues that add as much as counsel a considerably lack of finesse within the engine and gearbox division.
Feelsome steering and eager dealing with make the Altroz good enjoyable within the corners.
There’s little between the 2 fashions by way of official gas economic system, with ARAI rankings of 25.2kpl and 25.11 kpl for the i20 and Altroz, respectively. Whereas we couldn’t put the duo via our gas run, we anticipate each automobiles to ship upwards of 15kpl on the town and 20kpl on the freeway.
Consolation zone
Good low-speed experience consolation has at all times been an i20 forte and that’s an space the place the newest mannequin impresses as effectively. The i20 rounds off the bumps very well with little noise from the suspension. The excellent news is that high-speed manners have additionally improved vastly with this technology; it neither feels unfastened on the helm nor does it bob round. The truth is, the driving expertise is sort of mature, with good straight-line stability and a well-damped experience being components of the expertise. The steering is easy, too, making the i20 cheap enjoyable to drive in corners.
Some plastics within the i20 really feel scratchy.
It’s the Altroz, nonetheless, which is the extra pleasant hatchback on a winding highway. Steering weight is very well judged, grip ranges are good and even physique actions are effectively contained. The Altroz additionally feels that bit extra sure-footed on the freeway and what additionally helps is how assured the Tata feels below exhausting braking. The place the Altroz falls brief is in sound insulation. There’s loads of highway noise that seeps into the cabin and that is all of the extra noticeable over lengthy journeys. Decibel ranges soar up significantly on concrete surfaces that make up many new highways. At decrease speeds, the firmer-setup Altroz can really feel a bit fidgety and doesn’t filter out floor imperfections in addition to the i20. Present the Altroz a very dangerous patch although and, like different Tatas, it looks like a automotive constructed to take a beating.
At a premium
With its eye-catching seems, keener pricing and that stamp of security, the Altroz can be a no brainer for lots of consumers. The Tata is effectively made on the within too, makes for a assured freeway automotive and in addition feels India-proof due to its strong construct. However for all its strengths, the Altroz additionally leaves you questioning how significantly better it may have been, had the engine been extra energetic and if refinement was higher.
Altroz’s squared-out dials take getting used to.
The smoother and quieter Hyundai i20 affords a much more polished driving expertise as compared and this can be a incontrovertible fact that received’t be misplaced on consumers within the section. The i20’s simply received the nicer diesel engine, has the plusher low-speed experience and can also be the one with the roomier and comfier cabin. On the flipside, the i20 diesel is expensive by class requirements and the options of curiosity are skewed to the higher-spec variants. Then once more, the range-topping i20 Asta (O) can also be one of the best geared up automotive for the cash, and the premium cash does get you the extra premium bundle.
All issues thought-about, consumers on a set price range can be content material with the Altroz. However in case you are open to the concept of spending huge for a small automotive that does all of it, the i20 diesel is our decide.
Additionally see:
2021 Tata Altroz iTurbo first look video
Tata Altroz iTurbo revealed earlier than January 22 launch
Hyundai i20 vs Tata Altroz diesel comparability video
