Launching tomorrow
When the Tata Altroz Racer was first announced, we looked at the legacy of Tata’s performance hatchbacks (that went on sale) and the history upon which the Altroz Racer will make its market debut – tomorrow, no less. But, having to live up to your history is just one aspect of the fight. The bigger challenge will be its competition on the outside in the form of the Hyundai i20 N Line.
On par game
Both cars aim for the same audience – those who want the pedigree but with some extra dressing on top to stand out from the crowd, and they certainly don’t lack the additional bits for that appeal. As a product, the Altroz Racer will be fully loaded with a 360-degree camera, ventilated front seats, a 10.25-inch touchscreen, a customisable digital cluster, a sunroof, and a wireless charger. These are feel-good features, putting it on par with the i20 N Line, an already established name in terms of affordable performance.
Under the hood
Then, there’s the performance itself with its 1.2-litre Nexon-derived turbo petrol that produces 118bhp/170Nm, while the i20’s 1.0-litre three-pot turbo petrol produces 118bhp/172Nm. A six-speed manual comes as standard for both, but the i20 N Line also gets a seven-speed DCT. We expect a seven-speed DCT for the Altroz Racer, too, later as this setup exists with the Nexon.
F1 legend behind the wheel
Something that could work in favour of the Racer is Tata’s long-standing relationship with Narain Karthikeyan and his expertise in tuning their cars. He’s in the commercials for the car and that should play a big role in attracting current enthusiasts as well as people that have followed his exploits in the past.
Pricing factor
The i20 N Line range is priced from Rs.9.99 lakh to Rs.11.42 lakh and if the Altroz Racer comes in below this by at least Rs. 50,000, then Tata should have a winner on its hands.