Tata Altroz Racer

The Tata Altroz Racer is the sportier version of the standard Tata Altroz, or at least, that’s what Tata is marketing it as. It gets a new turbo-petrol engine, along with a few new features and cosmetic touch ups. But are those changes enough for the Altroz to justify the ‘Racer’ in its moniker or is there scope for improvement? We find out.

• The Tata Altroz Racer is supposed to be the sportier version of the standard hatchback, and Tata has done just enough to achieve that.

• The overall design is similar to the standard Altroz, save for a few touches that dial up the sporty quotient.

• Changes come in the form of new color schemes, a black bonnet, racing stripes, sporty side skirts and a rear spoiler. 

• I particularly like the dual tone treatment extending to the bonnet, which not only looks unique, but really adds to that sporty factor as well.

• All variants of the Tata Altroz Racer come with 16-inch alloy wheels, which have been finished in a darker tone.

• The Altroz Racer also gets twin exhausts, but you can only see them if you duck down and look under the car.

• While it looks good, I feel like the Altroz would look even better with simple revisions to the bumper and new design for the alloys. Even LED head- and tail-lights would’ve done the job.

• Tata offers the Altroz Racer in three dual tone colours: Atomic Orange, Pure Grey, and Avenue White

Design & Quality

• The Tata Altroz’s interior is identical to the standard Altroz in terms of the design and layout.

• Just like the exterior, the colour theme here is different with different shades of black theme contrasted by orange and a few white inserts.

• There’s orange ambient lighting to match those inserts. 

• Overall cabin quality of the standard Altroz was already good and the leatherette seats in the Racer further add to the premium feel.

Driving position

• The front seats of the Tata Altroz Racer feel comfortable with adequate side support.

• Finding a comfortable driving position with a height adjustable driver seat and tilt steering adjustment is rather easy. 

• But with telescopic adjustment, a sportier driving position would also have been possible.

Passenger comfort

• The rear seats of the Altroz Racer are comfortable for people of average height.

• While underthigh support is limited, there’s adequate foot and knee room.

• Head room might feel short for really tall people.

• The seat cushioning is a little on the firmer side, so it feels comfortable on both short and long journeys.

• While all the three passengers get 3-point seatbelts, seating them abreast won’t be the most comfortable. The middle passenger also doesn’t get any headrest.

Storage options

• The Altroz Racer gets plenty of storage spaces inside the cabin.

• There are cupholders, large door pockets, central console storage, under-armrest storage, and a large glove box.

• Rear passengers get seat back pockets, but still no cupholders in the central armrest.

• It offers USB chargers for front and rear passengers along with a 12V socket and type-C port at the front.

Features

• The 2025 Tata Altroz builds on the features list of the standard Altroz with new features and technology.

• The 10.25-inch infotainment unit has good resolution and response times. It tends to glitch occasionally, but works as intended for the most part.

• The widgets, menu and interface is easy to use and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay is wireless.

• The instrument cluster too is easy to use and relays a host of information that can be fed using different layouts.

• Ventilated seats are available for the front passengers, but the cooling on the base was a lot more effective than on the back.

• The quality of the 360-degree camera is really crisp on display. With multiple angles and view modes like 2D and 3D, it is easy to operate as well.

• Other features include auto headlamps and wipers, cruise control, automatic climate control, air purifier, wireless phone charger, and a voice-assisted sunroof.

• The Tata Altroz is a five star rated car by the global NCAP.

• 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability program, rear wiper and washer, rear defogger and rain sensing wipers are offered as standard.

• 360-degree camera and blind view monitor are available from the mid-spec variants.

• The Tata Altroz has a big enough boot to keep a full 3-suitcase set and then a duffle bag. 

• Loading/unloading stuff is easy and the wide and deep boot floor makes organising it easier.

• Surprisingly, there’s no 60:40 split functionality.

• The Tata Altroz Racer gets a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine borrowed from the Nexon.

• It is available with a 6-speed manual transmission only.

1.2-litre Revotron 

• The Altroz Racer’s engine doesn’t feel as exciting as you’d expect it to be. But the power is enough for all commutes.

• The torque spread has been distributed throughout the rev range, which means the acceleration isn’t punchy, but it is linear.

• As a result, overtakes in the city are easy and you don’t need to change gears often.

• It cruises comfortably at triple digit speeds and that is where this engine shines with its effortless performance.

• The manual gearbox has a light clutch, but the bite point is quite early in the travel.

• The Altroz Racer continues to offer the sweet balance of the dynamics and ride comfort that the standard Altroz offers.

• You’ll only feel a difference when you’re pushing the car hard around a corner, where the Racer feels more stable and predictable.

• The ride quality is good in the city and equally good over expansion joints on the fast express highways. 

• The Tata Altroz Racer is available in three variants: R1, R2, and R3.\

Altroz Racer R1

• A loaded base variant, which looks similar to the top-spec variant with LED DRLs, projector halogen headlights and 16-inch alloy wheels.

• Gets more than just basic amenities like auto AC, cruise control, rear AC vents, auto headlights and auto folding outside mirror, and rain sensing wipers.

• The 10.25-inch infotainment system gets wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay along with an 8-speaker sound system.

• Standard safety features: 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability program, rear wiper and washer, rear defogger and rain sensing wipers.

Altroz Racer R2

• Adds voice-assisted sunroof, wireless phone charger and 7-inch digital driver’s display.

• Safety additions include 360-degree camera and blind view monitor.

Altroz Racer R3

• Only gets three additional features - connected car technology, front ventilated seats, and an air purifier.

CarDekho Recommends:

• The Racer R1 variant is one of the most value-for-money variants in the entire Altroz lineup with its good mix of functional and feel-good features. There’s no real miss in the variant.

The Altroz is finally deserving of the ‘premium hatchback’ tag. The new features and the small tweaks to the interior work really well. The new engine offers a tonne of usable power to the Altroz, which makes it effortless to drive in any condition. The new balance between ride and handling is the best in segment, and the safety quotient is unparalleled as well. This makes the Altroz now a worthy consideration for a petrol hatchback that the whole family can enjoy together.

Other cars to consider instead of the Tata Altroz Racer

Hyundai i20 N Line

Reasons to consider

• Gets a dual clutch automatic transmission (DCT)

Reasons to ignore

• Top variants are more expensive