Tata Altroz

The Tata Altroz facelift has been awaited for years now and it finally received an update that made it up-to-date It now comes with a brand new design, an updated cabin, a new petrol-AMT powertrain and a lot of modern features, while retaining its existing powertrain options and ride comfort. But, are these changes enough? Or does it still need more? Find out in this review.

• The Tata Altroz, with this facelift, now looks sharper and more modern.

• I like how Tata decided to evolve the Altroz design instead of sticking it with the design language of its SUVs.

• At the front, you get sleek LED headlights where you can see individual lighting elements, and the fog lamps have also been neatly integrated into the bumper.

• The headlamps blend neatly with the grille which gives you an end-to-end gloss black effect at the front.

• While there is no connected DRL setup, the sleek DRLs placed above the headlamps actually look nice on this face.

• However, in our use, the right DRL stopped working for some time, which is an issue we’ve seen in multiple Tata cars.

• The side profile now has a cleaner look thanks to the flush-fitting door handles at the front, and the all-black 16-inch alloy wheels with silver inserts.

• However, flush-fitting door handles at the rear doors would have looked better rather than the old C-pillar mounted ones, and the alloy wheels kind of look like styled steel wheels due to their design and shiny finish.

• Lower variants of the Altroz facelift get 16-inch steel wheels and all variants come with a 14-inch steel spare.

• At the back, the most noticeable element is the connected LED tail lamp, which is placed in a thick gloss black housing. The rest of the design is similar to the pre-facelift version.

• Even here, the tail lamps flicked and the brightness of the connecting element was uneven in some units.

• Tata is offering it with five colour options: Pristine White, Pure Grey, Royal Blue, Ember Glow, and Dune Glow.

• We would have liked to see more funky colour options like the Ember Glow (Red).

Design & Quality

• Tata has kept the dual-tone theme from the pre-facelift version but has completely redesigned the cabin.

• Its dashboard has a similar shape as before, but now comes with multiple layers and different design elements.

• While it does look good, it feels a little cluttered, and does not have a minimalistic appeal like the dashboards of other Tata models.

• The cabin does have some consistency in terms of quality as all different materials and textures feel good to touch, and you get leatherette padding on the steering wheel and gear knob.

• However, the sunroof toggle and room light feel flimsy, and while the door pads have fabric padding, it is very thin and you can feel the plastics inside.

Driving Position

• A height adjustable drive seat is offered from the one-above-base Pure variant, and tilt adjustment for steering wheel is offered as standard, so finding your ideal driving position does not take much time.

• The front seats offer good side support even for larger passengers, and you get extra padding on the seat base for better underthigh support.

• For an average sized adult, there will be no issues regarding visibility.

• However, at the driver seat’s highest position, the sunshade and part of the roof gets in your line of sight, especially if you’re 6-foot or taller.

Passenger Comfort

• Just like at the front, the outboard rear seats also get extra padding at the base which provides great underthigh support.

• The legroom and knee room is also enough for an average sized adult and the headroom is decent.

• However, for taller passengers, headroom will be less and their knees will be closer to the front seats.

• The facelifted Altroz’s rear seat provided good space for two passengers, but not three. Due to the bulged seat back, the middle passenger sits upright and also misses out on a headrest, which will make longer journeys uncomfortable.

Storage & Charging Options

• The Altroz facelift gets all the storage options you’ll need in a car.

• It gets 1-litre bottle holders in all four doors, two cupholders in the front, storage in the centre armrest, a tray next to the steering wheel, and a big glovebox with multiple levels.

• The front doors even get a dedicated pocket for a small umbrella.

• Rear passengers get two cupholders in the centre armrest, and seat back pockets.

• For charging options, the front passengers get a 12V socket, a USB port, and a 65W type-C port. The rear passengers only get 1 65W type-C port.

Features

• The feature list on the Altroz is pretty extensive and it's a big reason why this facelift feels modern.

• It gets a 10.25-inch touchscreen which has large icons, an easy to use interface, and it worked lag free during our use.

• This screen also supports wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, both of which work as intended.

• You also get an 8-speaker sound system which offers a clear sound quality for the most part, but at high volumes, the crispness and the sound clarity goes away. 

• There’s a 10.25-inch digital driver’s display as well, which displays all drive info in a neat and clean manner, it has multiple themes, and displays the feed of the blind view monitor.

• Tata has offered an electric single-pane sunroof which can be opened/closed via voice commands, and it brings additional light into the cabin.

• A single ambient lighting strip on the dash adds a premium touch, but only gets a small range of colours to choose from.

• It gets a 360-degree camera which offers a lag free feed with little to no frame drop. The 3D mode makes it easier to look at the car from multiple angles.

• It also gets a blind view monitor which displays the feed of the blind spots when you indicate, but in all variants save for the top, this feed is displayed on the touchscreen where it takes up all the space.

• This makes it annoying as once the blind spot is on the touchscreen, you can use any other function, not even navigation.

• Other features include auto AC with rear AC vents, auto headlights, cruise control, and electrically adjustable ORVMs.

• Standard safety features of the Altroz facelift include 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability program, rear parking sensors, and ISOFIX child seat anchors.

• Higher variants get a rear defogger, auto headlamps, rain sensing wipers, and a 360-degree camera.

• The top-spec variant additionally gets a tyre pressure monitoring system and a blind view monitor.

• The pre-facelift Altroz was crash tested at Global NCAP where it received a 5-star crash test safety rating.

• There have been no changes to the boot space and shape with this facelift.

• It still comes with a 345-litre boot which has enough space to keep 4 cabin sized suitcases and 1 or 2 office bags.

• Large suitcases are hard to fit due to the boot’s design.

• In the CNG variants, you have enough boot space to keep 2 cabin sized suitcases, but that’s all.

• While there is no 60:40 split in the rear seat, it can be folded down in case you’re hauling larger items.

• The 2025 Tata Altroz is available with two engine options: a 1.5-litre diesel and a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated (NA) petrol.

• You also get the option of a factory-fitted CNG kit with the petrol engine.

• There is no turbo-petrol engine on offer.

• Here are the output figures and transmission details.

1.5-litre Diesel

• The diesel engine is well refined as per diesel standards, as you don’t feel a lot of vibrations in the footwell.

• However, under load, the engine becomes very loud and it can be annoying.

• It has a decent amount of low end torque, which makes it easy to crawl, and picking up speeds is also effortless.

• The acceleration is strong and you can easily cruise around in the city.

• Overtakes on the highways are also pretty easy and it can get to triple digit speeds with ease.

• With the diesel, you only get the option of a 5-speed manual, which has a fairly light clutch and gear shifts are slick.

• However, we do wish that Tata offers an automatic with the diesel for convenience.

• Fuel efficiency in the city will be around 12 kmpl, and on the highway it can go up to 18 kmpl.

1.2-litre Petrol

• This 3-cylinder petrol engine has more vibrations than expected, and it was very evident as soon as we started the car.

• Its power delivery is also smooth,city drives are easy and overtakes don’t take much time.

• However, just like the diesel, the petrol engine also gets pretty loud under load and its heard inside the cabin due to less cabin insulation.

• On the highway, it picks up speeds at a decent pace and sometimes you’ll have to down shift in order to climb a flyover or any other incline.

• It does get to high speeds easily on flat highways and can easily cruise at those speeds.

• With the petrol, you get a 5-speed manual, a 6-step dual-clutch automatic, and a 5-speed automated manual transmission (AMT).

• For smoother gearshits and convenience, we’d recommend the dual-clutch automatic, however, if you’re on a budget, the newly introduced AMT can also offer some convenience over the manual.

• Fuel efficiency in the city will be around 9-10 kmpl, and on the highway it will be close to 16 kmpl.

1.2-litre Petrol + CNG

• Behaves similar to petrol in the city and you won’t feel much of a difference in terms of lack of power.

• On the highways, however, overtakes will require planning, and you will feel the lack of power.

• Tata does offer an AMT with its other CNG models, but for some reason, the Altroz facelift only gets a manual with CNG.

• The plus side to getting the CNG is better fuel efficiency, and it’s suitable for those who commute on the highway a lot.

• There are no complaints regarding the ride comfort of the facelifted Tata Altroz.

• At city speeds, it handles potholes and speedbreakers well and does not translate much movement inside the cabin.

• Even on deeper pothoes, passenger movement is kept to a minimum, and the cabin does not move around a lot.

• At high speeds, you will notice all the small cracks and undulations, but they won’t make you uncomfortable.

• However, due to less cabin insulation, you do hear suspension and tyre noise occasionally, which can be a tad bit irritating.

• It also handles itself well on corners and the weighted steering wheel further provides confidence.

• The Tata Altroz is being offered in 7 variants: Smart, Pure, Pure S, Creative, Creative S, Accomplished S, and Accomplished + S.

• Diesel is offered with the Pure, Creative S, and Accomplished S variants.

• You can get CNG with all variants save for the top-spec Accomplished + S.

Smart

• Typical base variant with halogen projector headlamps, 16-inch steel wheels, LED tail lamps, but gets flush-fitting door handles.

• Gets an all-black cabin, Tata’s new two-spoke steering wheel, and black fabric seats.

• Basic features are offered like all power windows, manual AC, and keyless entry.

• Safety package includes 6 airbags, ESP,  ISOFIX anchors, and rear parking sensors.

• Comes with only petrol and CNG powertrain options.

Pure

• Gets the option of an AMT with the petrol engine and is also the entry level diesel variant.

• The exterior gets LED headlamps and 16-inch steel wheels with black wheel covers over the base variant.

• Comes with a dual-tone black and beige cabin theme where the black seats get brown design elements. 

• Features include height adjustable driver seat, cruise control, auto AC, auto folding ORVMs, and steering mounted controls.

• Gets an infotainment package with a 7-inch touchscreen and a 4-speaker sound system.

• Safety kit gets additional features like a rearview camera, rain sensing wipers, auto headlamps, and an anti-glare IRVM.

Pure S

• Only gets an electric single-pane sunroof and a shark fin antenna over the Pure variant.

Creative

• Gets LED DRLs and 16-inch dual-tone styled steel wheels as part of exterior upgrades.

• Cabin gets beige fabric seats, soft touch door pads, leather wrapped gear knob, and premium plastic inserts on the dashboard.

• Feature additions include a push button start stop, ambient lighting, one touch down driver window, and front and rear 65W type-C chargers.

• The infotainment system gets a 10.25-inch touchscreen with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

• Safety kit is improved with the addition of a 360-degree camera.

Creative S

• Only gets a single-pane electric sunroof.

• Comes with the option of a dual-clutch automatic transmission with the petrol engine.

Accomplished S

• Gets connected LED tail lamps, 16-inch alloy wheels, and LED cornering headlamps.

• Cabin gets height adjustable rear seat headrests, rear central armrest with cupholders, and one touch up driver window.

• Feature additions include a wireless phone charger, an 8-speaker sound system, and a 7-inch digital driver’s display.

• Safety kit gets a tyre pressure monitoring system.

Accomplished + S

• Adds a 10.25-inch digital drivers display and customisable audio modes.

• A blind spot monitor gets added to the safety kit.

• Only available with a petrol DCA powertrain.

CarDekho Recommends

• Pick the one-above-base Pure variant if you’re on a budget. It covers all the basics, gets a decent infotainment package, a good safety kit, and the option of both petrol AMT and diesel manual. Spend extra for the Pure S variant if you want a sunroof.

• Creative variant feels the most value for money as it offers a good-looking design, a premium cabin, good features, and the option of a DCA with the “S” variants.

• Go for the Accomplished S variant if you want better features, as it gets almost all the equipment of the top-spec variant at a lower price.

With this facelift, the Tata Altroz did manage to meet most of the expectations we had, but unlike other Tata models, it did not set an overall benchmark in its segment. It offers great features, great safety, a comfortable ride and a comfortable rear seat experience, along with the segment’s only diesel engine. However, it needs some improvement in terms of cabin quality, and Tata needs to address its electronic and mechanical niggles.

Nonetheless, the changes done in the Altroz facelift are enough, and it will be a nice addition to your garage.

Other Options To Consider

Maruti Baleno/ Toyota Glanza

Reasons To Consider

• Better petrol engine experience

• Better rear seat space

Reasons To Ignore

• Less features

• No diesel engine option

Hyundai i20/ i20 N Line

Reasons To Consider

• N Line gets a turbo-petrol engine

• Good feature list

Reasons To Ignore

• Average safety package

• No diesel engine