Boy Racer

Tata has given the Altroz the sportier 120bhp 1.2-litre turbo-petrol motor, and some tweaks to the suspension and steering. We take it for a spin around Coimbatore and the brand-new COASTT race track to see how it holds up

- Dipayan Dutta

From the moment it enters the frame the Tata Altroz Racer wears its intent on its sleeve, the blacked-out roof and hood with the twin racing stripes down the centre instantly scream ‘go faster’ hatch. Now Tata does offer the racer in a white and almost nardo grey paint scheme, but the Atomic Orange you see on this page declares its boy racer affiliations right as you look at it.

Another change is the addition of a roof-mounted spoiler that adds to the Altroz’s visual appeal. There is also a twin-port muffler at the back which not only adds to the sporty aesthetic but is also responsible for the Altroz’ throaty exhaust note. One does tend to feel that a few more tweaks like some skirting or reprofiled bumpers would’ve made a stronger overall impact, but the Altroz Racer isn’t a vast departure from the standard Altroz but it does enough to stand out distinctively from the rest of the lineup.

Inside the cabin though, the Altroz Racer debuts a smorgasbord of changes, some are specific to the Racer range, and some will make it to the rest of the Altroz lineup as well. The biggest change though on the inside is the new 10.25-inch infotainment system by Harman, which gets a completely revamped UX. Positioned floating on the dash, one of the things I like is how slim and proportioned it is. The new UX and the touchscreen itself are quite an improvement over the existing touchscreen on the existing Altroz.