Coming in clutch

Tata has finally given the Altroz an automatic gearbox, and that too a dual-clutch automatic with a wet clutch and planetary gears. Interestingly the homegrown brand has chosen to pair its new box with the naturally aspirated petrol motor for the immediate future

- Dipayan Dutta

Left in the wake of a time when an econo hatch was considered more than enough for the entire family’s mobility needs, premium hatches are the new baseline for the Indian urban consumer. The philosophy of their design with a hatch at the back is probably the only thing that they share with their predecessors, this new breed of hatchbacks has sedan-like space and sub-compact SUV-like cabin space almost dwarfing their predecessors in every dimension. Of the new crop of premium hatches, the newest is Tata’s Altroz which was launched in early 2020. At the time Tata had launched the Altroz with only two motors, a 1.2 litre naturally aspirated petrol and 1.5litre turbocharged diesel. In 2021, they followed up with a turbo-petrol with a 1.2-litre turbo. Interestingly, all of them were manual with nary an automatic in sight. Leaving the large majority of new drivers out of the niche altogether.