TATA ALTROZ

India's only diesel hatchback gets a mid-life facelift with refreshed styling and more features.

- ABHISHEK PANDEY

The Tata Altroz has always been a well-made hatchback — safe, practical, and comfortable. However, in a country obsessed with SUVs, the hatchback segment is rapidly shrinking and the refreshed Altroz aims to draw more attention with updated styling, a feature-rich cabin and three powertrain choices: petrol, CNG and diesel, making it the only diesel hatchback currently on sale in India! With the competition fading and buyers increasingly turning to crossovers, does this facelift make the Altroz stand out? We drove the diesel and iCNG versions to find out if the updates make it a more compelling alternative in the premium hatchback space.

The new Altroz’s looks are now in sync with Tata's latest design language. At the front, it gets sharper twin-pod LED headlamps with sleek DRLs, a new 3D grille, and a revised bumper housing the LED fog lamps which result in a bolder, more aggressive look. At the rear, new smoked taillamp clusters are connected by an LED strip that integrates well with the piano black panel and the shapely rear glass. The new rear bumper and gloss black elements on the side mirrors add to the sporty vibe. The 16-inch wheels have a new five-spoke design with a diamond-turned finish and look attractive. Tata has also made subtle changes to the front doors by adding illuminated flush-fitting door handles for a cleaner profile.