Tata Motors revealed the Altroz iTurbo a few days ago and it is slated for a launch on January 22, 2021. The Tata Altroz iTurbo is the newest premium hatchback with a turbo-petrol engine and has been squarely aimed at the Hyundai i20 turbo-petrol and the Volkswagen Polo GT TSI. Bookings for the Tata Altroz iTurbo are currently ongoing for a token amount of INR 11,000. With the new turbo-petrol engine, the Altroz finally has the potential to fully exploit its chassis. We have always loved the ride and handling balance of the Altroz but its powertrain never lived up to expectations. Let's find out how this new engine fares in terms of performance.
The Tata Altroz iTurbo and the Hyundai i20 are two hatchbacks which have the widest range of powertrain options in this class. Both hatchbacks are offered with a naturally aspirated petrol engine, a diesel engine and a turbo-petrol engine. Here we will thus be comparing the Altroz iTurbo against the Hyundai i20 in terms of acceleration with their turbo-petrol engines. While the Volkswagen Polo TSI is really the benchmark in this segment, the i20 isn't too far behind. Let's find out how the Hyundai i20 vs Tata Altroz iTurbo fares in the real world.
Also Read : Hyundai i20 vs Tata Altroz - Acceleration Test - Diesel Manual
Hyundai i20 vs Tata Altroz iTurbo - Specifications Comparison
| Hyundai i20 | Tata Altroz iTurbo | |
| Engine | 1.0L 3-Cylinder Turbo-Petrol | 1.2L 3-Cylinder Turbo-Petrol |
| Power | 120hp | 110hp |
| Torque | 170Nm | 140Nm |
| Transmission | 6-speed iMT/7-speed DCT | 5-speed manual |
While the Hyundai i20 is powered by a smaller 1.0L engine, the Altroz iTurbo uses a larger 1.2L engine. However, it is actually the i20 that produces more power and torque. The i20 has 10hp and 30Nm more torque than the Altroz. It thus has the clear advantage on paper. Also, Tata is currently only offering a 5-speed manual with the Altroz iTurbo while a DCT gearbox will be introduced later. The Hyundai on the other hand gets a 6-speed iMT or a 7-speed DCT gearbox. Here in this test, we have the Hyundai with the DCT gearbox.
Hyundai i20 vs Tata Altroz iTurbo - Acceleration Test
| Hyundai i20 | Tata Altroz iTurbo | |
| 0-100kmph (First Attempt) | 11.15 seconds | 11.23 seconds |
| 0-100kmph (Second Attempt) | 11.12 seconds | 11.00 seconds |
| 0-100kmph (Third Attempt) | 11.00 seconds | 10.83 seconds |
The real world acceleration test has a very surprising result. While the Hyundai i20 may be both more powerful and torque-ey than the Altroz iTurbo, it is actually the latter which comes out faster in two of the three runs. The Altroz actually manages a sub-11 second run and that's quite impressive considering its numbers might not suggest so. The gap in performance between both the hatchbacks are however very negligible and they are quite evenly matched indeed.
That said, the power delivery on the Altroz iTurbo still does not kick you back on your seat like the Volkswagen Polo TSI. In fact, its quite linear and progressive, the highlight being the smoothness of the engine. We certainly would have liked a little more punch from the engine and then it would have been a really fun to drive car. The Altroz iTurbo however is a huge step over the naturally aspirated petrol engine in the Altroz and it does allow you to exploit the chassis a little more. The Volkswagen Polo still remains the king of performance in this class.
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