Do Sport and City Drive Modes On Tata Altroz iTurbo Make A Difference?

Tata Motors launched the Altroz iTurbo in India earlier last month, and it is currently one of the hatchbacks with the widest range of engine options in the premium hatchback segment. The Tata Altroz is available with a naturally aspirated petrol engine, the new turbo-petrol engine and even a diesel engine. Diesel engines themselves have become a rarity in this segment, with the Hyundai i20 being the only other car in this segment to offer a diesel engine.

Now a very unique feature on the Altroz is its multiple drive modes. The Altroz is the only hatchback in this segment to come with drive modes, and ones that actually make a difference. While the regular petrol and diesel versions of the Altroz come with 'City and 'Eco' drive modes, the Altroz iTurbo gets 'Sport' and 'City' drive modes. In the regular petrol and diesel versions of the Altroz, the Eco mode drops power output by about 10%, thus aiding fuel efficiency. Throttle responses actually feel a little more relaxed. Meanwhile, the City mode is suitable for every other regular driving condition.

Also Read : Tata Altroz 1.5L Diesel vs 1.2L Turbo-Petrol - Acceleration Comparison

With noticeable differences in the City and Eco mode in the regular Altroz, we were keen to find out if the Sport and City mode also feel different from each other in the Altroz iTurbo. And to justify the 'Sport' in the name, what better way to find out the difference than a quick acceleration test? Here in this video, we have tested how quickly the Altroz iTurbo accelerates from 0-100kph in each of the two drive modes. As for the engine itself, the 1.2L three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine produces 110hp and 140Nm of peak torque. The engine solely comes mated a 5-speed manual gearbox currently, but Tata will introduce a 7-speed DCT automatic at a later stage.

As you can see from the table above, the Altroz iTurbo has noticeably better performance in Sport mode than in City mode. The car actually feels a little more spirited with its throttle responses in the Sport mode. On-off throttle transitions are also a little more lively in the Sport mode. The best run the Altroz achieved in City mode was of 13.23 seconds. Meanwhile, the best run achieved in the Sport mode was of 10.83 second. That's a difference of nearly two and a half seconds.

If you are of the enthusiastic kind, you will surely be sticking to the Sport mode all day. However, turbo-petrol engines tend to become thirsty with aggressive throttle inputs. You might want to be mindful of that. The Altroz is currently available in six trim levels - XE, XM, XM+, XT, XZ and XZ+. The turbo-petrol engine is available only with the top three trims. Prices for the Tata Altroz currently range from INR 5.69 lakh to INR 9.45 lakh (ex-showroom price)

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