NEW DELHI: Hyundai Motor India and Tata Motors are pitted against one another once again in another hotly-preferred segment. With the fierce competition in the SUV segment getting all the attention for a while, the new-age premium hatchbacks- third-generation Hyundai i20 and Tata Altroz – will now lock horns to bring the attention back to their niche and underrated category.
With rivals in plenty, Tata Altroz would be the toughest, closest, and most versatile competitor to the new i20. Who comes on top? You decide as TOI Auto takes you through a comparative list:
Price
Hyundai i20 ranges between Rs 6.79 lakh – Rs 11.17 lakh (ex-showroom). Tata Altroz ranges between Rs 5.44 lakh – Rs 9.09 lakh (ex-showroom). Now the huge margin in the upper range of both the hatches is because the Altroz doesn’t offer a turbo option yet.
The petrol variants of the i20 range between Rs 6.79 lakh – Rs 9.69 lakh (ex-showroom), whereas the Altroz is towards the lower end with a fair margin as its petrol trims range between Rs 5.44 lakh – Rs 7.75 lakh (ex-showroom). Coming to the diesel variants, the i20 ranges between Rs 8.19 lakh – Rs 10.59 lakh (ex-showroom) and the Altroz again stays ahead of its new rival with its variants ranging between Rs 6.99 lakh – Rs 9.09 lakh (ex-showroom).
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The turbo petrol variant of the Hyundai i20 ranges between Rs 8.79 lakh – Rs 11.17 lakh (ex-showroom) and although Altroz doesn’t offer one yet, it can be assumed that the prices here again would be lower than its rival.
Engines and performance
The Hyundai i20 offers 3 engine options- 1.2-litre petrol, 1.5-litre diesel and 1.0-litre turbo petrol, quite identical to the once in Hyundai Venue. The 1.2-litre Kappa petrol unit manages to produce 83 PS of power and 114 Nm of torque when paired with a 5-speed MT and when the petrol unit is paired to IVT, it produces an additional power of 5 PS and the torque remains the same. The 1.5-litre U2 CRDi engine manages to offer 100 PS of power and 240 Nm of torque. The diesel unit is only available with a 6-speed MT. The 1.0-litre T-GDi turbo petrol unit offers 120 PS of power and 171 Nm of torque and is paired with either 7-speed DCT or 6-speed iMT.
On the other hand, Tata Altroz comes with two engine options- 1.2-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel, which are borrowed from Tata Nexon. The 1.2-litre Revotron petrol engine manages to offer 86 PS of power and 113 Nm of torque and the 1.5-litre Revotorq diesel unit offers 90 PS of power and 200 Nm of torque. Both the engines are only offered with a 5-speed MT.
Tata Altroz’s petrol unit does offer slightly more power and a punchy performance but the Hyundai i20 overtakes its rival with its diesel unit offering more power and torque. The i20 also has an advantage here since the turbo unit is missing in the Altroz.
Fuel Economy
The Hyundai i20’s petrol unit is claimed to offer a mileage of 20.35 kmpl, while the diesel unit is claimed to offer a mileage of 25.2 kmpl and the turbo petrol unit is expected to offer 20.25 kmpl of mileage. The Tata Altroz offers a fuel economy of 19.05 kmpl with its petrol unit and 21.11 kmpl with its diesel unit.
Although the real figures of the i20 would be out once it is actually tested for the roads, but on paper, the premium hatchback looks quite economical than the Altroz.
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In-cabin features
The Hyundai i20 does take the fight to another level in this particular aspect. The Korean hatchback now looks much more appealing with the blue ambient light and the 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster paired with the 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The 3rd-gen i20 also boasts around 50 new Bluelink connected features that include OTA map updates, navigation, voice control wake-up command and the remote engine start, AC, lock/unlock and immobilization. The one-touch electric sunroof, oxyboost air purification system, puddle lamps, wireless charging, dual Bluetooth and USB and the Bose 7-speaker stereo system further enhances the in-car experience and puts the i2- way ahead of the curve.
The Tata Altroz boasts a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a stereo system powered by Harman. The hatch also features voice command recognition powered by Google Assistant, which can be used to control phone, media and in-car climate. The Altroz also boasts a 7-inch digital instrument cluster that offers turn by turn navigation too. To enhance the in-car experience, the Tata Altroz also comes with blue ambient lighting that surrounds just the central console.
Verdict
Hyundai i20 definitely appears a bit overpriced at the first glance, but when looked at closely, it does justify its pricing with the segment-first features, the plush in-car experience and the engines offered. The Tata Altroz is a good rival, but it is safe to say that it falls a bit short compared to i20 when it comes to the in-car experience and a tad bit when it comes to fuel economies. In terms of engines and their performances, both the hatches go neck and neck with slight differences here and there. It will be interesting to see whether or not the upcoming Tata Altroz turbo and a plus variant will have enough to make the i20 sweat or maybe the Korean hatch has nothing to worry about in the longer run.
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