Tata Motors entered the premium hatchback space with the Altroz in early 2020 which received favourable response from all corners but after its initial success, sales of the Altroz fizzled even though it continues to generate a steady volume. In the meanwhile, Tata added multiple iterations of the Altroz with new powertrain options namely the iCNG, the iTurbo, and the Racer.
However, it was only until now that Tata decided to give its premium hatch a proper facelift, at least that is what the company says. The new Altroz follows the same template as contemporary facelifts of older models do, which is some styling updates complemented by some additional features but backed by negligible mechanical updates.
This makes us wonder if the car is better, worse, or the same as its predecessor because at the end of the day, that is what everyone strives for — to become a better version of themselves. We got to spend a few hours with the updated Tata Altroz which was enough for us to understand if and how the experience of driving and probably owning the hatchback has changed.
2025 Tata Altroz review: Looks different but feels same
Now, none of us expects a massive overhaul in design of a vehicle over its previous iteration which is just a mid-cycle facelift, especially when one is already an attractive looking car. The Altroz undergoes subtle visual updates that we have already discussed in our previous reports, and most of it is concentrated at the front.Â
This includes a redesigned blacked-out front grille with sculpted lines and headlined by a gloss black panel instead of an illuminated LED stripe seen previously. The grille is flanked by a new dual-pod LED headlamp cluster with integrated LED DRLs which gets rectangular lights in place of circular units. The air dam and fog lamp housing also gets an all-black treatment that adds a hint of sportiness to the car.
Speaking of fog lamps, the 2025 Altroz now gets more squared units. The side profile remains the same barring the addition of a flush fitting door handles and new 16-inch all-black Drag cut alloy wheels in the top variants. At the rear, it gets a new T-shaped LED taillamp with a connected LED strip. Overall, Tata has actually done a smart thing by not tinkering too much with a design that is already one of the best in its segment.
2025 Tata Altroz review: Comfort & Safety mushed together
Step inside the cabin, and you would notice a lot is different. This includes a revised dashboard layout with a new 10.25-inch freestanding touchscreen infotainment system but we’ll discuss its functionality a bit later. The other change in the dashboard is the ambient lighting strip running across its width.
Apart from the dashboard, Tata has neatly crafted more under thigh support for the front as well as the rear seats, adding to the comfort of occupants. The rear seats are spacious and wide enough but we’ll have to see if three adults can be seated abreast for long distances. Headroom may be a little cramped for passengers over 6-feet tall but there’s no dearth in legroom and kneeroom.
The Altroz facelift is also one of the most practical cars in its segment with a class-leading 345-litre boot space for petrol and diesel variants and a very usable 210-litre space offered in the iCNG variants courtesy of the twin-cylinder technology.
In terms of features, the 10.25-inch infotainment unit from Harman is more advanced housing wireless Android Auto & Apple CarPlay connectivity, and iRA connected car suite. There’s also a larger 10.25-inch digital instrument console with in-built navigation which we didn’t get to test during our stint with the car. The facelifted Altroz also benefits from Tata’s new two-spoke multi-functional steering wheel with a black panel and an illuminated Tata logo at the centre.
Other key amenities added to the package are customisable audio modes with AudioworX, an eight-speaker audio system, wireless smartphone charger, cruise control, air purifier, a 360-degree camera, four fast charging 65W Type-C ports. and a voice-assisted electric sunroof. Safety is taken care of by 6 airbags, ISOFIX and ESP as standard, tyre pressure monitoring system, and a blind spot monitor. Overall, the Altroz feels a nice, comfortable, and safe place to be in as before.
2025 Tata Altroz review: Driving Experience
As expected, we didn’t find any difference in driving experience between the new and older Altroz. We got to drive both the iCNG and diesel variants of the hatch with a cumulative distance of about 150 km covered in our short drive. As far as output is concerned there is no change whatsoever but the 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol unit now gets a 5-speed AMT gearbox option. There’s also no whereabouts of the Altroz racer with the 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine.
| Specifications | 1.2L NA petrol | 1.2L CNG | 1.5L diesel |
| Max power | 87 bhp | 72 bhp | 89 bhp |
| Max Torque | 115 Nm | 103 Nm | 200 Nm |
| Transmission | 5-speed MT / 5-speed AMT/ 6 speed DCT | 5-speed MT | 5-speed MT |
We started our day with the Altroz iCNG which we drove mostly in the petrol mode. Like all other Tata iCNG cars, the Altroz iCNG also starts in the CNG mode by default but the transition to petrol mode is absolutely seamless with just a press of a button, something we first experienced in the Nexon iCNG last year. But yes, there is a noticeable difference in throttle response which is very evident and expected.
In the petrol mode, the performance is adequate within city confines but you feel the need for that extra surge while making quick overtakes on highways. Hence, one often needs to shift a gear or two down to find that surge of torque to give the car that momentum required. Good thing though the 5-speed manual gearbox and the clutch are fairly smooth and light to use. The grooves of the gearbox are well defined, hence, there were no false shifts.
With the diesel though, the same 5-speed felt a little clunky and the clutch was marginally heavier than its CNG/petrol counterpart but that is expected. The diesel with 200 Nm torque is definitely more responsive but again the turbocharger takes time to kick in to generate that response. This felt a bit strange since on paper, the peak torque comes as early as 1250 rpm and stays till 3000 rpm. Hence, even in the diesel you end up working the gearbox and the clutch more often than you would like.
What we didn’t like was the gruff nature of both the engines. The noise, while not explosively loud, is sustained and something not very pleasant. Even the slightest of throttle inputs resulted in a harsh clatter trickling into the cabin. Maybe Tata ought to have looked into this and worked on the refinement of the engines as well as NVH levels of the cabin.
When it comes to ride and handling, the Altroz was always the benchmark in this segment offering a perfect balance between comfort and engagement. The ride quality felt slightly on the firmer side but not too stiff, hence all the regular potholes and undulations were tackled with ace. The chassis with the ALFA architecture underpinning Altroz is a proven platform and the winding roads leading up to Nandi Hills in Bengaluru were a perfect place to test its handling.
And to our relief, it didn’t disappoint a bit. On top of that, the steering was absolutely precise and predictable, making it an absolute hoot around the corners. Oh how we wished we got to test this setup with the 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine from the Altroz Racer.
2025 Tata Altroz review: Should you go for it?
At the start of this review, we discussed how the ulterior purpose of any upgrade is to improve. While in some sense the Tata Altroz has, in many senses it hasn’t. For instance, the cabin of the Altroz is a much nicer place to be in thanks to additional creature comforts and better seats. However, the overall user experience from behind the wheels remains the same.
In our honest opinion, this is a missed opportunity by Tata Motors to address the coarse nature of the engine. That said, none of the niggles in the updated Altroz are a dealbreaker in any way. It was a very good first car in its previous iteration and remains the same in its latest avatar. With a starting price of Rs 6.89 lakh (ex-showroom), it is priced at par with its rivals.
