![]() ![]() This definitely adds to the already excellent handling attributes the Tata’s premium hatch has, which makes me feel even more dejected about the lack of a more powerful engine. ![]() Use the gear lever to shift and you get a much smoother response than the five-speed manual the Altroz also employs. It must be said that taking on a set of twisties is more fun now, thanks to the slicker gearbox. I would like to say that paddle shifters would have enhanced the manual mode, but honestly, with this engine, it would be a waste, and translate to unnecessarily high costs - something Tata is actively trying to avoid. Based on the relatively short, but animated drive, I’m likely to agree all of this works quite well, though I’ll need to see for myself at some point. Tata says they’ve used a wet clutch and active cooling technology to ensure that you can consistently extract the best performance out of the gearbox, whether you’re in hot stop-go traffic or sprinting down a dusty, desert road. I have to admit, multiple runs of relatively hard-wearing cornering for a spectacular wheel-up shot didn’t seem to faze the gearbox in the least. It also means that there’s no reward for downshifting aggressively, beyond a throaty, typically three-pot exhaust note. This is what, perhaps, helps the Altroz DCA move with alacrity from standstill. The gruff three-cylinder engine is relatively more muted than when it does duty in the Tiago, Tigor and Punch, and it has the same bottom-heavy characteristic. It’s only thanks to the gearbox that this version of the Altroz is now something of an entertainer in a straight line. I put the overall speed and silkiness down to the shift-by-wire tech used. Downshifts are also quite smooth, but even more so when it has to shift from an odd gear to an even one, or vice versa. Upshifts for this dual-clutch are near-VW Group levels, which is to say almost imperceptible and downright quick. The six-speed unit doesn’t do the creep forward movement you’d associate with AMTs or torque convertors as successfully, but, unlike some of its ilk, it isn’t jerky. I could barely feel the usual hint of hesitancy when setting off from a standstill that exists in a dual-clutch unit, which bodes well for stop-go traffic conditions. Let’s dive into just how proficient India’s most affordable dual-clutch unit is. Now, the price difference between the manual and the automatic Altroz (both of the 85 bhp variety) is a quite significant Rs 1.07 lakh, so what I’m trying to ascertain is whether that premium is worth it. Whether the aim was to be cost-efficient or a case of Tata hedging its bets on the higher-selling version, it is some dismay that I say the new six-speed dual-clutch automatic is only available with the 85-bhp 1.2-litre naturally aspirated engine. The Tata Altroz has got a rather large hole in its otherwise superb repertoire filled - the premium hatchback is now available with an automatic gearbox.
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