There are many things in life you can do without: 24-inch wheels, carbon-fibre mirror caps, and having your coffee order printed on your number plate. And then there are things you genuinely need, like a family hatchback that feels like it was designed by adults, for adults. This is exactly what Tata aimed for when they introduced the Altroz back in 2020.
Now in its facelifted guise for 2025, the Altroz hasn’t undergone radical changes. Tata Motors doesn’t pretend it has reinvented the wheel. Instead, it has done that most unglamorous but often most welcome thing: they’ve made it better.
Verdict: What It Is and What It Isn’t
The Altroz still isn’t a hot hatch. If you want raw excitement, you’ll need to wait for Tata to (hopefully) bring back the 118 BHP turbo petrol. What it is, though, is a car that understands its purpose.
It’s spacious, well-made, safer than its rivals, and now far more comfortable to live with. The ride is improved, the feature list is modern, and the cabin finally feels like a place you might want to spend time in, not just survive.
More importantly, it offers three truly different powertrain options, each one with a valid use case, and none that feels like an afterthought.
The petrol is for the occasional commuter. The diesel is for the highway mile-muncher. And the CNG, unexpectedly, is for the rational urbanite who wants low running costs without a taxi badge on their bumper.
You don’t always need a car that excites. Sometimes, you just need one that works. The updated Tata Altroz is exactly that, but with just enough polish, comfort, and quiet cleverness too.
Ride & Handling:
Now, Tata insists they haven't touched the suspension. Which makes what I'm about to say slightly awkward: the ride feels better.
Perhaps it's the new seats, which now offer better cushioning, improved bolstering, and meaningful under-thigh support, even in the rear. Or maybe there's some unsung tweak to bushings and dampers. Either way, the result is a hatchback that rides with calm authority. It doesn't float, it doesn't crash, it simply deals with the road in a way that feels... thought out.
It's still not the most agile thing in the segment; it prefers a smooth corner to a hairpin, but the steering now loads up nicely at speed and even offers a smidge of feedback. Enough, at least, to make you feel involved when you're not stuck in Mumbai traffic.
Petrol, Diesel, and CNG
1. 1.2 Revotron Petrol (NA)
Let's start with the petrol, which continues to produce 86.8 BHP and 115Nm. In isolation, it's fine. But once you try the diesel or even the CNG, you realise that this engine is just about doing the job. It's peppy enough for urban runabouts, but ask for a sudden overtake and you'll be left consulting your watch. There's little urgency unless you're really wringing it out, which feels at odds with the car's otherwise grown-up demeanour.
That said, refinement is good, and the power delivery is linear. The gearbox feels adequate, not slick exactly, but serviceable.
2. 1.5 Revotorq Diesel
This is the engine enthusiasts will quietly root for. The only diesel in the segment, the 1.5-litre four-cylinder makes 88.2 BHP and a rather satisfying 200Nm. On the move, it feels robust. There's a nice swell of torque from 1250 rpm, and the gearbox here oddly feels slicker than the petrol's.
Yes, there's a bit of clatter at idle, but once you're moving, it settles down and provides that relaxed elasticity only diesels manage. It suits the car. Long-legged, unbothered by hills, and frugal enough that you stop checking the fuel gauge after a while.
3. 1.2 iCNG
Then there's the CNG, which, let's be honest, sounds like the punishment spec. Except it isn't. Tata's iCNG system is rather clever. Twin 30L tanks are hidden beneath the boot floor, so you still get a usable luggage area, enough for two cabin suitcases, which is more than you can say for many sedans.
Performance is down to 72.6 BHP and 103Nm in CNG mode, and yes, it does feel slower. But the engine note is nice, oddly sportier, with a more resonant tone. NVH is impressively managed, with no additional vibrations or noise. And you can start directly in CNG mode, which is a rare convenience.
As a daily commuter, this is perhaps the smartest version of all. It costs less to run, sounds better, and doesn't compromise practicality. Not bad for what was traditionally the accountant's choice.
What They’ve Actually Changed
The real work has been done inside. The dashboard is new, with a larger 10.25-inch HD touchscreen that finally feels like it belongs in this decade. The instrument cluster is now fully digital, with map mirroring and blind spot visuals that work surprisingly well, especially in chaotic Indian traffic.
Tata has added what they call a Grand Prestigia dashboard. I call it beige. But not unpleasant beige, more like what you'd find on a good linen jacket, rather than a hotel room from 1996. The layout is cleaner now, with a piano-black HVAC control panel that is going to gather dust and scratches with touch-sensitive buttons, except for temperature and fan speed. The button to swap from CNG to petrol and vice versa is also located on this panel.
And yes, you now get a sunroof with voice-activation, no less, because it’s 2025 and people like their vitamin D. A new two-spoke steering wheel like we’ve seen on the updated Nexon and the Curvv as well. It’s a slick, modern piece, and finished entirely in piano black, which looks fantastic for exactly one afternoon. After that, it gathers fingerprints and dust with the eagerness of a crime scene investigator. The capacitive touch controls are responsive enough, but you do occasionally long for the reassuring click of an old-school switch. Still, it’s a statement piece, and in a hatchback, that’s not nothing.
Practicality & Cabin Experience
There’s a lot to like here. The seats, as mentioned, are excellent. Not leather, mind, but well-bolstered fabric that feels more comfortable than most pseudo-luxury plastics. The rear bench is supportive too, with usable under-thigh support, a nearly flat floor, rear AC vents, and a USB-C charger powerful enough to juice your laptop.
Ingress and egress are a cinch thanks to Tata’s trademark 90-degree door opening. Visibility is mostly good, and the mirrors are generously sized. The blind spot monitor helps, and so does the 360° camera system, which is clear and genuinely useful in tight parking spots.
Storage is decent, with a cooled glovebox and an armrest with usable cubbies. The boot, at 345 litres, is more than enough for urban use.
If there’s a miss, it’s the lack of ventilated seats. This facelift could’ve used that extra flourish, especially with beige fabric and Indian summers being what they are.
Features & Tech
Tata has gone feature-happy with this one. From the 26cm Harman HD infotainment to the wireless phone charger, paddle shifters (on DCA models), audio tuning via “AudioWorX,” and even air purification, the Altroz is no longer playing catch-up in the equipment race.
You also get a full suite of connected car tech via Tata’s iRA platform, which includes geo-fencing, live vehicle diagnostics, and even valet mode. Whether you’ll use it is another matter, but the sheer availability makes the Altroz feel far more premium than its price suggests.
Cruise control is standard on most variants, as is ESP, six airbags, and ISOFIX child seat mounts. This is a properly safe car. And it feels it with a five-star crash rating from Global NCAP and structural reinforcements to boot.
From the Outside In: Calm Evolution
From the outside, you’d be forgiven for thinking not much has changed. And you’d be mostly right. The silhouette is identical to the outgoing model, same wheelbase, same 3990mm length, and the same subtly aggressive stance. But look a little closer and you’ll spot the new 3D grille, LED headlamps, redesigned bumpers, and sleeker alloys. The flush door handles are new too, and while they won’t change your life, they do bring a bit of theatre to your daily unlocking ritual.
At the rear, Tata’s seen fit to install what it calls “Infinity LED Tail Lamps”, which now connect via a light bar. The result? A car that appears wider and more substantial, even if the tape measure says otherwise. It still looks like an Altroz, which is precisely the point. It hasn’t become a caricature of itself, and it doesn’t pretend to be a crossover in disguise. Thank heavens.
