Introduction
The world of Indian performance turbos has a new competitor in the form of the Tata Altroz Racer. As the name suggests, it is a high-performance version of the premium hatchback and comes as a new top-spec model for the car. Prices start at Rs. 9.49 lakh and it can be had in three colours and across three variants. Tata’s product looks strong but has a lot of work to do in terms of facing up to its major rivals - the Hyundai i20 N Line and the Maruti Fronx turbo petrol.
Pricing
We start with the newest of the lot, the Altroz Racer. Launched in India in June 2024, there are three variants and prices are in the range of Rs. 9.49 lakh to Rs 10.99 lakh, ex-showroom. Next up is the Maruti Fronx, which with the 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine is available in four variants and prices are in the range of Rs. 9.73 lakh to Rs. 11.64 lakh. Finally, the i20 N Line is available in four variants and prices are in the range of Rs. 9.99 lakh to Rs. 11.42 lakh.
Design highlights
Two of the three cars take the same route when it comes to external appearance by way of dual-tone paint schemes and badging. The Altroz gets stripes on the outside. In silhouette and basic design, they retain the shape and identity of their standard siblings letting them not only stand out but also keep the family identity.
The Altroz’s colour schemes are brighter than what is offered on the i20 but the latter has a larger number of design elements to make it stand out just that little bit more. And then there is the Fronx, which is more crossover-like with a higher stance and fewer of the colourful elements in standard guise.
You can, however, dress up the Fronx with similarly sporty accessories from Maruti's large list on offer but that’s extra money that you will spend compared to what’s on offer with the Altroz and the i20 N Line.
Interior
Across the three cars, you can see similar layouts for the cabin. All the elements are where they are supposed to be and in the same numbers as each other. However, over the i20 N Line and now the Altroz Racer, the Fronx has an analogue instrument cluster with a full-colour MID.
Then of the three, the Racer’s cluster is the most detailed. Dimensions-wise, there is very little to separate the three cars with the i20 N Line having the largest wheelbase, while the Fronx, due to its ‘SUV’ nature at 190mm, has the highest ground clearance.
Feature list
As products competing for the same segment space, the Altroz Racer, i20 N Line, and the Fronx Turbo come as fully loaded models with features such as a 360-degree camera, large touchscreen, customisable digital cluster, sunroof, connected car technology, and a wireless charger. Over the i20 N Line, the Racer has ventilated front seats and a bigger touchscreen system, while the Fronx is the only one with an HUD. All three cars are evenly matched in terms of safety, with six airbags, ABS with EBD, traction control, headrests for middle-rear occupants, and highline TPMS.
Under the hood
Then, there’s the performance itself with the Racer’s 1.2-litre Nexon-derived turbo petrol that produces 118bhp/170Nm, while the i20’s 1.0-litre three-pot turbo petrol produces 118bhp/172Nm.
Maruti’s engine too is a 1.0-litre turbo three-pot producing 99bhp/147Nm, the lowest of the three in terms of total output. A six-speed manual comes as standard for all three, but the i20 N Line also gets a seven-speed DCT and the Fronx a six-speed torque converter AT.
Conclusion
Obviously, the ultimate choice is down to which brands appeal to you in terms of the three ‘hot cars’. The Altroz Racer offers the most number of features, while the i20 N Line excels when it comes to performance chops thanks to the wide appeal of the Hyundai N brand. The Fronx, a Maruti Suzuki, has a much wider appeal and is the closest thing to an SUV of the three.
