In what comes as a solid (and timely) fillip for Tata Motors, the Tata Altroz has secured a 5-star rating at the Global New Car Assessment Programme (Global NCAP) crash tests ahead of its launch on January 22, 2020. Interestingly, this is the first instance of Global NCAP issuing crash test results for a car that's not on sale yet.
Becoming only the second made-in-India car after the Tata Nexon to receive a full five stars from Global NCAP, the Altroz also scored an impressive 16.13 points out of 17 in adult occupant protection.
Global NCAP subjected Tata’s new premium hatchback to a front offset crash test as well as a side-impact test, and in its report noted the Altroz provided good protection for the driver and front passenger’s head, neck and knees, and adequate protection for the chest. The Altroz’s bodyshell was said to be stable and that it was ‘capable of withstanding further loadings’.
It's on the child occupant protection front that the Tata Altroz takes a bit of a hit, securing three stars and scoring 29 points out of a potential 49. While protection for the 1.5-year-old child dummy was noted to be good, the backrest of the child seat for the 3-year-old child dummy (installed forward-facing with Isofix anchorages) unlatched during the crash and the dummy’s head made contact with the interior; this led to a deduction of points.
It’s worth mentioning that while Global NCAP generally uses entry-level model for their tests, this time around, a higher-spec model was used. Global NCAP says that since safety features such as dual airbags, ABS with EBD and Corner Stability Control, seatbelt reminder, speed alert system and Isofix anchorages are standard across the range, a higher-spec Altroz was selected as it weighs more and would have faced a bigger challenge. Furthermore, as alloy rims are stronger than steel, the impact load on the structure during the crash would be higher.
The first product based on the new ALFA architecture, the Tata Altroz will get two BS6-compliant engine options – a 1.2-litre, naturally aspirated petrol engine making 86hp and 113Nm, and a 1.5-litre diesel unit producing 90hp and 200Nm of torque. For now, both versions will only come with a 5-speed manual gearbox, but a dual-clutch automatic gearbox will be offered as an option in the future.
Expect Tata Altroz prices to be in the range of Rs 5-8 lakh (ex-showroom), which will help it undercut its rivals – the Hyundai i20, Maruti Suzuki Baleno, Toyota Glanza and Honda Jazz.