Tata Motors was the last manufacturer to enter the premium hatchback segment. They launched the Altroz last year. Another premium hatchback that was launched last year was the Hyundai’s i20 which got an all-new generation. The Altroz has managed to beat the i20 in terms of April’21 sales. Whereas, in March’21 the sales of the i20 were more than the Altroz.

Tata Motors sold 6,649 units of the Altroz last month whereas Hyundai sold 5,002 units of i20. However, in March the numbers were quite different. Altroz sales numbers were 7,550 units and i20’s sales numbers were 9,045 units. So, i20 sales dropped by 44.70 percent whereas Altroz sales dropped by 11.93 percent.

Having said that the sales numbers are still nowhere close to the Maruti Suzuki Baleno which is currently in a league of its own. The manufacturer sold 16,384 units of the Baleno in April which is still 22.78 percent less when compared to March in which they sold 21,217 units.

Tata Altroz

The Altroz is currently the safest hatchback that you can get in our market. It scored a 5-star rating for adult occupants and 3-star ratings for children. The Altroz starts at Rs. 5.69 lakhs ex-showroom and goes all the way up to Rs. 9.45 lakhs ex-showroom. It is offered in seven variants and three engine options.

There is a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine and a 1.5-litre diesel engine. The naturally aspirated engine produces 86 PS of max power and 113 Nm of peak torque. The 1.5-litre diesel engine is derived from the Nexon compact-SUV and is detuned for better fuel efficiency. The engine produces 90 PS of max power and 200 Nm of peak torque in Altroz whereas in Nexon the same engine produces 110 PS of max power and 260 Nm of peak torque. Then there is the turbocharged petrol engine which was recently introduced. The engine produces 110 PS of max power and a peak torque output of 140 Nm. This engine is also derived from the Nexon and is detuned. In Nexon, the same engine produces 120 PS of max power and 170 Nm of peak torque. All the engines are offered with a 5-speed manual gearbox. While a DCT automatic gearbox is expected to be introduced soon.

Hyundai i20

The i20 is the most feature equipped and the most expensive premium hatchback that you can currently buy in the Indian market. It starts at Rs. 6.85 lakhs ex-showroom and goes all the way up to Rs. 11.34 lakhs ex-showroom. Hyundai is also working on a new N Line variant of the i20. Currently, it is offered in four variants and three engine options.

There is a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, a 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine and a 1.5-litre diesel engine. The naturally aspirated petrol engine puts out 83 PS of max power and 114 Nm of peak torque. It comes mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox as standard. However, there is also a CVT automatic transmission available with the engine that bumps up the power output to 88 PS. The turbo petrol engine that comes with direct injection produces 120 PS of max power and 173 Nm of peak torque. It is offered with a 6-speed iMT clutchless gearbox or a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. The diesel engine produces 100 PS of max power and 240 Nm of peak torque. It is offered only with a 6-speed manual gearbox.