The much-awaited Tata Altroz DCA – automatic variant of the premium hatchback has finally been launched in the Indian market. Interested buyers can book the Altroz automatic online or at authorised Tata dealerships by paying a token amount of Rs 21,000.
The Tata Altroz DCA automatic is offered in 6 variants – XMA+, XTA, XZA, XZA(O), XZA+, XTA #Dark and XZA+ #Dark. It is available in the price bracket of Rs 8.10 lakh to Rs 9.90 lakh. It is available in 5 colours including a new Opera Blue. Other colour options are Arcade Grey, Downtown Red, Harbour Blue and Avenue White along with Cosmo Dark.
The new variant comes with a new 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, which is offered on the 1.2L 3-cylinder naturally-aspirated petrol engine. This engine is capable of producing 86bhp of power and 113Nm of torque. It was speculated that the DCA (Dual-Clutch Transmission) will be offered with the 1.2L turbo variant of the Altroz. However, this variant will prove to be an expensive for the price sensitive Indian market. The DCT is claimed to be the world’s first to offer planetary transmission.
The Tata’s DCA is very compact, which is claimed to have 35% less components than a conventional DCT. It has 1 layshaft unlike the conventional DCT which may have 2 or 3. The gearbox is claimed to have 13 gears with Planetary Gear System instead of the 20 gears in the conventional DCT. The company claims that the new DCA offers better shift quality with lesser moving parts.
The DCA has shift by wire technology that allows jerk free drives. It is fully electronic shifting without use of mechanical linkages. The gearshifts are claimed to be quick and peppy with shift time as low as 250 milli sec/shift. It comes with Auto Park Lock smart safety feature, which automatically engages the vehicle to avoid unwanted movement. The DCA uses self healing technology to removes particals as small as 10 microns.
The Tata Altroz DCA automatic comes with a slightly revised touchscreen infotainment system. The previous Altroz was equipped with a 7-inch touchscreen. The screen placement and size looks similar to the previous model; however, the bezel around the screen is much thinner that confirms bigger screen size. It comes with 16-inch alloys, 90 degree opening doors, rear armrest, shift by wire technology
The Tata Altroz DCT automatic directly rivals the Maruti Suzuki Baleno AMT, Hyundai i20 CVT, Volkswagen Polo automatic and the Honda Jazz CVT.
