September 2022 - Tata Altroz Diesel Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

Updated: This Tata Altroz diesel variants explained article includes the latest September 2022 prices of the Altroz along with our buying recommendation for all Altroz diesel variants.

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What Are The Pros And Cons Of Tata Altroz Diesel?

The pros or advantages of Tata Altroz diesel are:

• A diesel engine alone is worth some praise as only a handful of hatchbacks offer this luxury these days for mile munchers
• The diesel engine carries a reasonable premium over the normal petrol and turbo petrol options
• 5-star safety GNCAP rating
• Notable features of the Altroz include projector headlamps, font and rear armrests, auto AC with rear vents, cruise control, power mirrors, wearable key, keyless entry with push-button start/stop and full-colour LCD instrument cluster
• Well-priced and feature-loaded XZ variant is an easy recommendation for Altroz diesel buyers

The Tata Altroz diesel has the following shortcomings or problems:

• Power, torque, gears and fuel efficiency are all lower than the i20 diesel
• No automatic transmission option with the diesel engine
• The XE Plus variant misses out on several must-have features
• Lower variants get skinny 165-section tyres with 14-inch wheels; we wish it had at least 15-inch wheels with 175-section tyres
• Long and confusing variant lineup makes decision making difficult for potential buyers
• A 6-month interval for service centre visits is too short for keeping the warranty intact; 1 year is the industry standard

What Is The Price Of Tata Altroz Diesel Variants?

The Altroz diesel is available in 5 main variants with prices starting at Rs. 7.85 lakh for the XE Plus trim. The top-spec Altroz XZ Plus diesel costs Rs. 9.95 lakh.

The Tata Altroz diesel carries a premium of Rs. 1.25 lakh over the 1.2L normal petrol engine variants. Compared to the turbo petrol-manual, the diesel-manual’s prices are Rs. 58,000 to Rs. 70,000 higher.

Tata Altroz Petrol Vs Diesel — Should You Buy The Tata Altroz Diesel?

Considering the fuel prices in Delhi as of September 2022 and the official mileage figures, you can expect to recover the higher upfront cost for the Altroz diesel over the Altroz petrol in about 94,000km. For the turbo petrol variants, this kilometre-to-breakeven figure is between 40,000 and 50,000km depending on the variant.

It’s worth noting that the Altroz diesel also offers better torque output and drivability than the petrol engine. Once we add the value of the performance, then the realistic km-to-breakeven figure drops to 40,000 for normal petrol variants. Compared to the turbo petrol engine, the Altroz diesel will help you recover the higher upfront cost in 16,000 - 24,000km. This is, again, assuming that you value the better torque output of the Altroz diesel and are willing to pay a reasonable price for the same.

Depending on whether you value the better performance of the diesel engine or not and your usage, you can refer to these km-to-breakeven figures to decide if you should choose the Altroz diesel or not.

You can use our Fuel Cost Calculator to see how much any petrol, diesel or CNG car will cost to run based on the latest fuel price in your city.

Fuel Cost Calculator in India

Note: Check your Car EMI with our - Car Loan EMI Calculator

Tata Altroz Diesel XE Plus - Base Model Features

The base XE Plus variant of the Tata Altroz diesel costs Rs. 7.85 lakh (ex-showroom). The most notable features of the Altroz XE Plus are:

• Drive modes
• Front power windows
• Body-coloured bumpers and door handles
• Black outside mirrors
• Adjustable front headrests
• Tilt steering
• Dead pedal
• Bottle holders and pockets in all doors
• Umbrella holders in front doors
• MID
• 14-inch steel wheels
• Flat bottom steering wheel
• Manual central locking

The base XE Plus diesel variant of the Altroz doesn’t offer the following must-have features:

• Power mirrors
• Internally-adjustable outside mirrors
• Steering-mounted controls
• Day/night inside mirror
• Larger wheels with wheel covers

Because of these missing must-have features in a car costing almost Rs. 8.0 lakh ex-showroom, we don’t recommend buying this variant.

Tata Altroz Diesel XE Plus vs XM Plus Variant - Price, Feature Comparison

The Tata Altroz XM Plus variant is the next in line with an ex-showroom price of Rs. 8.45 lakh This variant is Rs. 60,000 more expensive than the lower XE Plus variant. It adds the following notable features:

• 7-inch touchscreen
• Android Auto and Apple Carplay
• Steering-mounted controls
• Power mirrors with auto folding
• Rear parcel tray
• Rear power windows
• 16-inch steel wheels with wheel covers
• Dual horn
• Voice alerts

The additional features of the Tata Altroz XM Plus also don’t justify the price gap from the lower variants. But for budget-conscious buyers, this is the minimum variant worth buying to enjoy a decent ownership experience. We’ll still strongly recommend stretching your budget for the XT to get better value as well as more useful features.

Tata Altroz Diesel XM Plus vs XT Variant - Price, Feature Comparison

The Altroz XT diesel costs Rs. 8.95 lakh (ex-showroom), which is Rs. 50,000 higher than the XM Plus’ price. For this additional sum, it adds the following notable features:

• Auto AC
• Cruise control
• Rear camera
• Front fog lamps
• Day/night inside mirror
• Keyless entry with push-button start/stop
• Footwell lighting
• LED DRLs
• Cooled glovebox
• Idle start/stop

It not only offers a well-rounded ownership experience with the features, but also justifies the higher asking price over the lower variants. The only features you might miss in the XT are:

• Projector headlamps
• Height-adjustable driver seat
• Front and rear armrests
• Rear AC vents

This is the most affordable variant of the Altroz diesel we can recommend to a budget buyer without any complaints. However, you should consider stretching the budget a bit more for the higher XZ variant, which offers even better value for money.

Tata Altroz Diesel XT vs XZ Variant - Price, Feature Comparison

The Tata Altroz XZ diesel costs Rs. 9.45 lakh (ex-showroom). It’s Rs. 50,000 more than the XT. The XZ variant adds the following notable features over the Altroz XT:

• Automatic halogen projector headlamps
• Rear washer wiper
• Rear defogger
• Rear AC vents
• Rear fog lamps (with turbo only)
• Front armrest
• Auto wipers
• Fabric upholstery
• 16-inch alloy wheels
• Ambient lighting on dashboard

While it doesn't get the unique black interior and exterior theme, it does offer a fairly long list of features, which will immensely improve your ownership experience. The XZ variant is our top recommendation for all Altroz diesel buyers. If you can afford this variant, then this is the one you should buy to get the best value for money without compromising on the ownership experience.

Tata Altroz Diesel XZ vs XZ Plus Variant - Price, Feature Comparison

The Altroz XZ Plus variant is another Rs. 50,000 more expensive and costs Rs. 9.95 lakh. For the higher asking price, the XZ Plus variant adds the following features over the XZ variant:

• Tyre pressure sensors
• Telematics
• Dual-tone exterior
• Flat wiper blades
• Leather upholstery
• Leather steering and gear
• 7-inch full-colour LCD instrument cluster with navigation

Strictly on the value front, this variant is right up there with the XZ variant. However, it adds mostly good-to-have features. So, we’ll leave it up to you to decide if you want to upgrade to this top model or not.

Which Variant Of The Tata Altroz Diesel Should You Buy?

With the diesel engine, you should skip the XE and XE Plus variants as they don’t have several must-have features. Even if you don’t want to stretch your budget, you should at least buy the XM Plus variant and compromise a little bit on the value for a better ownership experience.

Beyond the XM Plus, the XT looks like a good value-for-money option, but the jump to the XZ is more than worth it. So, we’ll suggest you to skip the XT and go for the Altroz XZ, which is also our top recommendation. From there, you can decide based on your budget if you want to upgrade to the XZ Plus. It offers good value but only adds good-to-have features.

What Are The Engine Specifications Of The Tata Altroz Diesel?

The Altroz is the only other B2-segment hatchback with a diesel engine besides the Hyundai i20. It has 90PS of power, which is 10PS less than the i20; 200Nm of torque, which is 40Nm less than the i20 diesel and 1 less gear. Even the i20’s fuel efficiency figure is almost 10% better than the Altroz diesel. While it’s nice to see at least the option of a diesel engine in the Altroz, it is lagging a fair bit behind the i20 diesel’s specs.

*Estimated

What Are The Dimensions Of The Tata Altroz?

For a B2-segment diesel hatchback buyer, the Altroz and i20 are the only options. Between these two cars, the i20 is wider and has a longer wheelbase with bigger wheels for lower variants. The only saving grace for the Altroz is its larger boot space.

Find out how you can get the best mileage or fuel efficiency from your car:

10 Tips To Get Better Mileage From Your Petrol, Diesel Or CNG Car

What Are The Colour Options Of The Tata Altroz Diesel?

The 2022 Altroz diesel is available in the following 7 exterior colour options:

• Grey
• Light blue
• Dark blue
• Gold
• Black (with black interiors in XT Dark and XZ Plus Dark only)
• White
• Red

Note: Here is a quick look at our length-based segmentation of cars to give you an idea of how we classify cars based on their size: