Tata Altroz facelift drive review - Upping the ante

Launched back in the year 2020, the Tata Altroz finally receives a thorough makeover, changing things over the surface and underneath. With the emerging competition in the premium hatchback space, the Altroz desperately required an update and now since it’s here, we put the new Altroz facelift through its paces and find out if it is any better than the outgoing model. Read on our Tata Altroz facelift review and find out details about its design, interior, features, comfort, performance and final verdict.

Tata Altroz facelift exterior changes

There are significant differences one could make out comparing the new Altroz to the old one. Most of these changes are centred towards refreshing its appeal—something the Altroz began to lose to its growing competition. Speaking of its key design changes, the front profile receives a major overhaul, featuring sleek LED headlights with integrated DRLs, a sleeker front grille with slot-like elements and a large vent to feed air to the engine. The lower part of the bumper gets large air inlets along with black cladding, accentuating its overall width whereas the either side of the front bumper features air ducts to channel cool air to the brakes.

Around the side, the changes are relatively surprising for what’s supposed to be just a facelift. The side indicators move from the fenders to the ORVMs, killing the unique design element of the outgoing Altroz. There is also a set of new machined dual-tone 16-inch alloy wheels that look sporty, specially on the bright colours like the one we have in pictures. The last change on the side profile is the inclusion of flush-fit door handles, the implementation of which could have been motorised for easy operation but the small illumination on the handle would certainly help in dark conditions.

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Rounding off the design changes is the rear profile, which in my opinion is the best angle to look at the Altroz. The highlight here is the new normal—an LED strip connecting the tail lights. The tail lights take up the same real estate as the outgoing model whereas the lighting elements are condensed into a relatively smaller space. Somehow, Tata has managed to design the overall rear section cohesively with some sportiness added to it. The blacked out elements on the lower part of the bumper certainly helps in breaking the visual bulk at the rear but the low-placed reverse light should have been set higher for better visibility. Overall, the Altroz facelift achieves what it was set out for—lending the premium hatchback a refreshing appeal over its growing competition.

Tata Altroz facelift interior and features

On the inside, the Altroz’ dashboard receives a nip and tuck, featuring a layered finish with different textures and a redesign for the AC vents. The centre of the dashboard is taken over by a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system that floats atop the centre AC vents. The lower part of the dashboard houses the capacitive panel for climate controls, which is intuitive to use and looks premium too. The seats are now more supportive thanks to the extended under-thigh support but lack ventilation, which is all right owing to their fabric upholstery. There are enough practicality spaces around the cabin and the centre armrest aligns perfectly with the placement for your elbow. Since there have been no changes to the overall space, the rear seat space remains similar to the outgoing model, which is on par with the competition.

Coming to the features on offer, the Altroz is by far the most feature loaded hatchback in its segment. Its key features include a 10.25-inch TFT display—that’s offered only on the top-spec petrol-automatic variant, surround view camera with blind spot monitoring, automatic climate control, rear AC vents, 65W fast type-c charging ports, wireless smartphone charger, electric sunroof, ambient lighting and more. However, among this long list of features, two features are missing—ventilated front seats and auto-dimming IRVM—which should have been offered at its price point.

2025 Tata Altroz drive review

The one we drove extensively at the media drive of the Altroz was the diesel, which comes with the same tried and tested 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel unit. It belts out 90PS of power and 200Nm of torque, all of which is channeled to the front wheels via a 5-speed manual transmission. While these figures may seem meek on paper, this engine shines in the real world. There is loads of torque throughout the rev band and the spike above the 2,000rpm marks ensures that you are always grinning behind the wheel. Sure, it tends to become louder as you climb up the rev range but doesn’t feel all that intrusive. Despite being a diesel, it’s complemented with a super light clutch with a well-defined biting point and a responsive steering wheel, which feels light at city speeds and confident-inducing around the bends.

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Coming to its dynamics, throwing the Altroz around the bends of the Nandi Hills was immensely rewarding. Thanks to the front heavy nature of the Altroz, it grips the tarmac and feels very surefooted. The steering weighs up well at higher speeds and feels consistent, thereby inducing confidence in your inputs. The tyres provide a good amount of grip and all of it combined, manages to offer a pleasant driving experience. What’s far more commendable is the ride quality, which the Altroz manages despite having an athletic nature. It gobbles up all the road imperfections—big or small—and keeps you oblivious from the outside world. The seats offer a good amount of support and enable you to settle in a nice and low driving position. However, a telescopic steering wheel would have opened up a wider range of adjustments, which is missed in the Altroz. Since it was just the first drive, it was too early to judge the fuel efficiency and long-distance driveability, something that we would surely find out in a road-test review in the near future.

Should you buy the 2025 Tata Altroz facelift?

As we begin to sum up this review, it’s obvious that the Altroz has grown up to become a mature product, with minimal issues that we typically associate with Tata cars in general. However, our experience with the Altroz was not perfect either. There were inconsistencies in the fitment of plastics, a loose plastic cover on the side of the centre console and a faulty reverse parking camera. We have been assured that these issues will be streamlined in customer cars, since the ones we drove were pre-production units. Overall, the Altroz facelift brings a fresh appeal to the premium hatchback, further reinforcing its presence in the segment as a robust, comfortable and stylish alternative to the existing options.