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India Today
5 days ago
- Automotive
- India Today
2025 Tata Altroz review: ready to take on the Baleno?
Tata Motors has been a dominant force in the market for the past few years, but the homegrown automakers' lead has been limited to compact and subcompact SUVs, where it enjoys an indomitable rule. Tata's smaller cars though, including the Tiago, Tigor and the Altroz haven't replicated the success like their stablemates, and the latter has been given an upgrade for the 2025 model year, with an overhaul of the exterior and the interior, to make it a more attractive package. The 2025 Altroz gets changes on the exterior and interior to make it a more attractive package. advertisementStarting with the front, the Altroz which for me has been the looker in the premium hatch segment now gets a new LED DRL, below which sit new twin-pod LED headlamps. The black panel connecting the headlamps has a new design, while the entirety of the front bumper is new, it houses new Nexon-esque LED fog lamps (that also serve as cornering lamps), a central air intake, and a grille below. The 2025 Altroz's front has a new LED DRL, twin-pod LED headlamps, a new bumper and LED fog lamps. On the sides, the profile hasn't changed, but unlike what we see with most facelifts, the new Altroz gets a new fender, and doors that have sort of let go of that strong shoulder line and adopts a smoother flow. It also gets car designers' latest fad - flush door handles for the front doors, which aren't motorised, so I am not a fan of them, but they do get an illuminated marker making them easy to find in the dark. It also sports new 16-inch alloys, that have a blacked out look, and look much better when the car is on the move. And the last change for the exterior that Tata has introduced are the new colour options - Pure Grey, Dune Glow and Ember Glow, with the Ember being the hot orange that you see here, and having seen each of these in person, I am really impressed by the way each of these provide a unique persona to the car. On the rear, the 2025 Altroz has new LED taillamps, a full width LED strip, along with a new roof spoiler and a new lower bumper. advertisement From the rear, the Altroz carries its wedge shaped aesthetic forward, supplemented by new LED taillamps, and a full width LED strip, along with a new roof spoiler and a new lower bumper, that cohesively binds the entirety of the design together. If this was a design competition, the new Altroz would be winning it quite easily. The most notable changes inside the 2025 Altroz include the new 10.25-inch infotainment panel, new steering wheel, new climate control and a new 360-degree camera. Inside, the changes are a bit more major. The dashboard now gets a three-layer design, with three colours and textures, and each of these feel really upmarket. Taking centre stage is the Harman 10.25-inch infotainment, that is FHD, and allows the 360-degree camera feed to be HD as well, quite a plus. Below this, the climate control panel has been lifted off of other Tata models, with its black touch based operation. I am not a fan of this setup though, as operating this panel while on the go is a bit of a task. The Altroz now has a new steering that it shares with other Tata models. The other big upgrade is the new steering that we have seen in other Tata models, and this again adds that upmarket vibe to the car. Interestingly, the Altroz now also boasts a 10.25-inch infotainment like its elder siblings, but this is only available in the Accomplished + S trim, that can only be had with the petrol DCA configuration, and Tata only let us drive the diesel manual and the CNG, both of which are available up till Accomplished S, that does not get the aforementioned display, instead it gets a 7-inch display flanked by digital gauges, and these don't look as nice as the rest of the cabin. The 2025 Altroz has fabric seats with better thigh support and improved bolsters. advertisementThe older Altroz wasn't the most comfortable car when it came to the seat ergonomics, but this new one has upped its game, and by a fair margin. Now you get fabric seats that have been redesigned, it gets added thigh support and improved bolsters, and the overall level of cushioning and support is actually commendable. Now the space in the front and the rear hasn't changed compared to before, and while the driver and front passenger have access to enough shoulder and headroom, the rear feels a little bit cramped given the sloping roofline that cramps up the headroom. But the seats in the rear have also been upgraded, and feel pretty comfortable and should result in less fatigue over long distances. The 1.5-litre diesel mill of the 2025 Altroz puts out 90bhp and 200Nm of torque. Now the Altroz is the only car in its segment to offer three powertrains – diesel, petrol and CNG – and well I was pretty happy to spend the entire day with the diesel, and skip the CNG altogether. Interestingly, the petrol can now be had with two automatic options, as a new AMT joins the older DCA transmission, but we didn't get to test that. The 1.5-litre diesel motor makes 90bhp and 200Nm of torque, which for a car of this size, is a bit overpowered I would say. The low end torque makes for easy off the line acceleration, and reaching triple digit speeds doesn't stress the motor at all. This torque also means that in traffic, with the light clutch feel, it is not as painful to operate. Although the 5-speed stick shifter isn't the best unit, and feels a bit sticky to operate. Tata has worked on the NVH levels, and the diesel guzzler isn't very refined, you can definitely hear it if your windows are down, but close them, and the cabin stays noise free. The 2025 Altroz's 5-speed stick shifter isn't the best unit, and feels a bit sticky to operate. advertisementRide quality is excellent at most speeds, the Altroz rides with poise, and bad roads are something that don't bother the hatch much. This is further accentuated by the new seats that offer an added layer of softness. Dynamically, the Altroz feels sorted, it has good balance round corners, but here the steering owing to its inaccurate nature isn't very confidence inspiring. The steering also feels lackluster a higher speeds, with a fair bit of play involved. But as a whole, the Altroz is good to drive, especially in its diesel avatar. While I did spend some time with the CNG, and appreciated the difference in smoothness compared to the diesel, the power difference and overall lack of punch whether in petrol or CNG mode does make it a more sedate option, and not my preferred choice. For an update, the 2025 Tata Altroz is a major overhaul as it carries forwards the older aesthetic while also adding new bits thatmake it the best looker in the segment. advertisementFor an update, the 2025 Tata Altroz is a major overhaul, not only does it carry forward the older aesthetic, but the new bits, along with the changes to the panels and the lighting signatures make it the best looker in the segment. The cabin is now properly premium, and while I did feel some plastic bits to be of lower quality levels, Tata has definitely worked on overall QC, and it shows. Feature packed and stylish, the cabin along with its features make up for a really comfortable experience. Where the Altroz has an edge I feel is the multiple powertrain options – diesel-manual, petrol-AMG, petrol-DCA, and the CNG, that give customers the versatility to to Auto Today Magazine
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Tata Motors sticks to EV leadership goal despite setback
New Delhi: Tata Motors reported a 10.7 per cent year-on-year decline in electric vehicle (EV) sales, reaching approximately 57,616 units in FY25, compared to 64,530 units sold in the previous year. The drop was largely attributed to a slowdown in fleet sales, with the company citing withdrawal of FAME-II subsidy and operational challenges faced by fleet operators that reduced their overall contribution. However, the maker of the Tiago and Tigor reaffirmed that mainstreaming EVs remains a top priority. Tata Motors is advancing its EV portfolio strategy with upcoming models like the Sierra and Harrier EV, along with planned upgrades to existing models, according to PB Balaji, Group Chief Financial Officer. The carmaker managed to maintain its market leadership in EVs at 55.4 per cent, even though it has fallen drastically from the earlier 80 per cent. This may be attributed to increased competition from JSW MG Motor and slower interest for its own models. Its EV penetration stood at 11 per cent while CNG was at 25 per cent in FY25. On a full year basis, the PV business revenue declined by 7.5 per cent. 'The decline in revenues was primarily on account of decline in hatches volumes.' Overall, Tata Motors has turned net cash positive in the financial year ended March 2025. In 2023, ETAuto reported about the plan and how its Indian business delivered a net debt that touched its lowest in 15 years. The company's free cash flow (automotive) for the year, was at ₹22.4K crore, as compared to ₹26.9K crore in FY24, owing to cash profits and favourable working capital. Commercial Vehicles (CVs) Tata Motors accounted for 37 per cent of the domestic CV retail market in FY25. Balaji said despite a decline in revenues, the company noted improved profitability in this segment—a development it described as a significant milestone, marking possibly the first such improvement in 25 years. Moving ahead, he sees all fundamentals pointing to stability in the CV segment, with market conditions largely supportive. However, Tata Motors acknowledged facing stress within parts of its portfolio during FY25. The company identified its small CV business as an area requiring strategic intervention and corrective action. Additionally, Tata Motors has received shareholder approval for its proposed demerger-- which will separate its CV and PV business into independently listed entities-- on May 6. The next step involves seeking clearance from the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), with an order expected sometime in the second quarter of FY25. Subject to NCLT approval, the company anticipates setting July 1 as the appointed date and October 1 as the effective date for the demerger. Meanwhile, internal transition processes are progressing smoothly. The company confirmed that employee allocation between the resulting entities has been completed, ensuring operational readiness ahead of the formal split. Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) The recently concluded India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is expected to benefit the Tata Motors' luxury segment, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), as the automotive import tariffs have been reduced from over 100 per cent to 10 per cent under a quota system. However, the duty-free quota for electric vehicles remains limited to only a few thousand units. Balaji said the implementation of the FTA will significantly enhance customer access to JLR vehicles in India by enabling quicker availability of global models at more competitive prices. Tata Motors brings Range Rover models in India via CKD (completely knocked down) route. The current cars that are already there in India, the Range Rover franchise, which is the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Evoque, and the Velar, these are already being manufactured in India on a CKD basis, so these won't be impacted by this FTA that is coming in. 'This will support sustained performance for JLR in the Indian market going forward,' he noted. However, Balaji clarified that any decision regarding local manufacturing of JLR vehicles in India remains a longer-term strategic consideration for the company. Commenting on JLR's outlook in the US amid ongoing trade tensions, Balaji welcomed the move to lower tariffs on UK auto exports to 10 per cent, saying it is 'directionally on the right track.' However, the company is awaiting the fine print in terms of timings, so we must wait to also need a few clarifications. Tata Motors acknowledged that sales of the Land Rover Defender in the US have been impacted by existing tariffs. The company is actively exploring ways to mitigate the effect of these tariff increases. 'We are working on strategies to offset the impact, while remaining optimistic about the possibility of a trade agreement between the EU and the US—similar to the one already in place between the UK and the US,' said a company spokesperson. 'We are hopeful that such a deal will materialise sooner rather than later.' Looking ahead, Tata Motors expects its investment outlay to remain steady at £18 billion over a five-year period, with funding sourced primarily from operational cash flows. The company also stated it will continue to closely monitor and evaluate the impact of evolving global challenges on its operations and strategy.
