Tata Altroz Racer vs Hyundai i20 N Line vs Maruti Fronx turbo: how do they stack up

After showcasing it at last year’s Auto Expo first, and then later at this year’s Bharat Mobility Expo, the Tata Altroz Racer is all set to be launched in India in the coming weeks. Upon its arrival, the sportier version will sit at the top of the Altroz range, and will directly rival the Hyundai i20 N Line, while it will also face some competition from the turbo-petrol variants of the Maruti Suzuki Fronx. Let’s take a look at how the three cars stack up in terms of size, powertrain and price.

 

 

 

In terms of size, the Tata Altroz Racer measures 3990mm in length, 1755mm in width, stands 1523mm tall and has a 2501mm long wheelbase. This means that the i20 N Line and Fronx turbo are 5mm longer, as well as 20mm and 10mm wider than the Altroz Racer respectively. Being a crossover SUV, the Fronx is the tallest car in this comparison (1550mm), while the i20 N Line has the longest wheelbase of 2580mm. All three cars sit on 16-inch alloy wheels.

 

 

Powering the Tata Altroz Racer is a 1.2-litre, three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine that puts out 120hp and 170Nm of peak torque. We expect it to be offered with a 6-speed manual gearbox as standard, without the choice of an automatic transmission.

 

The Hyundai i20 N Line makes use of a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder turbo-petrol motor making 120hp and 172Nm, mated to a 6-speed manual transmission along with an optional 7-speed dual-clutch automatic. The N Line version gets a Hyundai retuned suspension setup, a sportier exhaust note and reworked steering dynamics for a sportier drive over the standard i20. It is yet to be seen if the Tata Altroz Racer will feature similar mechanical upgrades over the standard version of the hatch.

 

Powering the turbo variants of the Maruti Suzuki Fronx is a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder unit making 100hp and 148Nm. It is offered with a 5-speed manual gearbox, along with an optional 6-speed torque converter automatic.

 

The Tata Altroz Racer features a dual-tone paint scheme with blacked out bonnet, roof, and wing mirrors. The bonnet and roof also feature white racing stripes, while there’s also the addition of a new rear spoiler. The colour options for the Altroz Racer are yet to be revealed apart from the red seen on the show car at the Bharat Mobility Expo.

 

The i20 N Line gets restyled bumpers, a new grille, along with red accents all around. The car also gets a twin-tip exhaust, a new spoiler, chrome delete and new alloys over the standard i20. The Altroz Racer and i20 N Line are equipped with Racer and N Line badges respectively, while both the cars feature an all-black interior with sporty red accents here and there.

 

The turbo-petrol variants of the Maruti Fronx feature no distinctive visual elements. It gets a dual-tone black and brown interior theme as standard across the range.

 

 

Pricing for the manual variants of the Hyundai i20 N Line range from Rs 9.99 lakh to Rs 11.42 lakh, while the automatic variants are priced from Rs 11.15 lakh to Rs 12.52 lakh. Since the Maruti Suzuki Fronx is positioned in a higher segment, it is slightly pricier. The turbo variants are priced from Rs 9.72 lakh to Rs 13.04 lakh.

 

Considering there won’t be an automatic version of the Tata Altroz Racer at launch, we expect it to undercut the Hyundai i20 N Line and the Maruti Suzuki Fronx turbo-petrol variants.

All prices, ex-showroom India

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