Tata Motors has just showcased the Altroz premium hatchback at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show. The car will be launched in India at the beginning of this year’s festive season (early second half of 2019). While Tata Motors will offer turbocharged petrol and diesel engines on the Altroz, there’s no word on a high performance variant under the JTP badge for the car yet. However, rendering artists have already begun putting together sketches of what the Tata Altroz JTP could look like if Tata Motors brings this model to production reality. Here’s a render from IAB.
As the render indicates, the Tata Altroz JTP takes on the Tiago JTP inspired styling. There’s a subtle but noticeable body-kit, a ground hugging form factor, contrast paint schemes for the wing mirrors and roof, a hood scoop, taller alloy wheels and low profile tyres. The contrast paint scheme is also carried over to other bits of the car such as the front grille, front bumper and the upper part of the headlamps. The car also has Altroz badging on the front grille, which clearly differentiates it from the regular model.
The Tata Altroz’s regular models are likely to borrow the 1.2 liter turbocharged petrol and 1.5 liter diesel engines from the Nexon. What this means is, Tata Motors will have not one but two engines to base the JTP model on. We think that the petrol engine has a better chance of finding its way into the JTP badged Altroz given the fact that Bharat Stage 6 (BS6) emission norms will kick in from April 2020, making all diesel cars pricier. The price increase on sub-10 lakh cars will be acute, and this is expected to make most car buyers in the private car segments to shift towards petrol engined cars.
So, it makes more sense for Tata Motors to use the 1.2 liter REVOTRON turbocharged petrol engine for the Altroz JTP variant. While this motor makes 108 Bhp-170 Nm on the Tata Nexon and 112 Bhp-150 Nm on the Tiago JTP, the Altroz JTP is likely to get the Nexon’s state of tune as it’s a much larger car than the Tiago. Also, the power and torque numbers could be further boosted to make it a segment leader. The Altroz JTP, if and when it arrives, will take on the likes of the Maruti Baleno RS and the Volkswagen Polo GT TSI.
Apart from a more powerful turbo petrol engine, the Altroz JTP could also get stiffer, lowered suspension springs for better handling. The gearbox could also see revised ratios to make best use of the engine’s torque, and of course a sportier exhaust note. Tata Motors has big plans for the JTSV (Jayem Tata Special Vehicles) division, which has been entrusted with building JTP branded cars. Apart from the Tiago and Tigor JTP, a slew of other cars under this high performance sub-brand are in the works. While a Nexon JTP and Harrier JTP is already being developed, the Altroz JTP could be the fifth vehicle under this brand.