The country’s safest premium hatchback Tata Altroz now comes with an automatic gearbox as well. The company has recently launched it with DCA i.e. Dual Clutch Automatic Gearbox. This gearbox is also known as DCT. The special thing is that it is Tata’s first and the cheapest car in the country with this gearbox. Tata Altroz Dual Clutch Automatic has been launched at a starting price of Rs 8.1 lakh. Here we are going to talk about the car’s new gearbox, driving experience and more.
Tata Altroz DCA price
The Tata Altroz DCA is offered in a total of seven variants, including XM+, XT, XZ, XZ(O), and XZ+ along with two dark edition models. Their prices start from Rs 8.10 lakhs and go up to ₹ 9.90 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi). The car has also been brought in a new color option Opera Blue. The car also comes with 1.2-litre turbo-petrol (110PS/140Nm), and 1.5-litre diesel (90PS/200Nm) engines. But the Tata Altroz DCA is only offered with the 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder, naturally aspirated petrol engine. It generates 86 bhp and 113 Nm of peak torque. The rest of the two options will be available only with manual transmission.
What’s special about the DCA version?
The new dual clutch transmission is a 6-speed unit. The DCA version weighs around 20 kg more than the manual version. Tata says that the new DCA gearbox has been specially designed for the Indian customers. ALTROZ DCA uses the latest technology with 45 patents. The DCA version gets several segment-first features like wet clutch with active cooling technology, machine learning, shift by wire technology, self-healing mechanism and auto park lock.
Its self-healing mechanism protects the transmission from damage caused by dust particles through an automatic vibration system. At the same time, the Auto Park Lock function automatically applies the parking brake in case the driver forgets to exit the vehicle. It is equipped with machine learning software, which optimizes transmission behavior based on its diagnostics and other parameters. While keeping in mind the hot climate of India and the bumper-to-bumper traffic here, it has been given Wet Clutch technology with Active Cooling feature, which monitors the oil temperature 100 times per second. Keeping in mind your safety, the instrument cluster also reminds the driver of ‘Shift to Park’ mode before exiting. The TFT instrument cluster shows the position of the gear lever (P, R, N, D).
how is the driving experience
You get a great driving experience in driving the DCA version. Due to the automatic gearbox, half of your hassle ends just like that. I like the DCA transmission much better than the AMT gearbox (which is now available on the Baleno). The gearshifts are quite smooth, which makes you feel almost non-existent. However, in automatic mode, you do not see on the screen in which gear the vehicle is moving. There only D is seen written.
I haven’t noticed any significant change in the steering and suspension. It is possible that the company has kept it the same as before. You do get a slight engine noise when you push hard. After 3000 rpm, it starts giving a (not completely) sound like a sports car. You can also use its manual mode for situations like take over or downhill. In our testing with two people seated, this car has achieved 100kmph speed in about 19 seconds.
Exterior and Interior
Talking about the exterior, the sharp design is seen in the Altroz. Up front, you have been given projector headlamps, LED DRL and foglamps with wide air dam. It gets the feature of auto headlamps, which automatically turn on in dark conditions. The side profile gets piano black ORVMs with chrome accents, 16-inch dual tone alloy wheels and rear door handles mounted on the C-pillar. Its four doors open 90 degrees, which makes it easy for you to get in and out of the vehicle. At the rear, there are wraparound LED tail lights, a large black insert for the tail gate, integrated spoiler, rear wiper and washer. In this version, you also get special DCA badging.
The interior of this premium hatchback also gives you a premium feel. This is a feature loaded car from Tata. It gets a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The touch response of the screen is quite good, but it seems a bit low in size. You have started getting a 9-inch touchscreen in Baleno. Harman’s 8 speaker sound system has been given for great music, whose sound is excellent.
The vehicle gets a flat-bottom steering wheel and 7-inch TFT digital driver display. This TFT display shows you information like mileage, distance to empty, navigation and media information, service reminder and tire pressure warning for each trip. You also get mounted controls on the steering itself. It also gets features like mood lighting, cooled glove-box, IRA connected car technology, engine start-stop button, automatic climate control, height-adjustable driver seat and front sliding arm-rest with storage.
A lot of care has also been taken for the comfort of the rear passengers. You also get rear armrests and adjustable headrests apart from rear AC vents and 12V charging socket. However, cup holders are not provided in the armrests. There is also no bump in the rear center to accommodate three people comfortably. Overall, it is a feature loaded premium hatchback, which now makes your driving more comfortable through DCA gearbox.