Indian automaker Tata has used the Auto Expo 2023 to showcase several new and updated vehicles.
The Tata Altroz and Punch will soon ditch their diesel engines permanently, instead getting a new version called iCNG. As you can guess, it runs on condensed natural gas coming from two tanks mounted at the trunk bottom. The company emphasized that it was no longer developing any new diesels and would stop making compacts with these engines before 2024. The larger SUVs and crossovers would continue to get these engines for a while longer, but without any updates.
As for the five-door Tata Altroz mini-hatch, it is now available in a new Racer Edition. The 1.2-liter petrol three-pot turbo gets a push and delivers 120 PS (118 hp / 88 kW) along with 170 Nm (125 lb-ft) of torque to the wheels instead of its usual 110 PS and 140 Nm. A six-speed manual gearbox comes to replace the older five-speed design, too.
It is unclear whether the suspension or chassis were modified in any way, but the interior benefits from a digital dashboard and a larger 10.25-inch multimedia display (as opposed to 7 inches in the stock version).
All of the above novelties will soon make it to the mass market in India except for the Altroz Racer, which still has no release date.