One has to look very closely to figure out if age has caught up with Narain Karthikeyan. The first Indian to race at the pinnacle of motorsport, Karthikeyan still has a boyish charm that belies his 47 years. Sitting beside him while he smoothly takes the new Tata Altroz Racer down the CoASTT High Performance Centre test track outside Coimbatore, his hometown. Both the car and the track have been co-developed by him. In fact, he is also the brand ambassador for the car.
And it suffices to say that both are very good. Starting with the track—the Coimbatore Auto Sports and Transport Trust (CoASTT) is not a racetrack, as Yohann Sethna, one of the promoters, tells me. It is a ‘High Performance Centre’ where automakers can bring vehicles to be tested for high-speed performance and handling. There are no sharp corners; instead, the anti-clockwise circuit is a collection of smooth, flowing corners.
Or at least it seems that way when one is sitting next to Karthikeyan on a ‘hot lap’. His steady and measured steering inputs are a testament of his racing pedigree. And the Altroz Racer from Tata Motors, their new entrant to the Indian ‘hot’ or rather ‘mildly hot’ hatchback segment, aims to take on the Hyundai i20 N-Line. It seems like a pity that the Volkswagen Polo GT has exited the market. It handles the corners much like a cheetah changing direction—supremely agile. That said, the tires did start to protest a bit.
City car on the racetrack
After Karthikeyan’s run, it was my turn to drive. I can evaluate a car well and convey that in words or a video. However, while I consider my driving skills above average, I am certainly not as talented as the ex-F1 driver. My steering movements might not have been as smooth, involving a few mid-corner corrections and not quite getting the braking zones right. Then again, this was my first time at the Coimbatore circuit, and honestly, it does take a few laps to get the hang of it. But of course, by the time I got comfortable, our short but sweet track time was over.
After all that, despite me spinning off on turn two—a reducing radius corner—it must be said that the Altroz Racer is a mighty fine track car for a hatchback. It has a proper three-pedal set-up with a six-speed manual, and while the long ‘throw’ from second to third is a bit irritating at first, I got used to it. The Racer has a 1.2 litre turbocharged petrol engine that produces 120PS of power, exactly the same as the i20 N-Line. Like the Korean car, it has been subtly tuned to improve the suspension. In fact, the engine response surprised me, delivering power whenever needed with no hint of any turbo lag. And you can feel that through the corners as the stiffer, tauter suspension keeps body roll in check. The steering is also heavier, which genuinely helps around a track, although it isn’t as great at higher speeds on highways.
One thing became painfully obvious on the track: the Altroz Racer is limited by its tires. You see, while tire noise might sound cool, and it certainly is when you are trying to drift a car, it’s a different story when driving around a circuit. Whether timed or not, tire noise indicates that the tires are on the edge of cohesion with the road. When I took some corners at 100-110 kilometres per hour, I could not help but feel that with better rubber, I could maybe take the corner 10-20 kilometres per hour faster. I would be able to accelerate and brake harder as well.
Now, I am not blaming the tire manufacturers here. It seems that the bean counters at the company felt that Indian consumers care about fuel efficiency above all else. As a result, the Altroz Racer, like most small hatchbacks in India today, is fitted with ‘Low Rolling Resistance’ (LRR) tires. These tires are designed to last a long time and, by offering less frictional resistance to the road surface, also give far superior fuel economy. But this also means that they do not allow the Altroz Racer to achieve its true potential as a track car.
Speaking with Karthikeyan after my laps, we discussed this issue, and he agreed that the car was ‘tire limited’. He also argued that if Indian car buyers, regardless of the model, wanted to have a bit of ‘fun’ occasionally with their vehicles, they should consider changing the tires straight out of the showroom, as most vehicles on sale in India today come with similar limitations. It was a fascinating conversation and convinced me to write a column on car tires. While you might not think of them unless you have a puncture or need to replace them, they are a vital part of your driving experience.
Back in the Altroz Racer, after some track time, it was time to head back to Coimbatore city through the perennially crowded Avinashi Road. I decided to visit the GeDee Car Museum—a must-see if you ever travel to this corner of Tamil Nadu. The Altroz Racer was perfectly nice to drive as a city car. However, while the manual gearbox will have its fans, in city traffic these days, nobody wants to constantly keep pressing the clutch pedal.
And let me be honest, most Altroz Racers sold will hardly see any racetrack. Therefore, the current lack of an automatic option might deter slightly older buyers who enjoy a bit of fun occasionally. Younger buyers, with strong left calf muscles will possibly see the appeal of this car—I would too if I was two decades younger. It is a well-engineered vehicle, available in ‘Atomic Orange’ (a very Oppenheimer colour name) and prices with a Rs 50-60 thousand advantage over the Hyundai i20 N-Line Altroz Racer prices start at Rs 9.49 lakh and go up to Rs 10.99 lakh for the top trim (ex-showroom, India).
@kushanmitra is an automotive journalist based in New Delhi. Views are personal.
(Edited by Ratan Priya)