Soaring fuel prices have led to growth in sales of EVs and CNG vehicles. Speaking about CNG cars, Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai and Tata are currently the top players in this arena. Tata Motors has expanded its CNG lineup with the launch of Altroz CNG today.

There are a total of six variants based on XE, XM+, XM+ (S), XZ, XZ+ (S) and XZ+ (O) (S) trim levels. Tata Altroz iCNG costs Rs. 7.55 lakh for base XE iCNG variant, Rs. 8.40 lakh for XM+ iCNG, Rs. 8.85 lakh for XM+ (S) iCNG, Rs. 9.53 lakh for XZ iCNG, Rs. 10.03 lakh for XZ+ (S) iCNG and lastly, Rs. 10.55 for XZ+ (S) (O) iCNG.

Tata Altroz iCNG Launched

For the price, Tata Altroz iCNG lineup is fairly VFM. Altroz iCNG is a unique proposition in the segment, offering an elegant solution to neatly conceal its CNG cylinders from prying eyes. This way, Tata is pitting Altroz iCNG as a genuine and less awkward CNG setup where boot space is vastly improved over conventional CNG setups in the country till now.

Tata has achieved this by splitting CNG storage between two 30L cylinders, rather than one. This is first of its kind in India where both cylinders are tucked under a false boot floor. This feels cohesive and elegant as opposed to single-cylinder CNG setups that always feel like an afterthought and a workaround.

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The about Rs 1 lakh increment for iCNG variants over its petrol-only counterparts is justified. This setup is complex and has almost double the components as regular single-cylinder CNG configs. Additionally, Tata Motors offers a fire extinguisher beneath the front passenger seat and the option of cranking in CNG mode, which is unique.

The instrument cluster gets a new section to display CNG level in the cylinders. Apart from that, suspension tuning is done to counter additional weight. There is a new switch beside the engine start/stop button that switches between CNG and Petrol.

Less power in CNG, but more savings

The 1.2L Revotron engine is a 3-cylinder unit, mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. When running on Petrol, this engine develops 85 bhp of power and 113 Nm of torque. In CNG mode, this engine runs on a different tune, governed by a separate ECU, generating 72 bhp of power and 103 Nm of torque.

Because Tata Motors is offering iCNG variants till the top-spec trims, features list is quite profound. For starters, a voice-assisted sunroof, wireless phone charger, air purifier, leatherette seats, auto headlamps, 7" touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Harman audio system and more.

Altroz's key strengths like 90-degree wide opening doors, 5 stars crash safety rating awarded by GNCAP, sleek and handsome design, and other attributes remain. Rivals include Maruti Suzuki Baleno S-CNG and Toyota Glanza S-CNG.