In a fascinating development, two eagerly awaited vehicles from Tata Motors, the Altroz Racer and the Punch Facelift, have been captured together in recent spy images. Both vehicles are currently undergoing tests and are expected to hit the Indian market around the festive season. Some fascinating information has been revealed by these spy photos and many questions have been raised.
Tata Altroz Racer and Punch Facelift in the Spotlight
The Tata Altroz Racer, which has already been unveiled, holds no surprises in terms of what it will offer and it is poised to compete with models like the Hyundai i20 N Line. The Indian automotive industry has been expanding rapidly with a clear preference for SUVs. However, there is a niche market for sporty hatchbacks, and the Altroz Racer is aimed at this segment. The vehicle has a black bonnet and an eye-catching two-tone paint job with racing stripes for a little extra sportiness.
When it debuts, the Altroz Racer—which has gloss-black alloy wheels, vivid orange accents, a Granite Black-themed interior, and red highlights—should stand out in the luxury hatchback class.
The expected feature list includes ventilated leatherette seats, wireless charging, a voice-assisted sunroof, an integrated air purifier, a 10.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a 7-inch TFT instrument display, a 5-star GNCAP safety rating, and six airbags.
The Altroz Racer will be powered by the same 1.2L 3-cylinder turbo petrol engine as the i-Turbo variant, but it may be tuned to deliver performance similar to the Nexon at 118 bhp and 170 NM, with the choice of a manual or automatic transmission.
Is the Punch Facelift a New Punch Racer?
The Punch facelift prototype, spotted by automotive enthusiast Ghugharkar Pratik Vijay, has raised some questions. Since its debut, the Punch has been a standout model for Tata. The recent sighting of the Punch Facelift alongside the Altroz Racer, featuring an exhaust system, indicates that it is not an electric vehicle.
The Punch Facelift seems to adopt design elements from the Punch EV, with wide-connected LED DRLs, vertically arranged LED projector headlights, LED fog lights with a cornering function, and a revamped front fascia. The need for rear disc brakes became apparent during media drives of the Punch EV given its quick performance.
Interestingly, the ICE Punch Facelift also features rear disc brakes, prompting questions about the need for enhanced braking power in an 87 bhp vehicle, especially when the 168 bhp Harrier doesn't come with standard rear disc brakes, nor does the Altroz Racer. This leads to speculation that Tata might be developing a Punch Racer to compete with the Citroen C3 Turbo which is currently one of India's most affordable turbocharged vehicles. If this speculation is accurate, the Punch Racer could share the same powertrain as the Altroz Racer. In the future, more information is expected to become available.