It is indeed a proud day for Tata Motors as the Altroz crosses a significant milestone. The hatchback’s lifetime production count has surpassed the 1 lakh mark. The red-coloured unit responsible for introducing the sixth digit came off Tata’s production plant in Pune. Tata Motors says that the feat was achieved within 20 months of the car’s launch, which took place in January last year.

From a broader perspective, the Altroz has done a remarkable job. India, as we all know, when into a complete lockdown in March 2020. And since then, it has been on and off for business across the country. And yet, even with such unprecedented hurdles, Tata Motors still managed to move 1,00,000 Altroz units off the production line.

Numbers paint a similar story. As per the homegrown automaker, the Altroz has a market share of 20 per cent in FY22. Moreover, it is the second-best-selling premium hatchback in the country. As for monthly sales figures, they average out at around 6,000 (in FY22). However, the best month for Altroz was March 2021. Over the 31 days, Tata Motors retailed 7,550 units. Perhaps, the 5-star safety rating (awarded by Global NCAP) has played an essential role in luring customers.

The Altroz is available with the engine options – two petrol and one diesel. There’s a 1.2-litre petrol unit with 85bhp/113Nm on tap, and then there’s a turbocharged version of the same mill with 108bhp/140Nm. Diesel fans settle for the 1.5-litre unit that pumps out 89bhp/200Nm. The only downer is that there’s no choice in the transmission department. Whether you like it or not, the Altroz will come with a 5-speed manual gearbox by default. There’s hope that Tata might introduce the AMT from the Nexon to expand Altroz’ portfolio.

If that happens, the car in question will have a mightier arsenal to fight the competition. The Altroz rivals the Maruti Suzuki Baleno, Toyota Glanza and the Hyundai i20 in India.