2020 Hyundai i20 vs Tata Altroz Comparison: New Premium Hatchbacks Face-off

1. 2020 Hyundai i20 vs Tata Altroz: Introduction

One of the longest-serving premium hatchbacks in India, the Hyundai i20 is set to see its new-gen version this month. While the older-gen Hyundai i20 has established quite a strong reputation for itself thanks to its premium look, spacious cabin and the easy maintenance, the new-gen i20 is set to redefine itself to grab a bigger piece of the pie in the Indian space. Over the years, the Hyundai i20 always faces stiff competition from the Maruti Baleno, VW Polo and Honda Jazz. This year, the competition becomes even tougher with the launch of Tata Altroz.

While waiting for the arrival of the 2020 Hyundai i20, we wonder if it can fare against the Tata Altroz which has enjoyed a fair share of success in India now. To get an answer to this question, we shall compare the i20 vs Altroz in terms of price, features, specifications and many more. Read along our 2020 Hyundai i20 vs Tata Altroz comparison now.

2. 2020 Hyundai i20 vs Tata Altroz Dimensions: Which is bigger?

Since it’s still a couple of days away from the launch of the new-gen Hyundai i20, the official dimensions of the India-spec hatchback car are yet to be revealed. The international-spec i20, in its latest avatar, is 5 mm longer and 24 mm lower than the previous-gen model. Also, the width and wheelbase of the i20 have been increased by 5 mm and 10 mm, respectively, which should translate into more cabin space.

The Tata Altroz, on the hand, measures 3,990 mm in length, 1,755 mm in width and 1,533 mm in height and gets a wheelbase of 2,501 mm. The Altroz has a ground clearance of 165 mm and offers a boot capacity of 345 litres. Let’s wait to see how the new i20 goes up against the Altroz in terms of sizes after we get to know its dimension upon its launch on November 5.

3. 2020 Hyundai i20 vs Tata Altroz Design: Which is better looking?

Exterior Comparison

When Tata first marked its entrance into the premium hatchback segment, the new Altroz has been going like a bomb for many good reasons, one of which is its stylish look. Based on the Impact 2.0 Design philosophy, the Altroz looks fresh and distinctive compared to the competition and has a lot of exciting design cues on-boards. The smiling face of the Altroz impresses us a lot and it looks much sportier than that of any rivals in the segment.

We projector headlamps look sleek and sharp and are connected to each other by the blacked-out ‘smiling’ grille. The character lines and creases running front-to-back on the bonnet of the Tata Altroz car does look prominent and lend it interesting visual elements. Things also look very kinetic at the sides of the Altroz hatchback car, which features an upright stance, piano-black finished windows, blackened-out wing mirrors along with lavish-looking diamond-cut alloy wheels. Just like the front and side, the rear end of the Altroz is rather unique with wrap-around tail lamps design, the sharpened blacked-out top part of the tailgate, bold ALTROZ lettering, etc., adding more to the sporty character of the model.

In contrast, the Hyundai i20, in its new-gen avatar, also hits the headlines with a new aggressive design that new hatchback is bringing in. Along the same lines of the global cars, the new Hyundai i20 is following the company’s Sensuous Sportiness design language for which Hyundai claims to depict a dynamic and futuristic expression. In line with that, the 2020 Hyundai i20 looks much sporty and angular when it comes to the styling.

From the official sketches of the 2020 Hyundai i20 released a few days back, we now that the new-gen i20 features a new and wider cascading grille with sharper projector headlamps and DRL design, triangular fog lamps housing, slim taillights with Z-shaped LED inserts which are also merged with each other by a chrome strip, aggressive-looking machined alloy wheels, sharp lines and creases all around and more, all the ways enhancing the sporty appeal of the vehicle.

While we are yet to see the 2020 Hyundai i20 in the flesh, based on the pictures we can say that the new Hyundai i20 looks good in its new design but is it enough to impress you more than than the Altroz? We'll leave that question to our dear readers.

Interior Comparison

As per the sketches, the 2020 i20 will borrow the same dashboard and cabin layout from the international-spec model. From this, the new Hyundai car will make use of linear design cues on the inside, thus making the new i20’s dashboard standing out as a single unit.

The Altroz’s cabin is also premium and it looks a bit more complicated than the i20's unit. It gets quite an eye-catchy interior design with a unique-looking shallow-dish-type dashboard design. There’s one thing shared by both the i20 and Altroz here, namely the neat-looking floating-type touchscreens for the infotainment system standing just out of the upper side of the dashes.

4. 2020 Hyundai i20 vs Tata Altroz Features: Which is safer and more convenient?

Comfort Features Comparison

Hyundai has been very well-known for equipping their models with a plethora of electronic bits and the new Hyundai i20 is no exception. As far as the comfort features are concerned, the Hyundai i20 seems to sit above all of its rivals in the segment, of course, including the Tata Altroz. Hyundai claims to equip the new i20 with a range of segment-first comfort and convenience features including a massive 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility and navigation, voice command and Hyundai’s BlueLink connected car tech that debuts in the popular Hyundai Venue.

Other impressive comfort goodies on the new Hyundai i20 include multifunctional steering, wireless charging system, air purifier with virus protection, automatic AC, cruise control, sunroof, Bose premium sound system among others.

In the meantime, the Tata Altroz is also quite a well-loaded car. The comfort features of the Altroz comprise of a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connects, 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster, Harman-sourced sound system, automatic climate control, engine start-stop push-button, cruise control and idle start-stop system, etc.

Safety Features Comparison

Both the new Hyundai i20 and Tata Altroz are packed with a good amount of safety equipment. Both the cars come with dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, cruise control, rear parking sensors, high-speed warning, a rearview camera, speed-sensing door locks and seatbelt reminder as standard.

However, Hyundai endears itself with 6 airbags for the top-spec model. It’s worth noting that the new Altroz is the only car in the premium hatch segment to receive a 5-star rating from the Global NCAP.

5. 2020 Hyundai i20 vs Tata Altroz Engine Specifications: Which is better in terms of performance?

By a quick look into this table, we can easily notice that the 2020 Hyundai i20 comes with a shot in the arm when talking about the engine-gearbox combinations. The new Hyundai i20 will be available with three engine options including one diesel and two petrol under the bonnet. The petrol options will be a 1.2-litre naturally-aspirated petrol engine and a 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol unit. While the former comes with both a 5-speed MT and an iVT, the latter is paired with a 6-speed iMT and a 7-speed DCT like in the Venue. There’s also a 1.5-litre diesel engine option that comes coupled with a 6-speed manual transmission.