Tata motors is getting ready to launch the new Tata Altroz turbo in the coming months. Ahead of launch, images of the Altroz turbo petrol seemed to have popped on the features and downloads section of the official website. As previewed by the Spy images, the car looks similar to the standard Altroz except for that ‘iturbo’ badge on the rear fascia next to the right side tail lamp. Apart from the new badging there seem to be no changes to the exterior.

The Altroz turbo petrol will be offered with a 1.2-litre turbocharged Revotron 3 cylinder petrol engine that produces

110PS Power and 140Nm torque through a 5-speed manual transmission. A 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission is also expected to be launched.

The Turbo petrol option could be available on the XT, XT(o), XZ and XZ(o) variants. These turbo petrol variants will be available with a Sport mode instead of the Economy mode and also include Engine auto Start/Stop system.

The ‘Tectonic Blue’ shade from the Nexon will also be made available on the Altroz. The top spec variants are also expected to receive new features such as 60:40 split folding rear seats as well.

Pricing for the new turbo petrol equipped version is expected to start from Rs.7.99L for the XT variant and go up to Rs.8.75L for the XZ(O) variant. (All prices ex showroom) Stay tuned for further updates on the Tata Altroz turbo version.

The popular performance version of the Octavia- the RS has a new version- the RS 245 and straight away, it has some striking numbers. Starting with the price- at 35.99 Lakhs, the introductory price tag is quite brave to be honest. But again, only 200 units of this car will be available in India so yes, it does have that special touch to it.

Talking of more numbers- the RS 245 is equipped with the 2.0 Litre TSI petrol unit that churns out 245 PS and 370 NM of torque. Connected to a 7 Speed automatic Dual Clutch Gearbox compared to

the earlier version that had a 6- speed unit, the RS 245 is expected to leave behind its predecessor in terms of acceleration as it now crossed 100 Kmph in 6.6 seconds. Power is also 15 PS more compared to the older model. Skoda claims that the top speed of the Rs 245 is limited to 250 kmph. We told you, these are some really striking numbers.

While the performance has changed, the exterior remains the same mostly. A sports butterfly grille, gloss black touches, projector headlamps, LED DRLs, LED tail lights, sporty tailpipes, the sport vRS badging, 18- inch glossy Black Dual Tone alloy wheels make this car very appealing to look at. We the like the way it looks like a normal sedan but has some prominent highlights to it that don’t scream performance but when you need it, it is all at your disposal. So much, that it will surprise many!

The interior does look like a normal Skoda Octavia apart from some exception like RS seats with perforated leather and red stitching, 3- spoke flat bottom steering wheel with paddle shift. LED ambient lighting, an 8 –inch touch screen infotainment system with Apple Car Play and Android Auto, digital instrument panel, dual-zone Climatronic air conditioning suggest that comfort and convenience is in no way compromised for the sake of performance. Some optional features include Black Alcantara sport seats and a 12- way electrically adjustable driver and passenger seats.

The Skoda Octavia RS 245 also comes with loads of safety tech like ABS, ESC, Mechanical brake assist (MBA), multi- collision brake (MCB), adaptive front- light system (AFS), Anti- slip regulation (ASR) and Electronic differential lock (ESR). So, this car then does add a lot to the confidence.

Available in five colours like Race Blue, Magic Black, Rallye Green, Corrida Red, and Candy White. The Skoda Octavia RS 245 is a highly desirable performance car for enthusiasts who want to drive tastefully.

Coming to the looks-The most noticeable change is at the front. The new re-designed bumper gets a new grill that integrates the central air vent. The side and rear profile of the Swift Dzire 2020 remain unchanged. The car’s exterior dimensions and boot space too remain the same. In terms of Interior changes- the only evident change was a lighter tone of the wooden look-alike elements.

Other features include dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, LED headlamps and Auto AC with rear AC vents. The2020 Dzire gets a new 4.2-inch coloured MID from the Suzuki Baleno and a new 7-inch touch

screen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The new Dzire also gets auto folding ORVMs (outside rearview mirrors) and cruise control. The AGS variants (automatic transmission) from the previous models missed a most crucial safety feature like Hill Hold Control and Electronic Stability Control (ESC). These however have been updated in the new model.

Speaking of the most interesting part of the update-the 2020 Swift Dzire comes with a new engine. Instead of the earlier 1.2-litre unit (83PS/113Nm), it borrows Suzuki Baleno’s new 1.2-litre DualJet engine that produces 90PS and 113Nm mated to either a 5-speed MT or a 5-speed AGS. The new engine also gets idle auto start/stop (switches off the engine whenever the car is idle), making it a more economical car than it already was. The mileage of the updated Dzire also seems to have improved as claimed. The old model with manual transmission returned a mileage of 21.21 kmpl whereas the new model is expected to deliver 23.26 kmpl. Similarly in the case of the AGS variant, the old model returned 21.2 kmpl whereas the new model is expected to deliver 24.12 kmpl.

What comes with the updates of the Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire 2020 is a hike in prices of the car. Prices for the base LXI variant have been increased by Rs. 5000 and it now costs Rs. 5.83 Lakhs (ex- showroom Delhi) whereas the prices of ZXI and ZXI+ variants have been increased by Rs. 16000 and Rs.6000 respectively. The price hike is also applicable to its AGS variants. Details of the new prices are mentioned below.

Price:

Variant	Old	New
LXI	Rs 5.83 lakh	Rs 5.89 lakh (+Rs 5,000)
VXI	Rs 6.73 lakh	Rs 6.79 lakh (+Rs 6,000)
VXI AGS	Rs 7.20 lakh	Rs 7.32 lakh (+Rs 12,000)
ZXI	Rs 7.32 lakh	Rs 7.48 lakh (+Rs 16,000)
ZXI AGS	Rs 7.79 lakh	Rs 8.01 lakh (+Rs 22,000)
ZXI+	Rs 8.22 lakh	Rs 8.28 lakh (+Rs 6,000)
ZXI+ AGS	Rs 8.69 lakh	Rs 8.81 lakh (+Rs 12,000)

Suzuki has filled in the blanks for the Swift Dzire by loading it with much needed features. But would the hike in price make you think twice before choosing this car? Do let us know