A Natural Alternative

The Altroz iCNG from Tata Motors features innovative twin-cylinder CNG technology. We take a close look to see how it performs

- Kurt Morris

TATA MOTORS, ONE OF THE LEADING AUTOMOBILE manufacturers in India, have ambitious plans for the CNG marketplace. The company has already launched a number of CNG-powered vehicles and it plans to introduce even more in the coming years. Tata Motors are also investing in research and development to improve the performance and efficiency of their CNG vehicles. They believe that CNG is a viable alternative to petrol and diesel and are committed to making CNG-powered vehicles more accessible to Indian customers.

The CNG market has been expanding at a rapid pace; it has increased by 35 per cent over the past three years. Tata Motors could not pass up this opportunity. Additionally, the CNG variants of the Tigor and Tiago account for 40 per cent of their respective model's sales.

Manufacturers have begun offering vehicles equipped with factory-installed CNG kits, which are significantly safer than after-market kits and thus help increase the popularity of CNG vehicles. Despite the many advantages of CNG, there is one glaring drawback, though, and that is the lack of boot room that results from a huge CNG tank occupying all the space. There is now a CNG car with a usable boot thanks to Tata, who have managed to address the problem by employing two smaller tanks.

The appearance of the Altroz iCNG is streamlined and attractive. It has an aggressive bumper, sweptback headlamps, and an acutely angular front grille. The car's prominent wheel-arches and sloping roof-line give it a distinctive side aspect. At the rear, there is a sizeable tail-gate, fashionable tail-lights, and a diffuser-like component.