Toyota Glanza Vs Hyundai i20 N Line Vs Tata Altroz - Space And Practicality Comparison

Which is the more practical and comfortable premium hatchback?

Hatchbacks are great to drive around the urban jungle due to their compact size and the ability to fit anywhere. While there are ample hatchbacks on sale, the most feature-rich offerings are premium hatchbacks which are also decent-sized for a family of five and offer enough boot space for the occasional weekend drive. 

Today, we have three popular options, which include the recently facelifted Toyota Glanza, Hyundai i20, and Tata Altroz. We have known the Glanza (Baleno too) as a simple yet stylish hatchback, the i20 for its feature-rich cabin and the Altroz for its strong build quality. Now, let’s find out how these hatchbacks fare in terms of space, practicality, comfort, and ride quality. 

Looks

When we talk about styling, all three of them are handsome, no doubt. We have the i20 N Line here, which with its body-kit type extensions, the chequered-flag grille, side skirts, flashy 16-inch alloys, and red inserts looks like race material. 

The Tata Altroz doesn’t give out sporty vibes and rather looks bold and muscular. The smiling Tata grille which houses the lights, protruding wheel arches, C-pillar-mounted door handles, and the dual-tone rear profile show us that this car has been tastefully designed. 

Toyota’s Glanza doesn’t look too different from its pre-facelift version. You get the redesigned bumpers, a reworked grille, and new lighting, that makes it look simple and stylish. However, if you do have to compare with the other two, the Glanza does look bigger from the outside, but sober.

Boot Space

In our boot space tests, where we fit three different sizes of suitcases and two duffle bags, the Tata Altroz was the clear winner. It could fit all of this luggage and that with a lower loading lip and wider boot opening, made the whole process better. 

The Glanza, despite having a higher loading boot lip, has a deep boot. So, we were able to fit three suitcases here, but no duffle bags. The i20 N Line offers the least boot space, as the boot isn’t deep and is not well designed. We were just able to fit two suitcases and one duffle bag. All the three hatchbacks get folding rear seats, but the Glanza is the only one with 60:40 split. 

Interior

Since these are premium hatchbacks, their cabin feels quite plush. The Glanza gets a black/beige interior theme which makes the cabin look brighter. The i20 N Line gets an all-black shade for the cabin, which makes it look sportier, even on the inside. That coupled with the N Line’s exclusive aluminium pedals, round gear shifter, a sportier steering wheel, red ambient lighting and the red inserts all over the cabin just bring out its racier side. 

Overall, both of them get a neat-looking cabin, but are rather simpler than the Tata. Now, the standout here is the Altroz, which offers a more stylish interior, especially with its three-layer dashboard and ambient lighting integrated into that. In terms of fit and finish, the i20 N Line offers the most consistent quality here, despite being plasticky. The Glanza and Altroz could have been better. 

All three hatchbacks offer a comfortable and practical front seat experience, but in their distinctive ways. The Altroz and i20 N Line offer good bolstered and firm seats, which hold you properly. Long-distance munching shouldn’t be a problem in these cars. The Glanza goes with softer seats and average seat bolstering, which would be the best in the city. The Altroz’s seats are placed slightly lower, compared to the other two. 

Features

The Glanza, i20 N Line, and Altroz offer a feature-rich experience with a lot more than just basic necessities. Automatic projector lamps, 16-inch alloys, automatic AC, cruise control, and rear AC vents are some features shared by the trio. Needless to say that the i20 is the most feature-laden hatchback here, offering cornering lamps, an air purifier, electric sunroof, connected car tech, wireless charging, and a fully digital instrument cluster. Its 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment is the best here, with a smooth and brightly lit interface. 

However, the Glanza new 9-inch infotainment isn’t too far behind, offering a seamless experience. The Tata Altroz’s touchscreen isn’t as smooth and the display does not boast high-resolution. The i20 offers a digital instrument cluster, while the Altroz gets a semi-digital cluster, and Glanza, an analogue panel. 

Rear Seat Experience

The Toyota Glanza offers the best rear seat experience here, with the most generous knee and legroom, and under thigh support. Its softly cushioned seat will quickly make you comfortable. But we would have wanted its glass area to be slightly larger. 

The i20 isn’t too far behind, but because of its low seating and a slightly more upright seat, it doesn’t feel as comfortable as the Glanza. But do note that the i20 is the only one to offer a sunroof here, which, when opened, makes the cabin feel roomier. Its firmer seat cushioning will be better for those who are travelling over long distances. Comparatively, the Altroz feels the most compact at the back. It does’t feel as airy as the Glanza or even the i20. 

The Altroz and i20, both, can easily accommodate three people at the back. However, that experience is slightly better with the i20 because of its flatter seat and more shoulder room. 

All of the three premium hatchbacks get rear AC vents, a phone docking space, charging points, and 1-litre bottle holders in the door pockets. While the Glanza offers more USB charging ports (one type-C and one type-A), the other two get a rear centre armrest. So, here, there’s a tough competition between the three. 

Safety

The Altroz is the safest hatchback in the country, offering a five star safety rating. On the other hand, we have the i20 with a three-star rating, while the Glanza is yet to be tested. If we look at the features front, the N Line and Glanza offer up to six airbags which are good to have. The N Line further offers rear disc brakes, while the Glanza gets a 360-degree camera. 

Ride Quality and Comfort

All three hatchbacks here offer a comfortable ride quality for city usage. The i20 N Line, with its better balanced suspension tuning, manages to outshine the other two hatches. It gets a sportier tune than the regular car and still manages to absorb most of the potholes and undulations comfortably. It does let some road imperfections be felt in the cabin, but keeps you most comfortable over speed breakers and broken patches of the road. 

The Altroz also keeps you comfortable over different types of undulations, but you are slightly tossed in the cabin and the thuds are audible. The Glanza, on the other hand, gets softer springs, which keep you comfortable in the city, especially over small potholes and speed breakers. However, larger potholes and severely damaged roads will toss you inside the cabin, giving some discomfort. 

Talking about highway usage, the i20 and Altroz perform better than the Glanza, offering a more stable ride. The Toyota hatchback performs well in the city, while the other two are better all-rounders. 

Drive Experience 

All three cars drive effortlessly in the city. Among the three, it’s the i20 N Line which offers the most immersive driving experience. With ample low-end torque and a strong mid-range, the city running and short sprints are a delight. You’ll be equally impressed with its highway driving manners.

The Glanza has a strong mid-range for city duties which won’t be leaving you wanting for more power. However, acceleration is a bit laid-back, which will make you plan your overtakes on highways in advance. In terms of engine refinement, the Toyota Glanza is the quietest here. 

The Altroz’s naturally aspirated motor lacks the punch and power that you would expect from it. Its 1.2-litre engine is slow to rev, which won’t trouble you in the city, but it does trouble you on the highways, especially in terms of overtakes. For a better driving experience, you can look at the i-Turbo, which offers some more punch. However, refinement is still a weak spot for the Altroz and is far away from the Glanza and i20 N Line. 

Price Talk

The Altroz is the most affordable option here, but the Glanza isn’t too costlier either. The Hyundai i20 is the costliest option here, with its prices crossing the Rs 11-lakh barrier. In comparison, the i20’s top-end Asta (O) DCT variant demands around Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 2 lakh over the top-end variants of the Glanza and Altroz. And remember, here we’ve compared the i20 N Line which further asks around Rs 50,000 extra. 

Verdict

All three hatchbacks are premium, offer a load of features, and comfortable ride quality. The i20, no doubt, offers more tech and features, but the Altroz and Glanza come very close. The Hyundai hatchback also shines in performance, ride quality, and interior fit, finish and feel. And mind you, we have the i20 N Line, which is even sportier looking in and out. 

The Tata Altroz’s better points include its five star safety rating and bigger boot space. But the refinement is still a big let down here. As for the Glanza, it’s better than the two when it comes to rear seat experience and cabin space. 

You can buy the Tata Altroz, if your drives are mostly limited to the city. Now, if you want a simple yet sophisticated looking city runabout, the Glanza is the right choice. But, the i20 N Line is the more well-rounded package here with better performance, more features, and a more comfortable ride.

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