Tata Bolt Review

February 11, 2015


Tata Motors expects the Zest-Bolt siblings to turn around their passenger car fortunes in India. Understandably, they've spent a lot of time, money and effort behind designing and launching the duo. The end result? I went down to the Tata Motors showroom to test drive the all new Bolt to find out. 

Starting with the exteriors, I feel the car looks hot. Similar to the Vista in profile but hot when it comes to details. In terms of interiors, quality, fit and finish, it's a big step up from what we're used to from Tata but not yet in the league of the Japanese or German manufacturers. Can one live with that? In my opinion, yes. The 8 speaker, bluetooth enabled music system by Harman sounds crisp and comes with a host of mobile connectivity features. The front seats are comfortable and the rear seats feel low but spacious enough to seat 3 average sized humans comfortably. In terms of space, the only let down seems to be the boot which seems kind of cramped. Also, it might have been by oversight but I could only find 1 bottle holder (or is it a cupholder?) in the entire car. Also, there are no LED DRL's even on the top variant and I found the colour options to be somewhat limited. For some, these little things can be potential deal breakers.

Moving on to that one aspect of the Bolt that'll make you overlook just about anything: The all new 1.2L turbocharged Revotron petrol engine with multi drive engine modes (Sport, City and Eco). The rev happy Revotron produces 90 horses and a stratosphere breaking (by petrol engine standards) 140 Nm of torque output. Moreover, it's how it develops this power, especially in Sport mode is what makes it so much fun to ride (and not drive). You feel a slight turbo lag at very low RPM's but once the turbo kicks in, the car just shoots across towards whatever you set your eyes on. Once in the mid range, the slightest of touches of your right foot on the accelerator pedal almost immediately translates to power at the wheels. Rev more and it feels as if Tata forgot to add a redline to this engine. You can't help but grin at the way this engine develops power. Though the brakes seemed like they lacked initial bite, they did the job well under hard braking. ABS and EBD do provide that mental peace if nothing else. When downshifting, the engine braking kicks in more progressively rather than with a jerk. It's kind of like riding a motorcycle with a slipper clutch. Something that you need to get used to. Overall, absolutely no complaints when it comes to the performance of this car. It's unlike anything that I've driven in this segment, at this price. I would've loved it though if Tata could've given the switches for changing engine modes on the steering wheel itself. Like a little NOS button. 

The suspensions provide a good balance between comfort and handling. The car is not exactly a corner carver but then it's not wallowy on curves either. The gearshifts are precise and slick but once again not yet in the league of the Japs. Realistic mileage figures should be in the 12 to 17 kmpl range and can be verified from the performance of the Revotron on the Zest. The pricing is not exactly cheap but then it's the most fun you can buy on 4 wheels with that kind of money. 

So. The car is fast, smooth, practical, fun to drive, comfortable, has got more than enough features and creature comforts, looks great, is fuel efficient and according to me, scores high on the VFM scale as well. The only concerns that a new buyer may have could be relative brand image, service and resale value. Something that you don't really think about once you're in the driver's seat. All I can say is, if you're out there in the market to buy a new hatch, head to the nearest Tata Motors showroom and test drive the Bolt. If nothing else, it will put a big wide smile on your face for the rest of the day!

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