2014 Tata Zest Review
Car Tested: 2014 Tata Zest
Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 5.51 – 8.43 lakhs
The Zest is a huge step up for Tata, it’s a vastly capable car with many segment firsts
From being the innovator to being the laggard, Tata Motors has been through a tough journey off late. The automaker which was solely responsible to kick start the sub 4-metre compact sedan class, was lagging behind massively in every segment. In fact, Tata Motors hasn’t launched a single all new product in the past five years and that has taken a hit on their market share. With a rejig of the the top management, coupled with new thinking, Tata Motors is now all set to climb the sales ladder with their all new cars, the Bolt and Zest. These vehicles have a lot riding on them, they have been spotted in-numerous times on test and promise a lot on paper. The Tata Zest is the first of the twins to arrive in the market and we drive it in pouring Goa to see if it ignites the Zest-y feeling.
Motor Quest: The sub 4-metre compact sedan segment was started by Tata Motors itself, when the company launched the Indigo CS in 2008. The Indigo became the world’s shortest sedan and the Manza was expected to come in compact guise as well. The Zest is the replacement of the Manza.
The highlight at the front are projector headlights and LED DRLs, the rear gets the wraparound treatment
Exteriors – One area where Tata cars weren’t fairing strongly was the design but the company has taken a step in the right direction with the Zest, which not only looks attractive but among the best styled compact sedans available in India today. It is still unmistakably a Tata in terms of visuals but there are many striking elements. At the front, you still get the signature Tata grille and there is a trapezoidal lower air dam which induces sportiness in the car. Next to the fog lights, there are daytime running lights while the headlights get projectors and light guide rings (activated with a button on the flip key). The hood gets a power bulge and there are plenty of lines running across the car, giving it immense character.
The Tata Zest has a neatly integrated boot and the body lines flow smoothly
The front carries what Tata designers like to call “The Humanity Line”, while the side has the “Slingshot Line” and “The Diamond DLO” but it really is the strong shoulder line and wraparound rear which make the Zest look so complete from any given angle. The rearview mirrors get turn indicators on them, the B-pillars are blackened and the car runs on 15-inch wheels (with alloy wheels standard on the mid and top variants). The boot is extremely well integrated and doesn’t look like an afterthought while the tail lights are LED units. The lower half of the bumper gets the black treatment to reduce the visual bulk with a thick chrome strip running above the number plate to add some flair to the trunk. The overall result is a car which looks fresh and exciting, the Tata Zest is one attractive vehicle.
Interior quality sees a massive jump, the dashboard is attractive and has a premium feel
Interiors – If the exteriors are a step up for Tata Motors, the interiors are even a bigger step up. The Zest has a very exciting dashboard, it’s all new and there is absolutely nothing in common with other Tata cars. If you remove the Tata logo on the steering wheel, you will be fooled to think that your sitting in an European vehicle, such is the leap in interior design and equipment. The dashboard is focussed towards the driver and the dual-tone treatment works well to boost the appeal. Tata Motors has used a slew of colours, the top part of the dashboard is black, with the centre using beige for that airy feel. Still, there are more colours like the piano black finishing on the centre console, above the glove box and around the instrument cluster. Silver finishing at multiple places and chrome surrounds around the AC vents and instrument cluster give the cabin the premium touch.
The instrument cluster is easy to read and there is a multi-info display in the centre
The instrument cluster is very neat on the Zest, on start-up, it swings the needles to the max and comes back. The tacho and speedo have a digital display in between them which shows instant economy, distance to empty, two tripmeters (with average mileage), gear shift indicator, time, driving mode, individual door open warning, outside temperature, etc. There is no redline marking on the tachometer because once the car approaches the redline, the tachometer needle turns from white to red. The temperature and fuel meters have bars. The stalks are chunky and the headlight leveller is on the right stalk itself. The steering wheel is small and a prefect 360 mm in size, it has height adjust. It has contours on 2 and 10 O’clock positions for added grip. The 3-spoke wheel also gets audio controls, not too many buttons but highly functional as you can accept/reject calls, use voice commands, change audio source, mute, increase/decrease volume all from the comfort of the steering.
Rear seat offers plenty of all round room, a centre arm rest is missing though
The Tata Zest is the widest car in its class, it also has the biggest wheelbase. No wonder then, it has a very roomy cabin. The front seats offer good support and cushioning is just right with ample back support (the driver seat gets height adjust but the seat belts don’t get height adjust). Even at the rear, the seats impress you, they offer terrific levels of comfort with plenty of leg, knee and head room on offer. Under thigh support is decent too but there are no pockets behind the front seats, which are scooped out to boost knee room at the rear. The cabin being wide enough makes seating three at the rear an easier task than in other compact sedans but the floor isn’t flat and there is no fifth headrest in the car. The Zest lacks a rear seat centre arm rest, a shocking omission as all other sub 4-metre sedans come with this feature. Each door has an arm rest with the power window switch falling right in hand. The rear windows are big too (they roll down completely) and visibility is good from the rear. Storage inside the cabin isn’t great as the doors don’t have bottle holders but small pockets which will take a half litre bottle but not a 1-litre one. There is only one cup holder (below the centre console) although the glovebox is very big and there is a storage tray below the co-driver’s seat. Even the rear parcel shelf is small.
The ConnectNext infotainment system is loaded with a plethora of features which are unseen at this price point
Where the Tata Zest over-impresses is with the ConnectNext Infotainment system which has been made by Harman, specially for this car (and the Bolt). The system has a plethora of features, most of them being a segment first. There are two head units, the top of the line model gets a 5-inch touch screen (the touch is smooth and accurate) while lower models gets a 3.5-inch screen, still there is not much difference in features. The audio system comes with Bluetooth, AUX, USB/iPod (also charges a phone), SD card (supports up to 64 GB) connectivity options. The system also doubles up as a reverse parking sensor display, image viewer, climate control display (the AC works very well) and the likes. The features are just countless. There is voice commands (for the Phone, Radio, Media and Climate Control) which works flawlessly, even complicated names are easily picked up and if you search for a song, the system will search across all sources to find the song and play it for you. A long hold on the right button (on the steering wheel) activates the voice command feature. There is also an IR remote.
360-degree 3-spoke steering wheel is nice to hold, controls fall right in hand
One can also browse songs to see which is next in line while the phone options are insane. You can send an SMS through the car when you reject a call telling the caller that you are driving, you can also read messages on your mobile phone through this system. The 8-speaker (4 speakers and 4 tweeters) music system offers impressive audio quality and there is no cracking from the speakers, even on full volume (which is 30). Even the radio doesn’t crack and when on full volume, you can hear everything crystal clear on the outside of the car. The attention to detail really blew us over, like the system has volume sensing and increases the volume according to speed, decreasing it when you get into reverse. A long press on the next song results in it going into the next folder. You can use the audio system on battery power for an hour, without inserting the key and when you do turn on the car, the system doesn’t pause for even a second, usually in other cars it halts for a couple of seconds when you turn on the vehicle.
The ConnectNext system has so many features that there is an entire manual for it
The audio system supports all music formats and the time is linked with the cluster, so any change on either will automatically update the clock on the other. There is also video support but it doesn’t play when the car is in motion. Special attention has been paid to FM quality, there is no hiss sound and the reception is exceptional. Tata Motors claims that that the ConnectNext system on the top-end Zest is on par with luxury cars when it comes to audio quality. The acoustics have been tuned very well and there is the staging effect. It is, in fact so good that the lower infotainment system with the 3.5-inch display is miles ahead of the closest competitor. The only thing lacking is navigation but could be added in the future. The ConnectNext system is so feature rich that along with the car manual, there is a whole manual for the infotainment system.
All seats of the Tata Zest are well cushioned and padded, offering excellent comfort
The power window lock has a red light which blinks when the lock isn’t activated and when it is, the driver can still operate all the windows. Some switches are lifted from the Vista/Manza and don’t feel as solid. The buttons for the parking sensor, front and rear fog lights are placed below the AC controls on the centre console. The doors autolock when the car reaches 10 km/hr and the best part is, they will continue to lock at 10 km/hr even if you open them (autolocking only happens the first time in most cars). You can also choose in the infotainment system if you want the autolocking to happen, for how long you want the follow me home headlights to stay activated, the beep of the reverse parking sensors (there are three tones to choose from), park assist volume, park assist delay timer, etc. There is an illuminated key ring for making it easy to insert the key into the ignition.
Boot is hampered by suspension intrusion on both sides, notice protection bars
The boot is decently big but is hampered by suspension intrusion on both sides, the rear seats don’t flip forward. There are springs for making opening and closing of the trunk very light. The spare wheel doesn’t get an alloy wheel and the wipers are single blade ones with the two nozzles throwing twin jets of spray each. There is no dead pedal but the pedal placement is good. When you turn on the parking light, the DRLs switch off which shouldn’t be the case as the DRLs would look even better at night. The DRL tell-tale light glows in the cluster all the time. The horn is a dual-tone one and sounds good. The stalks are designed in a way that they could take buttons but there are no buttons so we can expect them to be used in the future. The Zest also has lane change indicators and the rear number plate light uses two LEDs which helps to save space. The car also gets a crank lock, so if the vehicle is on and you try to crank it, it will just blink the fuel and temperature bars, neat. Overall, the interiors of the Zest are not only a huge leap over the Manza, they also beat the competition in several areas. The quality is excellent as well and we couldn’t spot any panel gaps on our test cars. A big thumbs up to Tata.
The Zest is powered by the same 1.3-litre diesel and new 1.2 turbo petrol engines
Performance – The Tata Zest is offered with the tried and test 1.3-litre Quadrajet diesel engine which produces the same output as it used to earlier. This engine is sourced from Fiat and is also popularly called as the “National Diesel Engine of India”. While offered with a 5-speed manual earlier, it now also gets paired to a 5-speed AMT automatic gearbox, making the Zest the cheapest diesel automatic in the country and also the only diesel automatic car in its segment. The bigger news is the new 1.2-litre Revotron petrol engine, which has been developed by Tata Motors in conjunction with AVL. It’s the first and only turbocharged petrol engine in its class.
The Zest is the only turbo petrol car in the segment, it’s the only car with drive modes
The 1.2-litre Revotron turbo engine uses an alloy head and a cast iron block, it belts out 90 PS at 5000 RPM and 140 Nm of torque at as low as 1750 RPM (up to 3500 RPM). The Zest gets a clutch lock and once you start the vehicle, you will really appreciate the low NVH levels, the motor is super refined with no vibes at all. In fact, the NVH is so good that at speed with the audio system playing, you can’t hear much of road, tyre or wind noise. Drivability is where the 1.2T Revotron mill truly shines, it offers an excellent low and mid-range punch but lacks top-end thrust. There is no turbo lag and performance is instant too, with power delivery being linear. The engine doesn’t rev quickly though and you do have to work the gearbox for quick overtakes, more so if the RPM drops below 2500 RPM in higher gears (4th and 5th).
The Revotron motor excels in low and mid-end performance but lacks top-end grunt
So for instance, driving at 90 km/hr in fifth and you stand on the pedal, the motor does take its time to pull, clearly fifth gear is for cruising. Redline comes in just under 6000 RPM with the tacho glowing red once you whizz past 5500 RPM. 100 km/hr comes up in third gear with the tacho ticking in at around 2300 RPM in top gear at the same speed, so the engine is relaxed when you want to maintain cruising speed on the highway. Tata Motors has tested the engine for 3 lakh hours and there are many highlights of this powertrain – 10% faster than the closest rival, highest power and torque density in it class, 23% better peak torque than the closest rival. The engine doesn’t sound sporty but you can hear the turbo whistle. This is not the motor which will put the tarmac on fire as it’s not tuned for high revs but drivability is its forte. Still, it does cut off smoothly when it hits the redline (like European cars) and doesn’t feel jerky there.
The gearbox is slick and the clutch is light, adding to the driving experience of the Zest
While accelerating, if you lift off, the RPM doesn’t drop quickly, it increases a bit and then falls very slowly. First gear is good for 50 km/hr while second will see you do 90 km/hr. The engine won’t rev more than 5000 RPM in neutral. The Revotron engine also has a first in class drive mode selector (developed with Bosch), you can choose between Eco, City and Sport. By default, the car is in City mode and a touch of a button on the centre console changes the mode (which is reflected on the 2.5-inch display on the instrument cluster). This change happens on the fly and the Eco mode is aimed at mileage, the Sport mode boosts performance marginally while the City mode gives you the best of both (the throttle response is altered). You can feel the power trailing off a bit in Eco mode while the accelerator feels more instant in Sport, the 0-100 km/hr timings reflect the difference in different modes and the same is significant. The 5-speed gearbox offers smooth shifts and the clutch is light too. We can expect a mileage of 13-15 km/l from the petrol Zest.
Driving Dynamics – The Tata Zest is underpinned by the X1 platform which underpins the Vista and Manza. This platform is known for offering a good balance of ride and handling but it’s even better in the Zest. Ride quality is fantastic, the suspension isolating the worst of bumps with ease. Even big bumps don’t unsettle the car by much and that lends it a very mature ride quality which will be appreciated by all passengers (ride quality at the rear is also very good). The Zest doesn’t get bouncy on bad roads and remains glued to the tarmac at high speeds. There is no nervousness felt at all. The car uses the ninth generation Bosch ABS with EBD and braking performance is very good with the car not locking up even under heavy braking. The ABS has ‘Corner Braking Stability’ feature and when you launch the car aggressively, there is very little wheel spin.
Ride quality is stupendous, the car glides on almost all roads without getting affected
Tata Motors has adopted an electric power steering for the Zest (the Manza used a hydraulic unit). Known as EPAS, this steering is similar to the one on the Nano Twist and has been developed by ZFLS. It has an Active Return function which works well to pull the steering back to straight position when you take a u-turn. The steering is speed sensitive, it isn’t too light at low speeds but becomes heavy at high speeds, giving decent feedback but is numb at the straight ahead position. Narain Karthikeyan has tested the car for dynamics and the Zest handles well too, there is some body roll and understeer kicks in quickly when you corner very aggressively. The vehicle runs on Bridgestone tyres which offer good grip.
The Tata Zest comes with the same safety features offered by its rivals but gets CSC
Safety – The Tata Zest uses a baked hardened steel in its construction. It gets front and side crumple zones along with protection bars for rear passengers. Safety equipment includes dual front airbags, ABS, EBD and Corner Stability Control (CSC). The Zest feels strong, the doors close with a reassuring thud and the thickness of metal is good too. However, the vehicle isn’t tested by Global NCAP yet and we can only comment on the safety of the vehicle after a crash test rating has been given to it. The company has crash tested the Tata Zest at its own facility and it meets Indian regulations.
The Tata Zest is a well packaged product which is going to sell like hot cakes
Verdict – A sub 4-metre Tata sedan has been a long time coming and all that wait seems to be well worth it. Tata Motors has finally cracked it. The Zest is a car which is not only a step up for the company, it’s a step up in multiple ways for the segment in which it is going to be positioned. The car comes with many first in class features which will make competitors sweat and force them to up their game. The Zest is unlike any Tata car, there is no compromise on anything. Right from a state of the art turbo petrol engine to an infotainment system which can put cars five times the price to shame. Then there is the generous equipment list, high attention to detail, fantastic ride quality and the list is almost endless. The Tata Zest is bound to be a sure shot hit in the Indian market, it’s that good a car.
The Tata Zest has been designed with thorough attention to even the minutest of details. The efforts put in by the company clearly shows and reflects in how this car excels at most fronts. The Zest is so good that it has what it takes to dethrone the segment leader.
The dashboard is tilted towards the driver and the seating position is good
What’s Cool
* First turbocharged petrol engine with drive modes
* Attractive design
* Excellent interiors with plenty of space
* Plethora of features
* Amazing ConnectNext infotainment system
* Fantastic ride quality
What’s Not So Cool
* No rear seat centre arm rest, dead pedal and bottle holders in doors
* Rear seat doesn’t flip forward
Tata Motors is back with a bang, there is no compromise in the making of the Zest
2014 Tata Zest Specifications
* Engine: 1193cc, turbocharged, Revotron (Petrol), 1248cc, Quadrajet (Diesel)
* Power: 90 PS @ 5000 RPM (Petrol), 90 PS @ 4000 RPM (Diesel)
* Torque: 140 Nm @ 1750-3500 RPM (Petrol), 200 Nm @ 1750-3000 RPM (Diesel)
* Transmission: 5-speed manual (Petrol, Diesel), 5-speed AMT (Diesel)
* 0-100 km/hr: 13.68, 15.94, 16.62 seconds (Petrol in Sports, City and Eco modes), 15.31 seconds (Diesel)
* Top Speed: 170 km/hr
* Fuel Consumption: 13 km/l (Petrol), 16 km/l (Diesel)
* Fuel Type: Petrol, Diesel
* Suspension: McPherson Strut (Front), Twist Beam (Rear)
* Tyres: 185/60/15
* Brakes: Ventilated Disc (Front), Drum (Rear)
* Safety: Dual Airbags, ABS, EBD, Corner Stability Control
2014 Tata Zest Dimensions
* Overall length x width x height: 3995 mm X 1706 mm X 1570 mm
* Wheelbase: 2470 mm
* Front/Rear Track: 1450/1440 mm
* Turning Radius: 5.1 metres
* Ground clearance: 175 mm
* Boot Space: 390 litres
* Fuel Tank Capacity: 44 litres
* Kerb Weight: 1115-1135 kgs (Petrol), 1170 kgs (Diesel)
Further Reading –
Tata Zest AMT Review
Tata Zest vs Maruti DZire
Tata Zest vs Honda Amaze vs Hyundai Xcent vs Maruti DZire
Tata Zest vs Ford Figo Aspire vs Hyundai Xcent vs Honda Amaze