The Tata Bolt comes out as a brilliant package with several segment first features at an extremely competitive price that is sure to make the competition restless.
After striking the right chord with the Zest compact sedan last year, Tata Motors is back again with its new found momentum and has finally launched the much awaited 2015 Bolt hatchback in the country, priced from Rs. 4.45 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi). Based on a heavily revised Vista platform, the Bolt shares its underpinnings with the Zest but manages to offer a completely different appeal than its booted sibling. Launched under the HORIZONEXT strategy, the hatchback was first showcased last year and it took a year of careful preparations and timing for Tata to bring the model to the domestic market.
Design – On the outset, the 2015 Tata Bolt shares its aesthetics with its sibling, the Zest compact sedan. The front fascia is identical as the Bolt is bestowed with a bold grille coupled with smoked headlights featuring projector lamps (first in segment). The front bumper is distinctively different though with the LED DRLs being replaced by conventional fog lamps, while the air intake is all black and does not get a chrome strip like the Zest. The side profile with its tall boy design does remind you of the old Vista, but it is the rear profile where we see all the major changes on the Bolt.
Ditching the Christmas tree light arrangement, Tata has opted for the small tail lights that certainly look appealing, while the sporty look is further accentuated with blackened C-pillars and a roof mounted spoiler. The rear bumper on the other hand gets a black finish at the bottom for a diffuser-like look and also integrates a stop light. Completing the rear profile is the nicely sculpted boot-lid that houses the registration plate and a chrome bar on top. The Bolt rides on 15-inch alloy wheels, while there are 5 colours on offer.
Interiors – On the inside, the Tata Bolt retains the layout from the Zest which is very appealing in the first place. The dual-tone treatment though has been replaced by a single black tone across the cabin that is further accentuated with brushed silver finish on the steering wheel, centre console as well as the door trims. The seats are upholstered in a grey tone fabric that match the black theme.
In terms of features, the Bolt comes pretty well loaded under the ConnectNext strategy and gets a Harman touchscreen infotainment system with 8 speakers, voice recognition, smartphone integration; Bluetooth, USB and AUX connectivity and SMS readout. You also get automatic climate control, MID screen, Electric Power Assist Steering (EPAS) with active return function and multi-function controls as well as ORVM integrated LED turn indicators and follow me home lights. The boot capacity is restricted to 210-litres.
Engines – Powering the 2015 Tata Bolt is a choice of petrol and diesel engine options from the Zest. The newly developed 1.2-litre Revotron petrol motor produces 90 PS of power at 5000 RPM and 140 Nm of torque between 1500-4000 RPM; while the 1.3-litre QuadraJet diesel unit has been tuned to produce 75 PS of power at 4000 RPM and 190 Nm of torque between 1750-3000 RPM. Both the motors come paired to a 5-speed manual transmission, while an AMT unit is not on the cards at present.
The petrol motor in particular comes with 3 driving modes including Sports, City and Eco modes that change the car’s behaviour and response offering you outright performance or relaxed city driving. In addition, Tata has given the Bolt a stiffer suspension set-up over the Zest for better handling, while stopping power comes from ventilated discs at the front and drum brakes at the rear.
Performance Figures – The Tata Bolt can do the 0-100 km/hr sprint in 13.68 seconds (in Sport mode) on the petrol and takes around 15 seconds on the diesel variant. The top speed has been rated at 170 km/hr on the hatchback (as per our tests).
Safety – Tata has surely taken safety very seriously on its new set of vehicles and is offering the Bolt with several safety features and segment firsts including 3-point seatbelts, dual front airbags, ABS, EBD and Cornering Stability Control (CSC). The equipment however is limited to the higher variants.
Fuel efficiency – Tata Motors states that the Bolt returns an ARAI certified fuel efficiency of 17.57 km/l on the petrol and 22.95 km/l on the diesel.
Tata is also offering sporty packages on the Bolt comprising of dual-tone seats, body kits and alloys that can be retrofitted at the dealer level. Undoubtedly one of the best attempts from the company, the Bolt comes as a compelling package against rivals like the Volkswagen Polo, Maruti Swift, Hyundai Elite i20 as well as the upcoming Honda Jazz. The hatchback also makes its case stronger with the extremely competitive price tag that is sure to give the model a healthy edge over the competition. However, unlike the Zest, Tata has not made the alloy wheels and the 333 maintenance plan as standard and customers will have to shell out extra for the features.
Make sure to read our review of the 2015 Tata Bolt HERE.
2015 Tata Bolt Prices (ex-showroom, Delhi) –
Tata Bolt Petrol Prices – (ex-showroom, Delhi, introductory)
XE – Rs. 4.45 lakhs
XM – Rs. 5.16 lakhs
XMS – Rs. 5.40 lakhs
XT – Rs. 6.06 lakhs
Tata Bolt Diesel Prices –
XE – Rs. 5.50 lakhs
XM – Rs. 6.11 lakhs
XMS – Rs. 6.35 lakhs
XT – Rs. 7.00 lakhs
