Tata Motors will unveil the Falcon 4 and Falcon 5 on the 3rd of February, two cars which have been in the news for a long time now but with very few details being available about them. While the Falcon 4 is a heavily re-engineered Vista, the Falcon 5 is a sub 4-metre version of the Manza. The Falcon name is only an internal codename and the vehicles will bear different nameplates. While the Falcon 5’s name hasn’t been revealed yet, the Falcon 4 will be called Tata Bolt. Neither Indica nor Vista names will be used on the car as the company looks at getting rid of old notions.
The Tata Bolt might look similar to the Vista in profile but the company has given it all new body panels. The automaker believes the car is all new and that’s because every aspect of the vehicle has been worked upon. On the design front, Tata Motors has roped in help from its European design centre and the front will be more dynamic. The rear drops the highly outdated vertical tail lights in place of a smaller and neater unit.
The biggest change though are the interiors, which are all new with improved quality and more comfortable seats. The dashboard has taken inspiration from European cars. Tata Motors has always played the value for money game and so will be the case with the Falcons. Both the Bolt and Manza CS will get a slew of features including smoked headlights, projectors, touch-screen audio system, multi-information display, GPS, etc.
The Tata Bolt also gets mechanical updates although the platform is the same as before. The Vista’s platform is quite capable with a good balance between ride and handling. The Bolt gets improvements to the suspension to improve dynamics while also ensuring a smooth ride over our bad roads. The vehicle ditches the hydraulic steering unit for a electric power steering which has been developed by ZF. Expect self-centring technology on this steering, which also uses a smaller wheel for improved ergonomics. The Tata Bolt will draw power from the 1.2-litre Revotron turbo-petrol engine and 1.3-litre Quadrajet diesel mill.
Tata Motors will showcase the Falcon 4 (Bolt) and Falcon 5 at the upcoming Auto Expo but sales of the car will only commence in the second half of the year. The company founded the sub 4-metre segment with the Indigo CS but has taken considerable amount of time in getting the sub 4-metre Manza out. While the Manza CS will replace the current Manza, the Bolt will sit above the Vista Tech in the company’s portfolio, rivalling the Maruti Suzuki Swift and Hyundai i20.
Source – Autocar
