After the Zest, Tata Motors has introduced the new Bolt hatchback that will help attain double digit growth in the market and has already kicked off to a positive start.
Tata’s second all-new offering after the Zest, the Bolt has brought the automaker back to the coveted hatchback space that attracts the majority of demand in India. After witnessing plummeting sales over the past two years, the automaker’s turnabout has come with massively revamped products that are surely going to improve with every new model. The positive reviews of the Zest have also put in a good word for the Bolt that managed to garner 1500 bookings before the launch. The company got 10,000 test drive requests and 50,000 enquiries for the car.
Launched at a base price of Rs. 4.45 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi), success of the Bolt is crucial for Tata’s future growth in a bid to gain positive sales and a better brand name. The company made efforts to reach out to the target audience beyond the conventional means and also engaged consulting firm JD Power to give feedback throughout the development stages of the new Bolt. As a result, despite being on the existing X1 platform, the Bolt is 90 percent new and comes out as a highly improved product miles ahead from the Tata models of the past.
A major upgrade from the Vista which it replaces, the Tata Bolt boasts of a plethora of new features including segment first projector headlamps, touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, corner stability control and much more. The overall quality has seen a major upgrade as well offering a premium feel. The hatchback also boasts of the homegrown 1.2-litre Revotron petrol engine tuned to produce 90 PS of power, while diesel duty is performed by the 1.3-litre QuadraJet motor sourced from Fiat.
As part of its growth strategy, Tata plans to launch two new products every year till 2020 in the country. The company kicked off the strategy with the Zest and Bolt launches for the current financial year while next year will see the Kite (codename) hatchback and compact sedan hit the market. Furthermore, the automaker has the Nexon compact SUV, reworked Nano (codename Pelican), Aria facelift (codenamed Eagle), Safari Storme facelift as well two new SUVs in the pipeline that will be launched till the end of the decade.
