Tata is currently under equipped with AMT units for the Zest with waiting periods mounting and introducing the same on the new Bolt makes little sense as of now.
Tata Motors has surely struck the sweet spot with the new Zest compact sedan that has been gaining numbers slowly and steadily since its launch in August this year. Having promised two new products ever year till the end of this decade, the company is all set to launch the Bolt premium hatchback in the country next month that shares its underpinnings with the Zest. However, while the compact sedan gets the famed Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) unit on the diesel version, the same will not be offered on the Bolt with either of the engine options anytime soon.
Both the Zest and Bolt were showcased together earlier this year and while the former was confirmed to get an AMT unit, Tata Motors never intended to plonk the AMT in the Bolt from day one. The Zest diesel AMT has really taken off to a good start in the market being the country’s most affordable diesel automatic and the Indian auto-giant has been facing a tough situation to keep up with the demand. Much like Maruti Suzuki, Tata also sources the AMT gearboxes from Magneti Marelli and there is limited supply of the AMTs coming from the Italian auto component maker.
The delay in supply has caused Tata to focus on clearing the existing waiting periods of the Zest diesel automatic before even thinking to launch the AMT unit on any of its other cars. However, this does not mean that the auto unit has been completely negated on the Bolt. With the market demand favouring towards automatics, it won’t be long when Tata will launch the AMT equipped Bolt as well in both petrol and diesel avatars. It also depends on the timeline for Magneti Marelli to establish its facility in the country that will improve production by ten folds, thereby reducing the waiting period on AMT vehicles.
Doing a quick recap on the specifications, the 2015 Tata Bolt comes with the newly developed 1.2-litre Revotron petrol engine producing 90 PS of power and 140 Nm of torque, while the 1.3-litre Quadrajet diesel mill produces 75 PS of power and 190 Nm of torque. Both the motors come paired to a 5-speed manual gearbox as standard. While the Bolt misses out on the AMT unit, the company has made up for the same by offering improved driving dynamics and sportier handling. The premium hatchback will be retaining most features seen on the Zest with prices expected to start under Rs. 4 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi).
