Tata Motors might just have hit the sweet spot with the new Zest compact sedan in the Indian market. As per our source, the aggressively priced Zest has garnered over 10,000 bookings within just three weeks of launch, while the company delivered just over 2000 units till the start of this week. With the overwhelming response, Tata joins the league of super successful launches that currently includes models like the Hyundai Grand i10, Xcent, Mahindra XUV500, Ford EcoSport, Honda Amaze, City, Mobilio and the likes that also managed to garner a ton of bookings within just days of launch.
Competing in the newly formed compact sedan space, the Tata Zest offers a host of first-in-the-segment features that can even put a car twice its price to shame. The Zest also managed to earn additional brownie points by being the most affordable diesel automatic in the country. The diesel AMT variant is witnessing great demand over the manual (the AMT variant has a higher waiting period) and has certainly caught the fancy of Indian buyers. Certainly, the bookings have been more than Tata anticipated and the Zest now commands a waiting period of 3.5-4 months depending on the variant.
Tata sources the automated manual transmission from Magneti Marelli and the demand for the AMT variant simply can’t match the supply. Moreover, the enquiries and test drives by prospective customers is increasing by the day and the waiting period is only going to grow further for the diesel automatic version. The demand for the petrol and diesel manual version is equally high.
Tata has managed to package the Zest very attractively and even undercut the competition with its aggressive pricing. The Zest is powered by the home-grown 1.2-litre Revotron engine producing 90 PS of power, while the diesel duties are performed by the 1.3-litre Quadrajet unit available in 75 PS and 90 PS guise. Prices start from Rs. 4.64 lakhs for the base petrol going up to Rs. 6.99 lakhs for the top-end diesel variants (all prices ex-showroom, Delhi). Finally, Tata has got a product right in the first go, and the Zest will help the automaker reclaim its market share once again. The expectations only get higher now for the Bolt hatchback.
