Tata Bolt review, test drive

The hatchback sibling of the Tata Zest is ready to go on sale, and we’ve driven the production-ready version.

Published on Dec 10, 2014 12:00:00 PM

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What’s it like to drive?

The Bolt petrol is powered by an 89bhp, 1.2-litre ‘Revotron’ turbo-petrol motor. You can chose one of three modes on the Multi Drive system – Eco, City or Sport. In normal or City mode, the turbocharged engine is responds really nicely to taps on the accelerator. There’s a nice bump in power just when you want it, and Tata seems to have improved the motor since we tested it in the Zest. This one uses shorter gearing and gets improved throttle responses. And the light and direct steering also feels just right for the job at hand. The motor, however, still remains a bit sluggish below 1,800rpm and the gearbox still feels a bit rubbery. ‘Eco’ – a step down from ‘City’ –reduces fuel delivery in an effort to improve fuel consumption. Reactions to the throttle are dulled as a result and this feels a bit frustrating. ‘Sport’ on the other hand is plenty of fun. You feel a distinct bump up in power when you hit the switch and there is a bit more punch in the top end too. As a result, overtaking on the highway is quite easy and the Bolt has plenty of power in reserve in this mode. Pulling the Revotron motor hard, however, does reveal the origin and age of the motor. Based on the two-valves-per-cylinder 1.2 Xeta motor that powered the Indica, this motor isn’t as free-revving or as sophisticatedly engineered as most of the competition in its class, and as a result feels strained when you rev it hard. And the tuning and setup aren’t perfect either. Mash the throttle and sometimes there’s a fair period of hesitation before the motor finally gets into its stride.

The Bolt also comes with a 74bhp, 1.3-litre diesel which you can read about here.

Ride quality, however, is excellent. The Bolt seems almost totally unfazed by poor roads and there are almost no sharp thuds, even when we ride over some of the worst bits. There is some small amount of pitching, but that’s only because Tata wanted to keep things really soft and comfy at low speeds. Also impressive is straightline stability. The new ‘dual path’ dampers, new subframe and reconfigured struts help deliver good stability, despite the high ride height, and this allows the Bolt to feel relaxed and comfortable even as speeds build. What also impresses are the brakes, and Tata hasn’t cut any corners here; the Bolt comes with Bosch’s ninth generation anti-lock braking system. The Bolt, however, hasn’t been designed to tear around bends. So it needs to be coaxed into corners, and there’s a considerable amount of body roll when you do so. The electric steering also feels a bit too light.

Should I buy one?

However, the Bolt diesel’s strengths do outweigh its lesser points. Overall refinement is very good, the ride quality is excellent and cabin space remarkable. Its nice enough to drive too. The Bolt diesel range starts at Rs 5.49 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) for the base XE version but we’d recommend you look at the better specced versions. Those versions may not be as affordable as we had expected (the top-spec XT costs Rs 6.99 lakh), but still make for good value thanks to the good level of equipment they come with. So, at long last, Tata has the right product at a nice price. Let’s hope it can deliver on durability too this time around.