Tata Zest review, test drive

With the Zest, Tata wants to claw back lost ground from Maruti, Hyundai and Honda in the crucial sub-4 metre sedan segment it first created.

Published on Jul 14, 2014 04:30:00 PM

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The Tata Zest is the company's new compact sedan, which will take on Maruti, Honda and Hyundai.

The boot has been pretty well integrated and the wraparound tail-lamps and chrome bar give it presence.

A sculpted bumper, attractive grille and kinked headlamps give the new nose a lot more character.

Tata has managed to find a superb compromise between ride and handling with the Zest.

Should I buy one?

Even a short drive in the new Tata Zest will make you forget everything about the old Indica Vista, so effective are the improvements. The design is a definite step forward and when viewed from certain angles, the car looks genuinely good. The real changes are in the engineering. The ride and handling mix is just spot on, and it’s even fun to chuck around corners. The petrol engine doesn’t quite live up to all the hype Tata put behind it, but in isolation, is very smooth and driveable, and packs adequate punch too. The AMT diesel comes with the compromises typical of this type of gearbox, but for most people in everyday driving, the price, fuel economy and immense convenience factor should outweigh the small foibles. You’ll also have little reason to complain sitting inside, apart from the lack of cabin stowage, and the top-spec car is really well kitted out too.

With the Zest, Tata Motors is taking on a hugely competitive segment dominated by three of the country’s biggest carmakers. It does have a trump card up its sleeve with the diesel auto, however, and this alone should have buyers flocking to showrooms. Tata was the company that started this segment in the first place, remember, and if it prices the Zest as competitively as it historically has its other cars, this could be the car that puts Tata back in the game.

GAVIN D’SOUZA