It was just a matter of time before the B+ segment sedan war received a new entrant. The car that made its entry into the fray at the Auto Expo 2014, Tata Zest, is finally going to hit the market tomorrow. It aims to steal the thunder from Hyundai Xcent, the newest compact sedan in the market, while old timers like the Honda Amaze and the Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire may find the Zest rocking their boat.
The Zest sedan proclaims to be ‘the car that will change everything’. How far it fulfils its claims, only the coming months will tell us. It is the first car from the new generation of vehicles of the Pune-based automaker. The second is the Bolt hatchback and the Zest is a sedan version of it.
In terms of appearance the Tata Zest follows the same principle as the Bolt hatchback with it sharing a lot of design cues and overall features. The new Zest is based on a revised version of the X1 platform which underpins the Manza and the Vista. Developed using inputs from Tata’s design studios in Pune, Coventry in the UK and Turin in Italy; the Zest marks a whole new chapter for Tata Motors in terms of design and technology. The front of the Zest features an aggressive fascia with new bumpers when compared to the Amaze. The large wrap-around headlamps along with the honeycomb radiator grille with a thick chrome slat round off the improvements in the front.
Powering this car will be two engine options : the 1.3-litre diesel and the new Revotron 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine. While the 5-speed manual gearbox will be offered in both the petrol and diesel variants, the revolutionary AMT gearbox will be sold only with the diesel version.
The production of the compact sedan has already commenced at the Tata-Fiat Ranjangaon manufacturing facility and spy shots of its test mules conducting trials in the country have created a lot of interest.
Tata has a whole lot of expectations to live up to. In the past, their products have taken a beating because of reports of sub-standard materials used inside the cabin, weak structure and bad performance on the road, but with the Zest it seems, Tata Motors is seeking redemption. It has followed an aggressive advertising policy, taking to the social networks to spread the word, collaborating with filmmakers and also training personnel at dealerships before the launch. Hoping to strike the right chord with customers, the car has been developed using ample feedback from Indian customers, thorough market research and incorporating features such as the AMT to appeal to the public.
We expect the pricing to be in the range of Rs 4.5-Rs 8 lakh. Competitive pricing is the key here as it will look to undercut the competition and it will also have to keep in mind the Ford Figo sedan which is in the making.
EDIT: Tata Zest launched at Rs 4.64 lakh.
For more details on the Tata Zest check our video and comprehensive text review
First drive report : https://www.carwale.com/tata-cars/zest/expert-reviews-13760/
