The upcoming sub-four metre sedan from Tata Motors, the Zest, has been spotted testing in Bangalore. Our reader Saurabh Jha snapped these pictures of the car on Hosur Road. The company has been testing the car in a disguised avatar quite frequently. The regular sightings make us believe that the manufacturer might launch the car soon.
The Tata Zest is the compact sedan version of the hatchback- Bolt. It carries design traits from the younger sibling as well. It is based on the same platform as the Vista and Manza and though the design is the same from the fascia to the C-Pillar, the boot doesn’t seem to be a strap on. The tail lamps, however, are similar to the ones on the Bolt.
The cabin interiors are similar to the Bolt in terms of the overall layout and upholstery. The features are also the same which include a Harman touch screen music system and the top-spec variant might get all such premium accessories like white upholstery while the other standard models might be equipped with beige interiors.
The Tata Zest will be made available in both petrol and diesel options. The petrol variant will be powered by the new 1.2-litre Revotron engine that produces 84bhp of power and 140Nm of torque. The diesel spec will continue to be powered by the 1.3-litre Quadrajet engine sourced from Fiat, which churns out 74bhp of power and 190Nm of torque. These will be mated to a five-speed-manual gearbox and Tata might equip the some variants of the Zest with an AMT transmission as well.
The Zest will be Tata’s entry into the compact segment of cars. Before displaying the car at the 2014 Auto Expo, all the specifications of the vehicle were revealed at the unveiling just before the biennial event. The launch is expected to happen soon and when launched in India, the Zest will go up against the new Hyundai Xcent, the Honda Amaze, the Maruti Swift Dzire and the upcoming Ford Figo sedan.