Thunder-Bolt: Tata back in the hatchback fray

Victory lap: The Bolt sets new benchmarks in the small car segment, with a mixture of looks, spunk and raciness

In a booming Indian auto market, which has many players – both homegrown and international – setting their eyes on its largest share, each carmaker is trying hard to push and sell ‘that’ model which would become dear to the customer.

Today’s car race is on and newer car design and production is at a constant and on every assembly-line in the country.

It had been a while since India’s very own Tata Motors came out with a new car platform, which all changed when it rolled out the peppy sedan Zest, earlier this year. Scripting a new chapter in its own and the market’s small car story, Tata recently gave a sneak peek into its latest offering, a snazzy hatchback baby, the Bolt.

In the arid, unspoilt hues of Rajasthan, the new hatchback, Tata Bolt, designed on the same platform as the Zest, is previewed and I get an opportunity to see it and experience what it feels like to drive Tata’s latest small car.

A smart car, indeed

The Bolt is nothing short of a good-looking car. The car I drive is the top-end XT variant. The exterior language exaggerates the feeling of a large hatchback, standing at a length of 3,825 mm, width of 1,695 mm and an overall height of 1,562 mm.

At first glance, the car carries the appearance elements from its big brother, the Zest, which, itself, is a good-looker. The Bolt’s bold new stance and its well-sculpted body put forth the new Tata Motors design semantics. According to the company, the car owes its design to three studios based in Pune, Coventry (the UK) and Turin (Italy).

The design conveys a sense of power and agility for the forward pouncing stance. The silhouette reveals smooth, flowing lines finishing in a flat edge of the floating roof spoiler, which create the illusion of movement even when the car is standing still.

Coming to the front of the car, the first character that seizes my attention is the new Tata signature grill, the new Humanity Line, visually flows into the dynamic headlamps, creating a unique design signature for the brand (same as the Zest). A wide intake and the fog lamp bezels provide a confident look to the car.

Even the rear treatment of lamps and bumper give an eye catchy proportion and helps in creating a sporty stance. Particularly important in the Bolt is the balance of the different visual elements, combined with a well-chiseled body, adding to the aerodynamic and athletic stance.

I seat myself in the cabin, realising that the interiors have a very welcoming and inviting feel about them. The full-fabric rugby shoulder seats, add a sense of being in safe hands, besides injecting a dose of everlasting comfort.

The black spacious interiors come with stunning, high-tech features. A premium chrome embellishment renders the cockpit aura of elegance. The instrument cluster and the central AC vents are connected in a single wing-shaped graphic.

The centre console is the main focal element of the car, loaded with the amazing experience of infotainment and HVAC. The sparing use of chrome on the instrument cluster, vents, gear knob and on door release handles gives an instant premium boost. One of the most attractive key design elements is the new Tata signature 3-spoke steering wheel, creating a new, younger aesthetic.

Start engine

It is time to take the car out and stretch it a little. And with the big space inside, even I can stretch out. I am at the picturesque lake city of Udaipur, which provides scope to test the Bolt in a regal historical town setting, along with the more pristine bouquet of routes that meander through the nearby Aravali Range.

Udaipur, with its lakes, lies on the southern slope of this hill range, which I ascertain, is the perfect place to drive the Bolt.

It is quite early in the morning. The weather is cool, the air is fresh and the pretty town is just waking up.

The car leaves the flag-off area on the banks of Lake Pichola, heading towards Eklingji, a historical temple complex, 22 km North of Udaipur. The route will take me through sylvan hills, with adequate room to test the car, including changing terrain.

The car I am driving is the Bolt petrol variant, the segment’s first hatch to be powered by the turbocharged intercooled Multi-point Fuel Injection (MPFi) petrol engine – Revotron 1.2T, promising nimble road mannerism to the vehicle.

The car is on its way and has already begun to impress. The 1193 cc Revotron 1.2T, 4-cylinder engine is very peppy. It moves with authority leaving the traffic behind and competitors watching. For a car that is quite hefty in build, the drive is quite smooth and begins to negotiate irregularities on the road very efficiently.

I notice a feature of the car, which must be mentioned here. Perhaps, owing to the lineage of Tata Motors being a force to reckon with in the commercial heavy vehicle segments, the Bolt tends to have a little bumpy ride while handling regular city roads.

But knowing the state of Indian roads, rest assured the suspension of the Bolt, a wheel base of 1,470 mm and a good ground clearance of 165 mm ensure that the car provides a safe and hassle-free ride.

The car has now arrived at the Aravalis and begun to climb the foothills. The uneven inclines and unsmooth roads is where the Bolt truly shines. The body structure of the car ensures that the car safely sticks to the road imbibing a sense of confidence in the mind of the driver, especially while at the hairpins.

The Bolt comprises ePAS (Electronic Power Assisted System), with ‘Active Return’ function and speed sensitive power steering, which aids in good manoeuvrability at all times.

A short turning radius of 5.1 metres means there are no small spaces on the drive as such for the Bolt to squeeze through.

Even at higher speeds, the car is able to take safe turns, aided by safety features like the new advance gen ABS, with EBD, for improved braking efficiency, smooth manual gear shift and the Cornering Stability Control (CSC) for cruising past curves on the road.

The Revotron 1.2T delivers a total power of 90PS @ 5000 rpm at a total torque of 140Nm @ 1500-400 rpm, making it a pretty fast machine.
Let’s put on the Multi-Drive, offering three drive modes – Eco for slow, relaxed driving (more mileage), City for driving through traffic and Sport for fast, exhilarating control, allows me to feel the car punt through different speeds with fun.

In the Sport mode, the car can accelerate 0-100 kmph in around 14 seconds and could easily reach a top speed above 150 kmph, while the same mode can offer a mileage way above 12 kmpl. The Bolt will also be available in diesel, with a 75PS engine, delivering 190Nm of torque.

Music in motion

The drive in the Bolt is relaxing. Let’s play some music. The car has a HARMAN-designed infotainment and audio acoustic system, which also integrates MapMyIndia for navigation. The system, with its 8 speakers, integrates AUX, USB, CD/MP3, apart from Bluetooth connectivity, voice recognition, video playback and smartphone-based navigation. The steering-mounted controls add a hint of convenience too, and the sound quality is excellent.

In recent times, Tata Motors has faced a rocky road in the Indian car market, but with its HORIZONEXT philosophy on course, and the Bolt incorporating strategies such as DESIGNEXT, DRIVENEXT and CONNECTNEXT, the company, along with the cars it sells, may offer a strong fight to the competition.

But few issues, especially pertaining to after-sales service, must be dealt with swiftly, drawing more satisfied customers to the company’s stable. The Bolt is slated for a launch in the coming weeks, and the company claims that it will be priced very competitively.

Whatever be the verdict, the Bolt is indeed a lovely car to drive, an intelligent hatchback to rely on. I have reached the temple; thanking God and the Bolt for a safe journey.