Tata recently launched the new Zest sedan; however, they continue to test the Bolt hatchback. Our spy photographers spotted a test mule on the windy roads of Lavasa.
The test mule spotted was a petrol variant and our spies vouch for its refinement levels. It sports a design similar to the Zest sedan up front, the doors, the shoulder line everything is similar until the C-pillar which doesn’t sweep down like in the Zest. The C-pillar gets blacked out to give it a floating roofline feel, however it doesn’t quite do justice to the idea.
It will be available in two engine options – a Revotron 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol producing 83bhp and a 1.3-litre MultiJet diesel in two states of tune 75/90bhp. There are no confirmations, but the Bolt might be available with an AMT gearbox and could be the first in the segment to offer it.
It is expected that the Bolt will make it to the markets by year-end or by early 2015. The car will take on the likes of Hyundai Elite i20, Volkswagen Polo, Maruti Swift and the Fiat Punto Evo. Tata has launched the Zest with shock pricing and we expect the Bolt to carry a mouthwatering price tag across variants as well.
