We took a test drive of the newly launched Tata Zest while choosing a car for my dad. Dad was interested as the Zest was new in the market and offered good VFM and he was also interested in the new Revotron engine. I was interested because of the AMT transmission, Multi Drive Mode, infotainment system and other things like projector headlights.
We checked the top of line XT model. Our first impression was disappointing - The family resemblance to the Indica family was very evident - infact, it felt very much like an Indigo CS from several quarters- Not necessarily a bad thing, considering the Indigo CS is a very good compact sedan. Some people would compare the looks with the Manza, but it’s not as big as the Manza, and has a lesser presence. But the taxi/cab resemblace was very putting off.
Interiors were excellent on the XT model, lot of nifty features and nice bits, but the lower variations like XM had a lot those of features missing. Seats were comfy and spacious, but if you have travelled in a Vista/Indigo CS, you wouldn’t feel anything new about the seats and spaciousness. The dash and quality of plastics has improved from the Vista.
Driving was good, clutch was smooth and gearshifts were smooth, even on manual models. The AMT thing takes some time to get used to. The engine performance is good at low and medium speesd, we did not get a chance to push the test vehicle further.
Overall a very good car if you can live with the looks. My biggest concern is that very soon cab companies will be lapping up the Zest for their fleets similar to what happened with the Vista and Manza - they were targeted as premium passenger cars for individuals, but the presence in fleets became too widespread for the comfort of individual buyers. I just hope same is not repeated with the Zest/Bolt. We opted for a different car just for this particular reason.