Indian automaker Tata Motors has opened the online bookings for its upcoming Bolt hatchback in India with a payment of Rs 11,000. The new hatchback is the second vehicle under the umbrella of HORIZONEXT, the carmaker’s customer focused strategy.
The new hatchback car model is claimed by the carmaker to be an improvement over the existing car models in terms of design, drive and connectivity. The design of the new car is a culmination of the contribution from Tata’s three design studios at Pune, Coventry (UK) and Turin (Italy).
The Bolt is the second car showcased by Tata Motors as part of its HORIZONEXT strategy after the Zest sedan launch in September 2014. According to the automaker, the new Bolt features various improvements in terms of design and performance and is set to create new benchmarks in the Indian auto industry.
Exterior Design:
The exterior of the Bolt features a floating roof and a blackened C-pillar to provide a sporty touch and improved aerodynamics.
Interiors and Infotainment:
The cockpit of the Bolt features chrome embellishment for a premium appearance while the center console sports various infotainment features and HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) controls. Tata Motors has also developed the first-in-segment touchscreen infotainment in association with HARMAN which also integrates MapMyIndia navigation enabling location based services.
Engine and Transmission:
The carmaker offers the Bolt hatchback with both petrol as well as diesel engine options. The petrol powered Bolt becomes the first hatchback to be powered by the 1.2L turbocharged Multi-point Fuel Injection (MPFi) Petrol Engine, REVOTRON 1.2T. The engine offers power of 90 PS and peak torque of 140 Nm. The diesel variant of the Bolt is powered by a 75PS engine, delivering 190 Nm of torque.
Another first for the company is the MULTI DRIVE feature which provides various driving modes such as Sport, City and Eco.
Safety Features:
The new hatchback features the new 9th generation ABS by Bosch™ enabling enhanced braking efficiency. The car also provides Corner Stability Control (CSC) which is claimed to another segment-first in the Indian auto industry.
The last car for which Tata offered online bookings was the Nano small car. While it is yet to be seen how the car is received in the Indian car market, the carmaker is betting high on the new car to hit it big against competing car models such as the Maruti Suzuki Swift, the Honda Brio, the Chevrolet Sail, the Volkswagen Polo, the Datsun Go and the Hyundai Grand i10.