[lurker]

Seat height adjust, excuse me for saying this, is a pointless feature. Either you can see well or you can't. If you can't see well, then the bad ergonomics usually does not change even if seat height adjust is present.

[ajay_satpute]

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

I do NOT think that he has made any statements which warrant a response like yours. He has asked a question and did NOT make a statement.

We really need to stop getting worked up on every not-so-positive statement about Zest or TATA cars for that matter. Lets appreciate where credit is due and also welcome the improvement points.

He did make a baseless statement, since he did not know anything which car it was. So if he had to post this statement, why didn't he post it on Honda Mobilio thread or Audi A3? I am not getting worked up on any negative comments against Zest, but i dont like the continuous bashing of Tata by some people who have never even sat once in a Tata vehicle, forget about driving it or owning it.


On another note, I am visiting Pandit auto showroom tomorrow, to check my car's exchange value for Zest diesel manual top-end. Will update the info by tomorrow evening, if possible.

[DCEite]

Originally Posted by lurker

Seat height adjust, excuse me for saying this, is a pointless feature. Either you can see well or you can't. If you can't see well, then the bad ergonomics usually does not change even if seat height adjust is present.

Whoa thats a new one.

Completely disagree. Have umpteen times witnessed the usefulness of seat height adjust specially in case of shorter drivers.

Heck, i am 5,11 - but still find the feature useful. For me, the raised height gives a commanding view of the road ahead, and the low down positions give a more involving feel to the drive.

Anyway its a different topic though, so will leave it at that.

[da_lowrider]

Originally Posted by lurker

Seat height adjust, excuse me for saying this, is a pointless feature. Either you can see well or you can't. If you can't see well, then the bad ergonomics usually does not change even if seat height adjust is present.

I don't think it's only about shorter drivers & the view, it also helps in finding the most comfortable seating position WRT to the pedals - it certainly helps me, especially when driving over longer distances.

Anyway, I think we should rest this and wait for the final feature list.

[lurker]

In the Punto, I have tried to adjust height to maximum yet I can't see the bonnet or the immidiate front, if you know what I mean. It is more or less an approximation. It's not the case with the Ford Figo, Hyundai Santro, Maruti 800 (Old), Skoda Laura/Fabia/Octavia, Ford Fiesta etc. In fact I do not know if raising the seat really changes anything on the Punto except that you sit closer to the roof.

And since Tata and Fiat share the Rajnandgaon plant and I expect Punto to be an inspiration for Tata since atleast a car from Tata stable and Punto are made together in shifts, they may have felt it is pointless to involve hydraulics in the Zest seat just for the sake of it. Atleast I do not entirely support cutting down on any feature, but I can understand where they come from after driving a Punto.

[torquecurve]

Originally Posted by lurker

o.

Seat height adjust is not just for the view of the road. It is also for the steering control. As mentioned by DCEite and lowrider, it does help.

Personally I keep it low when I am doing short drives (less than an hour) and on longer drives I raise the height a bit.
Also helps to maintain your elbow position wrt to steering which may or may not affect your fatigue levels.

[shashi63]

Finally.. The Big Day.. the Zest puts in its appearance at Vivana Mall Thane. On display today and tomorrow. Will be doing a Test Drive sometime today and looking forward to it.

[Aditya]

Tata Motors has started rolling out the Zest compact sedan from the Tata-Fiat Ranjangoan manufacturing facility.

Link to Team-BHP News Article

[DCEite]

Any guesses on how much the AMT *bolt* diesel going to be priced for ?

Something in the range of current Vista Tech Top model i suppose?

[gsurya]

On twitter @hormazdsorabjee :

"How quick is Zest? Perf. figures only in @autocarindiamag Aug issue reveals all. Revotron has 4s diff in 0-100 time between Eco & Sport mode"

[RYP]

Originally Posted by gsurya

On twitter @hormazdsorabjee :

"How quick is Zest? Perf. figures only in @autocarindiamag Aug issue reveals all. Revotron has 4s diff in 0-100 time between Eco & Sport mode"

* Engine: 1193cc, turbocharged, Revotron (Petrol), 1248cc, Quadrajet (Diesel)
* Power: 90 PS @ 5000 RPM (Petrol), 90 PS @ 4000 RPM (Diesel)
* Torque: 140 Nm @ 1750-3500 RPM (Petrol), 200 Nm @ 1750-3000 RPM (Diesel)
* Transmission: 5-speed manual (Petrol, Diesel), 5-speed AMT (Diesel)
* 0-100 km/hr: 13 seconds (Petrol), 14 seconds (Diesel) (est.)
* Top Speed: 170 km/hr

Source : Motorbeam

They never mentioned anywhere on which mode it was tested, but we do get a fair bit of idea about the acceleration.

[swiftnfurious]

Got a TD of both petrol & diesel (MT) variants in EA mall yesterday in Chennai. Had a good chat with the team as well about the products.

1. Car looks pretty good. There is a definite Vista resemblence but the car still manages to look sharp.

2. The corona rings add a class to the car along with the DRL. The corona ring also acts as the park light.

3. Couple of "good feel" touches - illuminated key ring and back lit power window buttons (on all doors) and steering controls.

4. Good & classy dials and fonts.

5. Great hugging seats for my average frame; not sure how a wider person would feel like.

6. GREAT ICE - beautiful sounding; sure that 90-95% of the owners would be extremely happy. Tried raising the volume quite high - it still didn't distort. I am told that the speakers are JBL too (total 6 speakers - 4 on doors + 2 tweeters).

7. Lots of voice assisted features; controlling the ac, song list to play etc.

8. Space is GREAT. I am 6'2" - after adjusting the driver seat for my comfort, I sat behind the driver and I still had around 3 inches of space.

9. Absolutely good NVH levels. NO vibration on the gear lever or any pedals; if you sit at the back with the blower off; you still can NOT make out whether the car is running (for Revotron).

10. Under thigh support is average for me (6'2"). However, I believe this also will be good for people upto 5'9". This is the case for both front & rear seats.

11. Gear shift quality is OK - but still NOT as enjoyable, say like a Swift. Quite acceptable though. Steering is quite light for city use too.

12. Suspension is a bit stiff - so body roll should be well controlled I hope ( could NOT try out high speed cornering abilities in the city.

13. I am told that the team has come down from Pune and they are trainers and NOT marketing or sales team. They want the feedback in person and NOT come thru the dealers. Excellent initiative I would say.

14. I interacted with SA from Concorde and I was informed that TATA would look at a 15% lesser price than Xcent / Amaze / Dzire.

15. I found the Revotron to be better driveable than the diesel - was pleasantly surprised with that.

16. Could pick up smoothly from a 1000 rpm / 20 kmph in 3rd gear in the petrol variant.

17. Clutch is light in both the variants - petrol is lighter than diesel.

18. Braking is good. 185 profile tyres and 175mm GC.

19. I am told that TATA wants to mate a next generation AMT to the Revotron and hence they might skip AMT for this generation.

20. Launch on 22 August 2014; bookings open now. I interacted with Deepak and Srinivas from the Pune factory team. They were quite keen on genuine feedback.

21. As a package, this is quite a compelling proposition and I do NOT find a reason to pick another one from the segment if this is priced 15% lesser. As I told them, please make sure your dealer & A$$ experience are better too.

22. The foldable key looked premium.

23. There is a light but noticeable turbo kick around 2000 rpm for both the engines.

Some night time pics.

Backlit power window on driver door



The rear park light has an artistic touch - loved the design when lit up.



Corona ring







The back lit steering controls; voice assist button on right side.

[shashi63]

Test Drove the Zest Petrol today. Took a rather long round. From Vivanna Mall to Manpada and then onwards to Teem Haath Naka and back to Vivanna at Thane. Here are a few of my observations.

The built quality is superb. Comparable or maybe even better than it's competitors.

It was raining heavily during my drive and the brakes were again on the dot.

The display is excellent. Gives you indication as to the gear you are in and advises you to change as well.

The suspension is as good or better than the Manza i drive.

The seats are very good..

The space inside is as with all Tata Cars exceptional

The Petrol engine feels sharp and responsive in City mode.

The Gear Shift is short and smooth. Better than the Manza and I thought the Manza was good.

The ride quality is excellent!

The interiors are very good and quality is extremely good. The black seating actually makes the care feel a little less roomy but space inside is awesome.

The boot space should be sufficient for its class.

Finally my view.. Honda named its sedan AMAZE that was a misnomer.The zest will AMAZE people. I see no reason why people will not buy this car when compared to Dzire, Amaze, Xcent!

Well Done Tata! I have been completely AMAZED! One Word to describe.

AWESOME!

[gsurya]

I took a TD of both the Zest Diesel & Petrol today at the EA mall Chennai. The staff there were very surprised to know I had already booked the car before even seeing one in person, nobody they knew had done that

Feedback as follows.

Postives

• Both Diesel & Petrol are great to drive, different characteristics
• Diesel is calm, composed, no turbolag even at lower RPMs, delivers power smoothly & linearly with no big surges
• NVH level on Diesel is low, on Petrol is almost absent
• Petrol is a classy engine, great to drive especially in sports mode
• The clutch was easy, but seemed high. Hope the travel can be adjusted, I felt my foot was raised too high
• If you are driving around on City mode & then switch to Sports noticable surge in power
• I was able to drive around from 20 kmph to 60 kmph in Petrol on 3rd gear easily
• Sound system is a class apart, nothing like anything seen on any segment below 15 lakhs
• Petrol was showing 13 kmpl avg on display after about 200 kms on ODO
• Space inside is great, under thigh support
• Seat fabric quality good, plastics inside decent though in some places you can find flimsy plastic
• Great alloys, Bridgestone tyres
• Car looks superb in Blue, Red, Silver; each has its own charm
• This will be a compact sedan segment leader

Negatives

• Some flimsy plastic found in few places inside
• Horn badly placed towards centre of steering wheel
• Eco/Sports mode switches are placed below the music system, should have been on steering wheel
• In rear seat, hump on floor for the middle seated passenger can be annoyance
• Steering wheel could have been thicker for a sportier feel
• Not enough cup/bottle holders compared to competition
• Boot has very high lip & less usable than the ones seen on Amaze & Excent
• Test car did not have electrically adjustable OVRM, but was told this will be there when delivered on the top end model

All in all, am very happy with having already booked Zest Petrol a week before my first look & TD. Cant wait for it to arrive!

[theredliner]

Ah man. Couldn't they have launched the Bolt along with the Zest too? I'm looking at my first car and it seems the Bolt won't be here till 2015. My budget is not enough for a top end B2 hatch. But if the Bolt was here, I would have found out a way to stretch it to get it in the top variant. After going through all the Zest reviews here, I don't feel like putting the money on anything else without waiting for the Bolt.

I'm guessing that the Bolt will have a slightly sportier handling compared to Zest like how Swift is, compared to DZire.

If they price the Bolt in a similar scale compared to rumoured Zest pricing of 15% less than competitors as mentioned above, then the Bolt should be around 5.3L ESP with OTR here around 6.4L for the top variant Revotron which would be a great buy IMO.