[itsashishsharma]

Originally Posted by pamiboy

I understand that zest has many nice and contemporary features and it is priced very competitively, but I have a problem with it.
I know I am in the minority here but does anyone else think that the ZEST is butt ugly (as any other TATA cars)? From the side, from the rear, from the front, something is not very well proportioned. Though TATA have great potential (and rightfully so), I really feel they should hire some talent from outside the company. No offense meant to anyone. Thanks.

The things is buddy that looks are subject to individual's own opinions. If you ask me, Tata cars look really good. Safari, Indica, Vista, Aria.. All of them look good. On the other hand, Maruti's Dzire, Celerio, Alto 800.. Honda's Amaze.. There are really ugly cars out there.
Now, I also think that Zest's looks are not as proportional as the 2008 Honda City or the Linea or the Rapid, but it is better looking then Dzire, Amaze.. And that is what matters, the competetion.
The proportion bein in small amount there has got to do with the fact that it is a hatchback converted into a sedan, having the 4m length limitation is also a contributor here as design is something artistic and should not have any constraints. IMO, all the compact sedans suffer this disproportionate design syndrome. We have to give this one to the Zest.

[noopster]

Originally Posted by pamiboy

I understand that zest has many nice and contemporary features and it is priced very competitively, but I have a problem with it.
I know I am in the minority here but does anyone else think that the ZEST is butt ugly (as any other TATA cars)?

Well...no. It's actually quite good looking in pictures. Have only seen the camo-ed test versions in the flesh but the Zest is certainly not the traditional definition of butt-ugly

Come to think of it, the Vista, Manza & Aria aren't the worst-looking specimens either. The Safari is a beaut (though I must say I go for the classic looks rather than the Storme's). Tata has had serious issues with their cars but I'd say looks are not at the top of the list!

[lurker]

Manza & Indica V1 & V2, do not seem to age well, Indigo is OK. Safari & Aria can stand on their own in any crowd. Zest should be better than these. The ugliest car when seen from any angle other than the front 3/4th's surely has to be the Amaze. It seems somehow to initiate a revulsion every time I see it. It's like I am just about to throw up after seeing one but somehow after the thing passes by, that instinct eases off.

[narayan]

I agree with noopster and have mentioned the same in some other threads. Design has never been an issue for Tata. In fact even now Indica and Vista are among the most proportional looking hatches - oh how the badge makes even a beauty look butt ugly !!
The basic Safari design is timeless. And how the Sumo ? Its a far better adaptation of the G-wagen design theme than its other Indian cousins - the Bolero and the Force Judo/Toofan etc

[RSR]

I disagree with the idea that the Zest is butt ugly. All compact sedans (read as sub-4m ones) have a severe design constraint, and Tata designers have managed to do quite well within that constraint to come out with a design that looks rather good. The stubby boot may not look proportionate when compared to a classic sedan design, but it has been integrated well and does not look like an afterthought add-on at all.

The Zest happens to be the best looking sedan from the stables of Tata, IMHO. It manages to beat all the previous sedan offerings on the Indica and Vista platforms on the looks front. The Indigo and its variants (CS & XL) and the Manza all appear a bit awkward when looked at from the rear three-quarters. The Zest appears better from that angle, if you ask me.

None of the six sub-4m sedans currently on sale (Indigo CS, new Swift Dzire, Verito Vibe, Amaze, Xcent and Zest) would win a design contest by any stretch of the imagination, but Tata's latest sedan is definitely one of the better looking cars in this bunch.

The pricing is what gives it the potential to set the charts on fire, and halt Tata's rapid slide down the monthly sales chart. The price makes the Zest fabulous value-for-money and complements a well-rounded package.

It's up to Tata Motors to work hard to change their image and bring back customers to their fold, by offering a stellar ownership experience. They cannot afford to relax now, as the Zest has generated huge interest, and it's a challenge to convert that interest into sustained sales. Only sure and steady consolidation can get them back to where they were some years ago.

[ajaypjayaraj]

Among the sub 4M so called "sedans", I think Zest has the best and most balanced rear end.

Dzire's rear end has improved over the previous generation. Xcent's rear end, especially the tail light is where it loses out on aesthetics. IMO Zest has a better, well proportioned butt among these smaller sedans. If I rate them for the rear end, it would be
Zest
Dzire/Amaze
Xcent

[S.MJet]

Guys, any idea how many bookings Zest has received?

Ei20 garnered more than 4600 bookings within 48 hrs of launch.

gsurya on prevous page (post No 468) mentioned his online booking no was 602 on 24th July.
Post price announcement total bookings must be in high four digits.

Just curious to know..

[sachinayak]

Originally Posted by S.MJet

Guys, any idea how many bookings Zest has received?

Nothing official yet, but on a different automotive forum there is a mention about bookings crossing the 5-digit mark.

[KMohanan]

Originally Posted by sachinayak

Nothing official yet, but on a different automotive forum there is a mention about bookings crossing the 5-digit mark.

Due to the bookings over a period etc first few months may show high volumes. Considering the product reviews and tata's pricing of zest, In my opinion, zest sales will settle at around 3k per month.

Tata is wrongly emphasizing the advertisement on the petrol engine. Whatever reputation tata is having, it is only in the diesel segment. Therefore, they should have given wide publicity on the Quadrajet AMT. However, customers are very learned now. I feel that the petrol : diesel sales of zest will settle as 1 : 3 in the 3k sales.

[gopa99]

Great review! Nailed to the last nail. brilliant.
The 'last but not the least' section actually hit me the most. After following the making of the zest for so long, I was expecting Tatas to be perfect to the last nail. But be it the horn panel gaps or the slick driver side matting or the seat bolt caps coming off was not encouraging. Hope Tatas take the corrections for all the hard work done by them behind the scenes. Also wonder why many manufacturers take the foot comfort for the Driver not very seriously?

[lifebuoy]

A big thanks to Rehaan and Aditya for this super "frank" review of the TATA Zest. Although not an official reviewer, most of these points came to my mind (except drive, performance, etc) when I saw the car at the Auto Expo.

A big hand (three cheers, rather) to TATA for engineering such a great car that T-Bhp reviewers have appreciated and reported as comparable to or better than the competition.

It is also good to see that most features of the Manza and ARIA in terms of electricals have found their way to the Zest, which probably helps TATA in controlling design, production and spare mgmt / logistics' costs. The 4.64 start sticker price may be a result of this !

The co-driver sun-visor is similar to that on the ARIA, except that it does not have a light. Good to see that the power window switches too bear similarity with the ARIA.

Another point to ponder on production costs - TATA patronized Bridgestone more than Maruti & Hyundai, who offer JK Spectra as OEM tyres (they are amongst the cheapest in the market). My Indica of 2002 came with S322s, the Indigo eCS in 2010 came with Good YEar GT3s, the ARIA with the trusted Duelers.

Keep up the good work, TATA. Many thanks to T-BHP for a great review.

[gauravdgr8]

Went to again TD the vehicle at stretch and possibly book the AMT.

Couple of things to be mentioned:

1. 15-30 days waiting, depending on models. Petrol delivery is faster.
2. AMT will take 40 days to be delivered (in chandigarh)

Again inspected the car thoroughly and found the below:

1. Car seats are very soft as compared to my Vista which are on the stiff side.

2. Harman system is simply outstanding. Heard all kinds of music at all volume levels and was extremely satisfied.

3. The boot is too light. Can be handled by a single finger.

4. On the contrary, the bonnet is so heavy that a casual single hand is not sufficient to pick it up.

5. Loading extra large suitcases for those international trips will be a bit tedious. Not only is the boot lip higher, the width is also a bit narrow. The only negative I could find.

6. Alloys on the Petrol and Diesel are the same design.

7. On the Revotron, there is an evident sprint in the Sport mode. Tried the car in all modes in Start-Stop condition. Also noticed that in Sport mode, the FE meter dropped by 2 bars, whereas in the city it came back to normal and went up by a bar in the ECO mode.

8. The ECO mode is good for relaxed driving. In a Start-Stop condition, it acts as normal 1.2 petrol as though without a Turbo.

9. Seating is as excellent as in my Vista with the height adjust.

10. Build quality is top notch. Tata should have given the soft touch interiors as is in my Vista Refresh. (The initial batch of Vista Refresh has soft touch interiors, whereas my Vista D90 does not).

Kudos to Tata and an overall rating of 9.

Will have to check in Raipur as to when can they deliver the AMT.

[damodar]

Originally Posted by gauravdgr8

On the Revotron, there is an evident sprint in the Sport mode. Tried the car in all modes in Start-Stop condition. Also noticed that in Sport mode, the FE meter dropped by 2 bars, whereas in the city it came back to normal and went up by a bar in the ECO mode.

Hi, what was instant/average mileage indicated in different modes?

[cyberwhizs]

TDed the petrol and the diesel variants today at pheonix market city, was told that the cars are still not available at the showrooms, may take a couple of days for them to get there.

The petrol variant seemed pretty good, engine is responsive, the ergonomics, handling, steering response, gear shifts seemed spot on. Fit and finish like everyone has mentioned - it is excellent for a tata.

The ride is on the stiffer side, low speed over paver blocks, things do get a little jumpy at the back. The leg space is huge however the B pillar is set a little behind. Consequently, the ingress is a tad inconvenient for old folks.

Overall impression - good; it was on par with say - the old fiesta classic 1.4 petrol.

With 1.3 Diesel, the test car, i think had some issue with the clutch, gear shifts seemed a little vague - not slotting in with as much ease as in the petrol.

I wonder how would zest petrol compare to the fiesta classic 1.6 petrol. Price wise amongst other things.

One sore point - the horn - it takes considerable effort to press it down to make it work and is a tad feeble. In a positive way - you cannot accidentally honk.

A competent product, which has been followed up with brilliant pricing, if this doesn't set the cash registers ringing for tata nothing else probably will.


Hope this helps.

[gauravdgr8]

Originally Posted by damodar

Hi, what was instant/average mileage indicated in different modes?

The car was test driven in small by-lanes and some open roads to check for maneuverability in city conditions. I test drove for around 6-7 kms and the average mileage was reading 8km/l for all the miles munched in that tankful of petrol.

From my perspective, a regular car would return around 12km/l in city mode.