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-   -   Tata Zest : Official Review (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/official-new-car-reviews/153946-tata-zest-official-review-35.html)

I Test drove the Zest yesterday. It was the petrol as the diesel TD vehicle was not available.

1)The new Revotron engine was good and every time you press the Sport button there was a slight surge in power.

2)Fit and finish has improved but there were still certain ugly bits like on top of the dash right above the instrument cluster there was a gap at the joint between 2 panels and one was slightly raised resulting in an improper fit.

3) Rear seat was quite comfortable and leg space was quite good. A really odd thing i noticed is that the rear glass extends over the headrest too, what i mean is that if you are resting your head on the headrest the portion above it will be glass and not the roof. I found it quite odd and not sure about the safety aspect incase of a topple

4) Another thing i noticed is that the headlight indicator in the cluster comes-on when the headlight is switched-Off and not vice versa. i was really confused and checked multiple times after stopping the car and confirmed it. The sales agent too was baffled and had no explanation. Maybe it is some wrong wiring in the TD car

5) I never knew that in Tata cars you have to press the clutch to start the car even if it is neutral gear, Interesting!. Apparently it is the case in all Tata cars (atleast the petrols), anyone knows why it is so?

6) The ride was very comfortable and i was truly impressed. it really smoothened the potholed roads of Mumbai

The indicator you spotted is not a headlight switched on indicator, albeit, it indicates that the DRLs are on. IMHO, if you can't switch of the DRLs, this indicator is unnecessary. As you swith on the headlights, the DRLs switch off implicitly, hence the indicator goes off.
It is just an added protection. I sometimes have cranked, thinking the car is in neutral whereas it was in some gear, mistakenly. So, having the clutch pressed as mandatory is good. It is something we do all the time, i.e. we don't engage neutral before cranking usually, so this is not a bother, at least IMO.
i20 also has it. :)

I have been driving a Tata petrol car since last 5 years and also know many people who own one. None of the cars need to be started by pressing the clutch. I think the sales person was not at all knowledgeable and was feeding incorrect info.

Also, the other negative points which you've mentions (poor panel gap, headlight indicator, etc) have not been mentioned by anyone before including the official Team BHP review. So probably you got a lemon TD car or you were given wrong info. At least the headlight indicator part would have been highlighted in the official review for sure, if not others.

Isn't that a Hyundai thing? Have also seen it on cars with Stop/Start button where unless you declutch at ignition, only the Accessories come on.

On the Zest, I had a look at it at Concorde over the weekend. Look and feel is significantly superior to older Tatas: this one actually looks pretty nice from the inside. The much-vaunted XMA (diesel AMT) comes with no airbags- Tata seems to have gone the Maruti way here, deciding that those who value comfort doesn't give a fig about safety :Frustrati. XT petrol on road Pune is 6.97L and the diesel is 8.24L. The latter seemed a little high to me; XMA variant is also the same price.

They had just one TD vehicle though the SA said they have ordered 4 more in petrol and diesel. No XMA to test drive, which is strange indeed! I forgot to ask when deliveries are commencing.

The Vista Quadrajet needs the clutch to be pressed to start.

Tata indeed has done a super job in pricing. The company who pioneered compact sedan segment with Indigo CS model is back with the new product. Tata has been known for undercutting the players in pricing, however due to quality issue it has suffered in past. But this time with the world class product and positive response it already has received from marketing activities, it seems product is going the right way. The competitors pricing strategy in this segment in near future will be interesting to watch for.

We are discussing about Tata petrol cars here. :)

BTW, the Pandit showroom on Law College road is doing a good job IMO with regards to Zest TD. I saw a one person TDing the Zest at 9:15 PM on Saturday. After his TD, there were 2-3 more families waiting for TD. But I dont know if they did get a chance that day or not.

Since the last 3 years all the Manza's and Vista's require the clutch to be pressed for the car to be started. It is a safety feature incorporated by Tata 3 years back!

As you said for something which can't be switched off, it doesn't make any sense to have an indicator. BTW if it was the DRL indicator is there a separate indicator for high beam?

I suppose it makes sense although i was surprised. I checked with my friend who has an I20 (2010 petrol Sportz), he mentioned that there is no need to depress the clutch if it is in neutral. Maybe it was introduced in later models

No, the car was no lemon. it drove well and the engine and the gearbox had no problems. Regarding the panel maybe the there is inconsistency in the fit and finish since these are the initial set of cars. I hope they iron these things out

Any news on total Zest bookings as on date, some online sources says it crossed 5 figure marks already. Any official information on total booking numbers?

Yes, for parking lights, low beam and high beam, there are separate indicators.
My friend's 2012 i20 petrol has this. Frankly, I liked the extra safety measure. Sometimes u just won't remember, and crank it while in gear.

Since which model year ? I have a 2009 model and no need to press the clutch to start

My model is Dec 2011. Not sure from when it started. Probably from the Refresh.

Got the price list at both concorde and malik cars from Hyderabad.

All vehicles starting from Vista refresh and Manza, need to be started after pressing the clutch.

It's a safety feature, so that kids who have a habit of turning the keys, do not cause any accident.