[ksameer1234]

Originally Posted by rajpandey10

After having this discount it VFM quotient of Zest has been increased.

Zest is indeed one of the most VFM offerings in the segment. What is better is that it is loaded with features as well!

The only negative which i found was only 1 bottle holder in the car

This I think is one of the biggest drawbacks. By the way, where did you find the bottle holder? AFAIK, there is one coin holder which may hold a cup but will certainly not be enough for a 1L bottle.

I need some clarification from the owners, while having test drive i found that seats are very soft and somehow i was not able to find the right position.

The default fabric on seats does kind of feel too soft and spongy. However, Tata does offer some really nice seat covers. I have an art leather cover bought from showroom which has firmed up the seat considerably. You may want to try it out if any test vehicle has one installed.

The seat can also be adjusted for height and there is good amount of travel. Hope it helps you find the right seating position!

[rajpandey10]

Originally Posted by Prithwitheraj

@mr rajpandey10 seating comfort of zest is very good IMO. Even 600 km drive have failed to tire me due to seating comfort and low nvh levels. The rugby seats as they call it is body hugging and provides proper support. I being in it industry 7 years have also developed back pains for which I had bought back support which i used in my zen but in zest I don't use it at all. Regarding driving position did you try adjusting seat height/forward back ward and the steering adjustment? If not get another test drive and try to adjust all of these parameters and see if those adjustments work. Also higher seating position helps in long drives I felt

I have asked them that I need Test Drive of Petrol vehicle and told them that i'll be test driving it for more KMs so that I can check seating comfort as well as i'll as i will also evaluate on Mileage pattern on each drive modes. They have agreed for it, and may be in coming days I'll do so. I have read in this forum that RT is very sensitive to throttle in terms of mileage. If you can answer me then can you please tell how much mileage Zest RT gives in City in City-Mode with AC?

Originally Posted by ksameer1234

Zest is indeed one of the most VFM offerings in the segment. What is better is that it is loaded with features as well!

This I think is one of the biggest drawbacks. By the way, where did you find the bottle holder? AFAIK, there is one coin holder which may hold a cup but will certainly not be enough for a 1L bottle.

The Tata person pointed me cupholder and said you can also keep bottle over here

Originally Posted by ksameer1234

The default fabric on seats does kind of feel too soft and spongy. However, Tata does offer some really nice seat covers. I have an art leather cover bought from showroom which has firmed up the seat considerably. You may want to try it out if any test vehicle has one installed.

The seat can also be adjusted for height and there is good amount of travel. Hope it helps you find the right seating position!

Test vehicle does not seat cover.

And one more question regrading mileage of Zest Diesel, Carwale and cardekho says ARAI mileage of 23 and Tata site says 20.65 for diesel MT.

[Prithwitheraj]

Originally Posted by rajpandey10

I have asked them that I need Test Drive of Petrol vehicle and told them that i'll be test driving it for more KMs so that I can check seating comfort as well as i'll as i will also evaluate on Mileage pattern on each drive modes. They have agreed for it, and may be in coming days I'll do so. I have read in this forum that RT is very sensitive to throttle in terms of mileage. If you can answer me then can you please tell how much mileage Zest RT gives in City in City-Mode with AC?



The Tata person pointed me cupholder and said you can also keep bottle over here

Well indeed it is very throttle sensitive. I won't be able to comment about city mode in city as in city I always drive in eco mode and my regular drive of arnd 50km in Kolkata in peak office hours gives me mileage ranging from 13-15 with ac(road conditions are normally 20-30% b2b traffic rest 70% mixed traffic and 10% free and nice roads)... In case of b2b traffic last Saturday over around 30 km I got 11.4kmpl .. I drive very sedately with light foot on accelerator shifting up on rpm range of 1.5 k-1.7 k. I felt eco mode is very suited for b2b and city scenario as in Kolkata we rarely get chance to drive over 50-60kmph also since throttle response gets a bit subdued in this mode in b2b traffic I just make the car move forward slowly without acc in 2nd gear which also helps me get nice fe figures. In highway BTW have felt eco mode to be insufficient and very boring and I drive in city mode and have been able to achieve 14-15 kmpl with 6 on board (heavyweights :-) checkout my ownership review )and full dickey, and over the speed range of 100-120. Have not used sport mode too much apart from couple of times just to get the feel.


Reg the cup holder you can put 1litre bottle there but it would interfere with mode switch. Better to use the space beneath co passenger seat. It can accommodate 3 1ltr bislery bottles. Also one can buy flat rectangular bottles to keep in the side pockets. :-)

[ksameer1234]

Originally Posted by rajpandey10

I have read in this forum that RT is very sensitive to throttle in terms of mileage. If you can answer me then can you please tell how much mileage Zest RT gives in City in City-Mode with AC?

I have a Revotron and the fuel efficiency does vary considerably due to driving style. Essentially, being gentle on throttle, staying below 2000 rpm and avoiding frequent acceleration and deceleration gives best results.

The different modes vary the throttle response but don't seem to make much difference in efficiency if one has light foot. Within city with AC, 12-14 kpl is what I have got. Rides on open stretch have given over 18-19 kpl.

The Tata person pointed me cupholder and said you can also keep bottle over here

I am using the cup holder to keep car perfume and never tried putting a bottle there. But it doesn't look much wide or deep.

And one more question regrading mileage of Zest Diesel, Carwale and cardekho says ARAI mileage of 23 and Tata site says 20.65 for diesel MT.

No clue about the diesel but others have reported satisfactory fuel efficiency in daily use.

[rajpandey10]

Originally Posted by Prithwitheraj

Well indeed it is very throttle sensitive. I won't be able to comment about city mode in city as in city I always drive in eco mode and my regular drive of arnd 50km in Kolkata in peak office hours gives me mileage ranging from 13-15 with ac(road conditions are normally 20-30% b2b traffic rest 70% mixed traffic and 10% free and nice roads)... In case of b2b traffic last Saturday over around 30 km I got 11.4kmpl .. I drive very sedately with light foot on accelerator shifting up on rpm range of 1.5 k-1.7 k. I felt eco mode is very suited for b2b and city scenario as in Kolkata we rarely get chance to drive over 50-60kmph also since throttle response gets a bit subdued in this mode in b2b traffic I just make the car move forward slowly without acc in 2nd gear which also helps me get nice fe figures. In highway BTW have felt eco mode to be insufficient and very boring and I drive in city mode and have been able to achieve 14-15 kmpl with 6 on board (heavyweights :-) checkout my ownership review )and full dickey, and over the speed range of 100-120. Have not used sport mode too much apart from couple of times just to get the feel.

This is nice piece of info, i'll surely go with your ownership review .

Originally Posted by ksameer1234

The different modes vary the throttle response but don't seem to make much difference in efficiency if one has light foot. Within city with AC, 12-14 kpl is what I have got. Rides on open stretch have given over 18-19 kpl.

After seeing your post i must say that it gives the desired mileage. I'll surely evaluate in test drive and see hows its drivability and performance.

Till now Zest is strong contender for me specially with those discounts, i am still to evaluate other brands also like aspire, i20 and jazz

[himarg]

Originally Posted by rajpandey10

Till now Zest is strong contender for me specially with those discounts, i am still to evaluate other brands also like aspire, i20 and jazz

My Zest Diesel, though is still in the running in period, have been giving me ~17 KMPL in 80% bumper to bumper traffic and 20% slightly lesser heavy traffic. I believe it will go up after first service.

BTW, Aspire is a very good option to consider.

[simplyself]

Originally Posted by ksameer1234

I am using the cup holder to keep car perfume and never tried putting a bottle there. But it doesn't look much wide or deep.


No clue about the diesel but others have reported satisfactory fuel efficiency in daily use.

The cup holder is useless, it messes with gear shifter, blocks access to buttons on the dash.

The Quadrajet engine is an old and proven one. In Zest it returns nearly 20 kmpl on highways in triple digit speeds. In bumper to bumper traffic I never got less than 17.85 kmpl, with AC on all the time.

Got 21 + a couple of times while doing 80 - 90 kmph.

[itsashishsharma]

I am at my parents' place for last 10 days and have been driving their Zest XMA regularly during this period. She came home last year on Dec 31st and its funny that I put up my query on whether to get the Zest for its terrific VFM or the Fiesta for its FTD nature, though these were from 2 different segments, I didn't like any other car in my budget, got the Zest for my father and ended up buying a Fiesta for myself. The Zest had an aitomatic, was about 3 lakhs Rupees cheaper, came with free 3 years maintenance and warranty. With those 18 spoke alloys and 185" Bridgestones, they didn't need to spend a penny to make it drivable, and they didn't. After the purchase, this is the first time I have come home to drive it. I have been in almost all the states of India barring the 7 NE states. Bihar used to be the benchmark of known poor road conditions, not anymore. The crown has been taken by U.P. now for some time. Believe me when I say this, as I work and live in Bangalore, have driven extensively to all 4 southern states and have seen most of North India, and to all who call roads of their city poor, I invite you to my parents' place which is in a remote village in Mathura dstt.
Now, my parents owned a Baleno for past 8 years and it was a terrific machine that no Ciaz can ever match, but as they moved to U.P. the Baleno started to look buggy, with its low slung stance it used to scrape 3-4 times in a 10 km patch and there is no speed breakers here. .
This is where the Zest outshines any other sedan. You just can't drive a Baleno here and our neighbour's DZire comes so low as 2 sit in the back that that also scrapes just like the Baleno. Zest is just too good to believe in these conditions, only other cars that can survive here are the likes of Ecosport/Bolero.
And that sweet Fiat 90 ps MJD is just too good. On open stretches, I drove at cruising speeds and it was quite relaxed but whenever I required that power burst while overtaking a slow moving vehicle, I just floored the accelerator, the AMT, if required, downshifts and in comes all that torque with 90 horses and the car pulls cleanly. If you want to have some adrenaline rush, keep it in sports mode and metal the pedal, you will feel this sudden rush and be pushed in your seat backrest. It is that good and why not, even S Cross is leaving test drivers impressed with a lot more kerb weight, then why not the Zest with the very same engine?

[Dr.Suraj]

It has been a delight to read such positive reviews about Zest.
Seems to as close to being a perfect all-rounder as Tata could get.
1st to herald the change in Tata.

I kind of love the tail lamps - and the white number plate lights.
Looks really classy and distinct. Makes you take notice in a sea of traffic. Stands out.

Going for a test drive - once again today. To compare the rear bench comfort and space viz-a-viz my Manza.
Let's see.

Like everyone else here - I too am left wondering - why does it not sell more !

[nivatakavacha]

Originally Posted by Dr.Suraj

Like everyone else here - I too am left wondering - why does it not sell more !

I have no doubt that the car is very competent in its category, not to mention that it is way cheaper than the competition.

The main problem with Tata is that their karma has caught up with them; years of poorly designed cars along with really bad A.S.S has unfortunately created a perception in the customer's minds. And it is going to be hard for them to correct it. It will take time and more effort for Tata to come back.

I for one are eagerly waiting for them to do well. They have the engineering and technology now. Hopefully, it will fuel them on to greater glory in the coming future.

[arindam_xeta]

I have been a Tata Motors customer from 2007. In these 8 years I have found their service to be as bad or as good as any other comparable competition, say Maruti. Quality of car, I would not say what they produced till now is not gem of a quality, but it's always given a good value for money feeling at respective price points. Zest has exceeded my perception of both product and service so far. I think Tata can only go forward from here, fit and finish, and material quality needs further improvement. Color quality, steering feedback, ICE, suspension are more than class leading. Also would like to see an outright performance engine which can be tamed down as per requirement. I felt Reventon can still be perfected more.

[ksameer1234]

Originally Posted by Dr.Suraj

Like everyone else here - I too am left wondering - why does it not sell more !

Originally Posted by nivatakavacha

The main problem with Tata is that their karma has caught up with them; years of poorly designed cars along with really bad A.S.S has unfortunately created a perception in the customer's minds.

I think perception in the minds of people is the biggest problem. I was in Jagdalpur last week and it such a surprise to see so many Zests there. Even saw a couple of Bolts. I think in small towns, Zest is slowly gaining acceptance. This itself speaks about the robust engineering of Tata. It is only in big cities that customers are going for the glossed over products.

Impressing the city crowd is something Tata has failed and I don't anything miraculous happening with their Zest and Bolt portfolio. One can only hope that at least of Kite, Falcon or Hexa clicks with buyers and brings in footfalls.

Originally Posted by arindam_xeta

I think Tata can only go forward from here, fit and finish, and material quality needs further improvement. Color quality, steering feedback, ICE, suspension are more than class leading.

Had the Zest steering featured in a Fiat or Ford, journos would have emptied barrels of ink drafting eloquent praise. Same goes for ICE. It is sad that being a Tata, such achievement receive nothing more than lukewarm response.

Speaking of fit and finish, with Zest, I think Tata can now claim to be right up there with best car manufacturers. Something like Ecosport has far worse and inconsistent panel gaps.

I felt Reventon can still be perfected more.

Revotron is certainly an honest effort by Tata but rather than providing an edge over others, it merely serves purpose to mask the fact Zest is heavy as whale and brings the performance at par with competitors. But the fact that Tata has successfully demonstrated turbo petrol technology, there are certainly brighter days ahead!!

[rajpandey10]

Yesterday, I took the test drive of Petrol Zest. Before asking for the test drive i have already informed to the showroom guy that i will take the car for at-least 20-25 to check in all kinds of road, will also check what is the FE it returns to which he agreed.

First thing which i observed that RT is very silent and has fair amount of power. Which is in fact very good, i droved mostly in City mode with AC and 3 person on board. The car was pulling like charm and handling is wonderful. RT is better than I20 petrol in terms of drivability and power( I also took TD of I20 this weekend). The only problem which i found that Clutch was super tight and my foot starts aching after 10 kms of drive, i even complained to advisor that this is really a problem, to which he told me that 1 day back car went for some repair and mechanic must have done something with clutch which made it hard but others cars dont have hard clutch.

Can owners tell me, how is the clutch in the petrol ?

I told him that you should keep test car in top condition, because based on that only people will make the choice and this hardness is a deal breaker. Which he promptly agreed, and told me that this is only with this car. He also reminded me that when last time i did the TD of diesel i have given the feedback that the clutch was very light so he assured that this is only issue with this vehicle. Owners can put more light on this.


He later when we ended the test drive, asked me to call customer care and asked me to give the feedback. Which is infact good.

At the end of test drive i got 12.5, which include some drive in traffic, highway, bad roads, stopping (5-10 mins), 3 persons onboard, city mode(90%), AC on. (I think this is good FE)

He also indicated that Tata is going to launch anniversary addition in September which will have couple of cup holders near hand brake and piano finish in ORVM with some more cosmetic changes. But to my surprise that will only come in XMS with white color.

[ksameer1234]

Originally Posted by rajpandey10

..The only problem which i found that Clutch was super tight and my foot starts aching after 10 kms of drive...

The clutch on Revotron is light enough to not cause any troubles. I have driven long distances as well as bumper to bumper traffic and haven't felt any discomfort. Test drive cars are notorious for having these issues.

At the end of test drive i got 12.5, which include some drive in traffic, highway, bad roads, stopping (5-10 mins), 3 persons onboard, city mode(90%), AC on. (I think this is good FE)

You can expect better numbers in real life.

[Prithwitheraj]

Originally Posted by rajpandey10

Yesterday, I took the test drive of Petrol Zest. Before asking for the test drive i have already informed to the showroom guy that i will take the car for at-least 20-25 to check in all kinds of road, will also check what is the FE it returns to which he agreed.

First thing which i observed that RT is very silent and has fair amount of power. Which is in fact very good, i droved mostly in City mode with AC and 3 person on board. The car was pulling like charm and handling is wonderful. RT is better than I20 petrol in terms of drivability and power( I also took TD of I20 this weekend). The only problem which i found that Clutch was super tight and my foot starts aching after 10 kms of drive, i even complained to advisor that this is really a problem, to which he told me that 1 day back car went for some repair and mechanic must have done something with clutch which made it hard but others cars dont have hard clutch.

Can owners tell me, how is the clutch in the petrol ?

I told him that you should keep test car in top condition, because based on that only people will make the choice and this hardness is a deal breaker. Which he promptly agreed, and told me that this is only with this car. He also reminded me that when last time i did the TD of diesel i have given the feedback that the clutch was very light so he assured that this is only issue with this vehicle. Owners can put more light on this.


He later when we ended the test drive, asked me to call customer care and asked me to give the feedback. Which is infact good.

At the end of test drive i got 12.5, which include some drive in traffic, highway, bad roads, stopping (5-10 mins), 3 persons onboard, city mode(90%), AC on. (I think this is good FE)

He also indicated that Tata is going to launch anniversary addition in September which will have couple of cup holders near hand brake and piano finish in ORVM with some more cosmetic changes. But to my surprise that will only come in XMS with white color.

Agree with you.. I never felt lack of power apart from a couple of times which is why I drive in eco mode. And zest petrol is really silent specially inside cabin. It has a roar when starting but as the engine gets into operating temperature is gets silent even from outside.

Regarding clutch... Yes it's very light as well probably issue was with that specific test drive vehicle only... These are the areas where TML needs to improve and still are amateurish. Dealers need to put their best face forward to current and prospective clients