[mayankverma]

Originally Posted by balajisv

In my Zest Revotron XT, with AC on, I'm faced with jerks during gear changes, specifically lower gears. I feel something like the engine switching off and then immediately switching on! There is also slight loss in power.
I have driven 7K kms.

Any advice?

The loss in power is quite noticeable with AC on. Sometimes I have to switch to sport mode for short bursts if I need speed(kills the mileage figure though)
Not faced any gear shift jerks till date. The shifts feel the same with or without AC.

[simplyself]

Parking brake is quite weak in new vehicles which needs adjustment, after which it is okay.

With a diesel manual transmission, there is no need to press on accelator. Release of clutch does duty most of the time, even on inclines.

[narayan]

Guys is the engine fan quite loud in the Revotron ? After a 6km ride also when I stop the car the fan runs loudly for some time before stopping. Even in my Storme the fan is not so loud

[Prithwitheraj]

Originally Posted by narayan

Guys is the engine fan quite loud in the Revotron ? After a 6km ride also when I stop the car the fan runs loudly for some time before stopping. Even in my Storme the fan is not so loud

Yup it is while starting and after a hard drive. The fan runs for some time to allow the turbo to cool down. - Do follow turbo idling rule

[mayankverma]

Originally Posted by narayan

Guys is the engine fan quite loud in the Revotron ? After a 6km ride also when I stop the car the fan runs loudly for some time before stopping. Even in my Storme the fan is not so loud

Radiator fan runs for about 30 secs after engine shutdown. Even after the car is locked. Mostly after long runs, not after short drives. I guess it is essential for engine oil cooling.
Not noticed this in WagonR.

[thesinghals]

Here is my story of buying the Tata Zest and why I love the decision I made!

I had considered the top ends of following cars when making the decision:
Tata Zest, Honda Jazz (to be launched at that time), Honda Amaze, Hyundai i20 Elite, Hyundai Xcent & Maruti Swift DZire.

I did not consider Toyota because of their cheap quality interior plastic and the poor & ugly design (center console with that blue sticker for the speedometer). No offense intended, just my opinion.
Did not consider VW, Ford, Fiat, Nissan because of their limited service centres and most of them being new players in the Indian market (except Fiat).

Here is the comparison chart I made. The highlights in green are the plus points and the ones in red are the downsides.



Honda Jazz
Was in my list of cars to consider, to see if I should wait for the launch. Test driven after I bought Zest. No repent still that I went ahead with Zest.

Likes:
1. Honda Badge (Engine)
2. Magic seats (but only in the top end)
3. Looks - different and stylish ! (Personal opinion).

Dislikes:
1. Not so good audio sound quality.
2. Feature touch AC is too sensitive.
3. Skinny tires and spare tire of a smaller size.
4. Price tag of approx 1.5Lkh more than Zest.

Honda Amaze
Likes:
1. Honda Badge (Engine)

Dislikes:
1. Poor and plain interior design. No premium feel.
2. Seats are slim. They look cheap to me and they do not have adjustable head rests. I believe they have been made thin like the seats in Tata Nano so that the interior can have more leg room.
3. Smallest tires amongst all. 14” 175/65 R14 Alloys, VX(O).
4. Lightest car amongst all. 950 kg VX(O).
5. Smallest fuel tank of 35L only.

One thing to note is that Honda tends to discontinue their models in India. Except for City, none of Honda’s model has survived for long in India. Accord, Civic, Jazz were all discontinued at some point in time. Now that Jazz is back, I have a feeling that Brio will be discontinued in few years. Didn’t want to go with a make where models are discontinued as spare parts would then be a challenge.

Hyundai i20 Elite
Likes:
1. Trendy & sporty design.
2. Backup camera
3. Arm rest with rear AC vent
4. Electronic foldable ORVMs’ (which however, does not look like of great use to me).
5. Tire size and the diamond cut alloys. Tire size largest amongst all 16” 195/55 R16 Alloys.

Dislikes:
1. Since I love a sporty drive, i20’s pick up from stand still didn’t impress me much. Sharing its engine with i10 Grand but having a heavier kerb weight (1066kg) did not do justice.
2. The music system control unit wasn’t a touch screen and looked dated. Recently they added a touch screen in Asta (O) but extra 20000 Rs !
3. Limited boot space of 285L. Jazz has 354L.
4. Price tag of 90k more than the Zest.

Hyundai Xcent
Likes:
1. Largest boot space (407L).
2. #2, 3 and 4 from i20 above.

Dislikes:
1. #1, 2 and 4 from i20 above.
2. Not much space in the rear seat. It has to do with the width of the car which is 1660mm (least amongst all).
3. I don’t like the look of the black plastic mouldings on the doors.

Maruti Swift DZire
Likes:
None, but may be the premium feel of the dashboard ? I know many may not agree but except that its Maruti, there is no reason why someone should still buy it after 10 years of its inception !

Dislikes:
1. Cramped back seat with airplane like small windows :P
2. Smallest boot space in the compact sedan segment (316L).
3. Lightest after Amaze (Kerb weight 965kg Zxi). It helps improve fuel efficiency but does it also help survive a crash ?
4. Dated.
5. All Beige interior. I travel a lot to see nature, so the places I go to is generally muddy and I cannot survive with a light color interior. A personal choice.

I must have asked 20 of my friends and family members if I should go for Zest and none of them supported it. Even without knowing or checking out or taking a test drive of the all new Zest, they all had a big NO for Tata. This is why despite what Zest actually is, it has not received the response it deserves !

Tata Zest

I have done 4000kms (6 months) on my Tata Zest Revotron XT Red, and here is my feedback.



What I like the most:
1. Harman 5” touchscreen infotainment system with steering mounted controls that adds a premium feel !
2. Awesome sound system (8 speakers) that will keep you spellbound (for the quality it has at this price point). I sometimes take my Zest for a drive just so that I can listen to music !
3. O what a spacious cabin ! And the space in the back seat is like that of a C segment sedan !
4. More power than others. 90PS 140Nm torque. Sports mode is fun to drive !
5. Love the ground clearance 175mm (all others have 170mm or less). I am a nature lover and I visit places where there isn’t a tar road.

Zest features that are super to have, but many may let it go unnoticed, just because they don’t even want to consider a Tata car:
1. Tallest car amongst all (1570mm). Gives more head room.
2. ECO, CITY and SPORT mode. It is NOT a marketing gimmick.
3. “Bone chilling” AC, as many have mentioned before.
4. Projector Headlamps with LED light guide rings.
5. LED Daylight Running Light (DRL’s).
6. Fog Lamps (both Front and Rear).
7. Voice command recognition to control your phone, music, AC etc.
8. 15” Tires 185/60 R15. Spare tire is of the same size. Jazz has a spare tire of smaller size.
9. Ignition Key ring illumination.
10. Adjustable head rests (for both front and rear seats).
11. Gear shift (up/down) indicator with in-gear indicator. i20 has it too.
12. Boot lamp.
13. Speed sensing auto door lock.
14. Rugby shoulder seats.
15. Great boot space 390L (if not the best).
16. All black interior (personal choice).
17. Heaviest car in the segment. 1135kg for XT. Holds the ground better for a more comfortable ride and must have better metal sheets. But at the same time because of its heavy weight, it sacrifices fuel efficiency.

All this at a price tag of 90k to 1.5Lkh lesser than all the other cars I considered !!

Dislikes:
1. Mud in the engine bay issue. Mine came with the factory fitted mud prevention kit. Despite that mud was entering the backside of the headlamp area. I used M-Seal and tape/thermocol based home remedy to fix it completely.
2. Gear box not very smooth. I got TAS to fix the clutch setting after which it is better but still not smooth enough. I love the buttery smooth gear box of the Hyundai.
3. Missing center armrest. I miss this terribly.

Mud in the engine bay issue.


Not so good:
1. Missing cup holder and bottle holders. I don’t use these anyways so I don’t mind, but I know Zest owners are mad about it :P
2. Remote boot lid opener.
3. Rear center armrest with cup holder.
4. Engine is not as quite as a Honda.
5. Under the hood, the engine has a lot of see through area and it appears that the engine is open to the ground. Not sure if it’s a good or a bad design.
6. Only twice so far have I heard a thud noise from the front suspension when both the front wheels get into a trench at fast speed. Some Zest owners have reported this and some mentioned that it would happen when you press the brakes at the same time (has something to do with the ABS ?). Didn’t experience it ever since so not sure what it was about.

My longest drive at stretch has been to Shirdi. A total of 550kms (approx). Got around 19kmpl when going to Shirdi with AC off the entire time (travelling at 4AM in cool weather). In return, got 16kmpl, with AC on for most of the time (was hot and sunny).



The next long trip was to Shrivardhan, Harihareshwar, Diveagar and Murud Janjira. The fun part was to drive the Zest on the ferry that carries the cars from Dighi to Murud.
Have absolutely loved all the drives so far. Ghats on the way to Lavasa and Mahabaleshwar was pretty easy to climb. Managed it in 2nd and even 3rd gear at times.

In Lohagad (Pune), a white Ertiga scrapped the rear door of my Zest. When I got down to check, I saw white strikes on the door where it had scraped. To my surprise, and to my delight, it was just the white paint from Ertiga’s bumper on my car. Once I cleaned that, the red paint of my Zest’s door was intact (except for very small, barely visible scratch marks). I would say that speaks about the paint quality in Zest.

Experience at TAS on my first servicing done at 1840 kms (3 months):
Trust me or not, it was a world class experience. Booked an appointment for 9:15AM weekday morning (to avoid the rush). Reached early morning 9AM. Representative did not find my appointment but took my car right away for servicing. I was near the car the whole time (as close as I could, to experience it myself). Glad that they allowed it. 5 people cleaned my car above my expectation. Vacuumed, shampoo washed, interior and leather treated with some chemical and behold it was like new ! They took it for servicing. Did routine checks. Here is what they did in the first servicing:
1. Thud noise from the front suspension checked. No issues found.
2. Gear change was not smooth. Clutch settings adjusted and applied synthetic lubricant to the gear shift knob. Better now.
3. Windshield wiper liquid was not spraying. Replaced tube that was cut.
4. ECU update done.
5. Routine check.

I personally don’t doubt the life span of a Tata car, and many may not agree. But my sister has a Tata Indica eV2 Petrol for 10 years now with 94,000 kms on it. It is still running strong ! I think it’s all about how you maintain it. Many in this forum has mentioned a similar experience with their long owner Tata vehicles.

Despite all the goodies Zest has, the cab image of Tata is what it is all about! It’s very difficult to change perceptions and it’s not going to be easy for Tata to change the mindset of people to opt for a Tata car as their personal vehicle.
Nevertheless, I am one person who is extremely satisfied and super happy about my decision to get home a TATA ZEST!

[freedom]

Originally Posted by thesinghals

Here is my story of buying the Tata Zest and why I love the decision I made!

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Nice post !

Tata Zest AMT doesn't have a dead pedal and that was a big turn off for me. Don't you miss it? Keeping one foot flat on the floor and the er foot at 45 degree angle for brake/accel operation was a bit uncomfortable and disorienting for me.

Full marks to Tata for getting in comething compeletly fresh and different from the 20th century Indica

[AutoIndian]

Originally Posted by thesinghals

Here is my story of buying the Tata Zest and why I love the decision I made!

Very good report, thank you for sharing it. What was the on road price of your Zest?. Also for some reason the pictures you have uploaded in your post are not visible. Could you please re-upload them as attachments?

[mayankverma]

Originally Posted by thesinghals

Here is my story of buying the Tata Zest and why I love the decision I made!
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Excellent report. I too have traveled to lavasa, sinhgad, diveagar, shirdi, mahabaleshwar etc. in my Zest RT. It is a pleasure to drive over long duration. Has a lot of nice features(sound system being the best, outside noise insulation etc..). Will be happily completing one year soon. Faced no critical issues till date. Touchwood
The mileage figures you are getting are a dream for me. I never get more than 15kpl over long drives. What's your strategy, mate?

[rajpandey10]

Originally Posted by thesinghals

Here is my story of buying the Tata Zest and why I love the decision I made!

Nice write up, I am also going through the same thing before buying. Tata has improved alot, after TD the showroom guys calls me every week to know my decision and offered TD once more. This is something very good. I Test drived Zest (P&D), i20 (P), Jazz (P), Aspire (P). But need to decide which one, Zest and I20 is top two contender.

[null]

Was traveling around Davangere / Hubli region over the weekend for a function and was surprised to see the sheer number of Tata Zests there. In general, there are plenty of tata cars in that part of the state if felt. However, to see soo many zests on the street was a pleasant view. We hardly get to see any zests in Bangalore even now. Looks like the market for zest is outside the metros.

Wondering why soo many tata cars (manza/indica etc included) out there? Is it because of poor coverage by others like Maruti/Hyundai/Toyota/Mahindra/etc? OR is it a preferred brand there just like how mahindra jeeps used to blindly sell in Coorg?

PS: Also, there were plenty of new cars (all brands - with a ribbon on the bonnet/no registration plates yet) on the roads, possibly because of the ganesha festival, which is a big thing around here.

[parth.jain]

Originally Posted by rajpandey10

Nice write up, I am also going through the same thing before buying. Tata has improved alot, after TD the showroom guys calls me every week to know my decision and offered TD once more. This is something very good. I Test drived Zest (P&D), i20 (P), Jazz (P), Aspire (P). But need to decide which one, Zest and I20 is top two contender.

The Tata Zest is a really good product. I would say I find only the Figo Aspire to be a worthy competitor for the ZEST. Actually, I got my Zest a couple of days back.

The follow ups etc. was really good for me too however, after I booked the car and paid the booking amount there were some hiccups, though which were resolved but it would have been better if they weren't there in the first place. I wouldn't say don't buy the Zest, but before buying it go to different dealerships and evaluate the best one. Don't let the inferior sales experience spoil the fun for you

If you are going for diesel, Zest is a really good buy and the most VFM. Good luck!

[himarg]

1000+ KM Update:

Completed the first thousand kilometers on my car a few days back.

The issue about sound from suspension as reported by me earlier subsided automatically and the same sound have not been heard ever since.

Overall, I am quite happy the way my Zest have been performing so far.

Things that I like the most about my Zest (trying not to repeat what others have already mentioned many times):

1. Handling: Recently was the first time I took her above 100 kmph, and never once was I nervous or unhappy. The car masks speed very well, IMO. In fact, when I asked my wife to guess the speed, her best guess was 70-80, whereas, I was doing 110 at that time.

2. FE: Have been constantly getting ~17 KMPL in B2B traffic with 100% AC. Few highway trips taken so far have yielded ~23 KMPL with 100% AC.

3. I believe that rest of the items have already been covered in much detail by others, so not repeating.

Things that could have been better (omitting the usual complaints like bottle holders, which honestly is a very irritating thing):

1. The lower gears could have been a bit taller for my liking. First gear is practically useless for anything other than getting the car to a roll from standstill. I can barely manage anything above 10-15 kmph in first w/o revving more than what I like. Similarly, second is also not as tall as I would have liked.

2. High beam is not powerful enough for highway driving. Planning on getting Phillips H1 Extreme Vision Plus soon.

3. Music, even if muted, comes back to life after you disengage the reverse gear. It doesn't remember its previous state.

4. Steering does not automatically return unless the turn is more than a specific number of degrees.

5. I am not sure if it is the case with all the cars, but in mine, all 4 doors don't sound the same when you shut them. Each one has its own peculiar sound, though you will have to be a bit attentive to be able to distinguish.

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

I don't think there is anything wrong with the car. Since you are in the run-in period you were trying to be extra cautious not to rev the engine.........

Originally Posted by VeluM

Depending on how you drive, a turbo-engine can feel underpowered. Combine that with hill-driving, and one would probably need to learn how to manage the gears better........

Originally Posted by vinit

I dont think, there is anything with the car or the engine. In the diesel engine, the turbo does take a while to kick in and it will be smooth sailing above 2000 RPM. If you are used to drive a petrol car earlier, this driving difference will be much more noticeable.

On the occasion, took my car for another spin on the windy ghat roads and with proper advise this time, could negotiate the slopes much better. Thanks all.

[Latheesh]

Originally Posted by null

Was traveling around Davangere / Hubli region over the weekend for a function and was surprised to see the sheer number of Tata Zests there. In general, there are plenty of tata cars in that part of the state if felt. [/i]

Yes, Hubli and around you see many number of Tata cars. I observed this right from initial Indica days.

[VeluM]

Originally Posted by himarg

1. Handling: Recently was the first time I took her above 100 kmph, and never once was I nervous or unhappy. The car masks speed very well, IMO. In fact, when I asked my wife to guess the speed, her best guess was 70-80, whereas, I was doing 110 at that time.

2. FE: Have been constantly getting ~17 KMPL in B2B traffic with 100% AC. Few highway trips taken so far have yielded ~23 KMPL with 100% AC.
...

Thanks. I also like the fact that despite my car being 99% driver driven, the FE is pretty decent. Those guys aren't afraid to use the wrong gear all day, but the car hasn't dropped below 11kmpl on average despite being driven on windy, hilly KL roads.

Originally Posted by himarg

Things that could have been better (omitting the usual complaints like bottle holders, which honestly is a very irritating thing):

2. High beam is not powerful enough for highway driving. Planning on getting Phillips H1 Extreme Vision Plus soon.
...

5. I am not sure if it is the case with all the cars, but in mine, all 4 doors don't sound the same when you shut them. Each one has its own peculiar sound, though you will have to be a bit attentive to be able to distinguish.

I find the lights pretty adequate, low beam more than adequate actually. Haven't noticed the doors though.

Report on my Zest which is with my parents in Kerala. Completed 2300+ Kms when she went for the first service.

Issues reported were low FE (was showing 11.8 on the MID with Trip A at 2000+ kms). I was happy with the FE but my father wasn't, so reported it. The other two were reported by the driver (vibrating gear lever in second), and difficulty engaging reverse. The last wasn't an issue, because I observed that he would slot it into reverse (or attempt to) when the vehicle was still rolling. I asked them to change the engine oil and filter at first service and charge it to me.

Items completed per service:

1. Engine oil change
2. Wheel alignment, suspension check
3. General engine check for FE

Vehicle was returned with the following two new issues:

1. DRLs not working
2. Some rattles felt (not heard) from the steering rack

Apart from this, the vehicle interiors were not vacuumed. When I asked the sales person (because we collected the car from the sales outlet where it was dropped after service), he said that that is not part of the first service. Gave him a piece of my mind, and left.

I am not bothered by the FE, so haven't checked. I checked the engine oil on the dip-stick was clear pale yellow/gold, so that was new and I could see the oil filter just behind the radiator was new as well.

The two new issues were bugging, because I only noticed the DRLs while returning to Bangalore and not when I collected the car. I emailed Tata customer care and the service centre manager called my parents and told them to switch the lights on/off a few times and that did the trick. Apparently it is a known issue, FYI all Zest XT owners.

I called and spoke to the service manager and he said that there was an update which will be available in a month for the steering to take care of the rattle. Not sure what to call it because you can't really hear it, just feel it in the feedback from the road surface. Anyway, they said that they'd call when the update was available, and I've taken them at their word.

I must say that the service experience wasn't as bad as I was used to with my vehicles in BLR (Prerna, Concorde, Emm Emm), and the vehicle was delivered with pretty much everything that I'd asked for done, though I don't know why the steering issue came up after that. I may not have noticed it before, but I am quite sensitive to rattles and differences in vehicle behaviour. They could improve their communication though, especially for known issues. I was also informed by fellow BHPian nijelj of the lights on/off a few times procedure (thanks again!), but was already in BLR at that time and felt it is Tata's and the ASC's responsibility to firstly communicate the workaround and also find a long-term fix. Just because it fixes itself after a few tries is not any reason to ignore the issue.

Overall, I'm still very pleased with the car for the reasons listed below (based on my priorities for this purchase):

1. Perceived Value: This car is loaded for the cost, and is far better equipped than the top-spec Amaze, Sail, and Dzire, and similarly equipped when compared to the Xcent (different features are missing in either, so neither comes up as a clear winner). One doesn't feel short-changed buying a Tata. Even now one can buy a top spec Zest in Diesel or petrol a lakh cheaper than any of the other top spec 4m sedans by competitors.

2. Superb Audio system, well integrated with certain car features: This system is well tuned and needs no upgrades. My parents like old simple music, and I like a lil more thump, and this meets both demands without the need to change settings, or fiddle around. BT phone integration is good, and the voice commands are a good party trick to impress friends and neighbours who scorn the purchase Love the parking sensor integration and visual guide.

3. Useful Boot: Whenever I travel home, my Wife and I usually carry some stuff to leave behind (gifts and whatnot), so it is never light. The car has enough boot space for two medium/large suitcases, because of the height of the boot. Quite practical

4. Space both front and rear: Doesn't need elaboration.

5. Ride and Handling: Even in the hands of enthusiastic drivers on the winding roads of Kerala this car doesn't make one as sick as some others. Stays fairly flat and composed, and is comfortable even with 3 at the rear on long trips. The GC helps, not scraping speed breakers or when negotiating poor roads (shortcuts that drivers love).

6. Lights: I've seen reports of poor lights, but mine is like daylight in low beam. Don't use main much, but low is far above sufficient even with oncoming traffic on undivided roads in the rains!

7. Quiet, well built interiors, and solid, well built exteriors: Feel good when you don't feel that the manufacturer has obviously cut costs somewhere.

The rest of the positives have already been spoken about, so I'll skip to the negatives:

1. Low to main beam - light stalk: The indicators and rotary switch are well damped and feel good quality, but moving the stalk to main beam (not flasher) and return makes the same old Indica V2 type of cheap, plasticky click. Hate it!

2. Front seats are actually not as comfortable as the rear. I don't know what it is, but the rear bench feels more comfy than the front passenger seat. Driver seat needs to be adjusted well to give sufficient lower back support, and the high dash + bonnet encourages one to raise the seat. Ironically, it is better to leave it at a lower setting and adjust the backrest to get sufficient lower thigh and back support.

3. AC is too cold even with the temperature set to 25 degrees. In my Rapid if I set the AC to 25 on a not so warm (cloudy) day, the interiors stay cool, but the Zest continues to chill you. Good for most of the Kerala year and brilliant in summer, but not so good in the rains. Need to keep fiddling with the AC to stop the cooling.

4. Acc/Clutch: Something that I can't put a finger on, but it is very easy to over-rev or stall the engine in 1st. Maybe because it is a turbo, or maybe I'd be better if I drove it regularly. Will report how this one goes over time.

That's all for now, I'll update this thread as the car logs more kms mainly because I will only occasionally be driving the car and that doesn't warrant a separate thread.