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Old 10th December 2014, 21:07   #46
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Re: Tata Bolt 1.2L Revotron : Official Review

Aditya,

Good Honest Review!

The fact that one has to really look around to throw up quality issues tells me that Tata is improving by leaps and bounds and you did search didn't you? Example" The hinges that enable the seat-bases of the rear bench to flip forward are covered with poor quality plastic caps."

I have been impressed by the Build Quality of my Club Class Manza and it very clearly shows in the Zest and the Bolt now.

That's a honest car and not a rip off!

The Bolt looks amazing in Red!

The lighted key ring, the faux leather lining is already present in the Manza and the Stalks are the same. The A Pillar is from the Manza as well!

Once again honest effort and much better than the Zest Review!

Don't get me wrong but I, hardly go by reviews as I am a creature who goes by his own thought processes.

Cheers! God Bless you for the effort!
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Old 10th December 2014, 21:40   #47
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Re: Tata Bolt 1.2L Revotron : Official Review

Great write up!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Aditya View Post
The rear windscreen is adequately sized and offers good visibility, although the wide C-pillars create blind spots. The IRVM is small and should have been a size bigger.
C-pillar seems more or less similar size as other cars like i20. It looks to me that the rear windscreen has a very thick frame on either side making the rear visibility much worse. Is it really the case or is it just misleading camera angle?

Quote:
The masses will love the real-time fuel efficiency bar that is permanently displayed on the MID. Because it is graphical in nature, it's a lot easier to reference when you're driving (rather than a constantly changing digital number).
Would it be able to clearly differentiate between a 9 and 12 with the bars?

Quote:
Tata has added a couple of extra features to this infotainment system. The first is navigation. Owners have to download a free MapMyIndia app onto their Android smartphones (developed specially for the Bolt), and then link it to the Bolt's infotainment system. We hope an App for iOS users will follow soon! A big advantage is that this navigation system works offline (no data connection required).
Navimaps can work without a data connection (useful in remote areas), and Tata said they would provide the app & maps for free to Bolt customers. The Harman SmartlLink app is required for the systems to work together:
I'm hoping for a Windows phone app, though I'm not sure when that would be even a remote possibility

It is really disappointing to see a hard dependency on android phone, especially when they have a head unit that supports offline navigation and has provision for a memory card to store the maps. How difficult was it for them to have the option of offline maps without a phone dependency, even if it was a limited set of functions?

It is still okay, if you needed an Android phone to load it or for initial set up but not for a regular use, since that can be done as a one-time or occasional activity by owners or drivers on other phone platforms by borrowing Android phones of family members. I can't take someone from my family with an Android everywhere just because I want my navigation to work!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rehaan View Post
SmartLink is not screen mirroring. It seems to be a service that runs in the background, and if your phone is connected to the Bolt via USB and you open NaviMaps, it fires up the connection (a chime is heard on the infotainment).
Any idea how battery intensive this service is? Does the phone get charged via the USB connection while it is connected to the HU?

Looking forward to owner reviews to see if the drain rate>charge rate situation comes up.
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Old 10th December 2014, 22:02   #48
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Re: Tata Bolt 1.2L Revotron : Official Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by zenren View Post
Does the phone get charged via the USB connection while it is connected to the HU?

Looking forward to owner reviews to see if the drain rate>charge rate situation comes up.
Yes, all windows/android phones do get charged with the USB slot, however not blackberry (if someone still uses them).

A 4' screen android gets fully charged within 90 mins. This is based on my experience in my Vista.
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Old 10th December 2014, 22:05   #49
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Re: Tata Bolt 1.2L Revotron : Official Review

Nice car. Looks a bit boring though to me compared to the competitors.

Would make good spacious taxis though when the diesel version comes out.
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Old 10th December 2014, 23:02   #50
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Re: Tata Bolt 1.2L Revotron : Official Review

A very well put up review i must say of an equally well put up effort by the Tata stable . The overall package is very admirable and the improvement in aspects that matter is commendable. As far as sales sre concerned , I guess Tata has to burn midnight oil to ensure steady sales and promising A.S.S. to ensure a good initial image of the product.

The advertisement and media coverage shall also play a vital role. Many a times i have felt that automotive companies have gone far away from coming up with nice ads that give a personality statement to its vehicles. Looking at the then ads of Safari Dicor used to bring a smile on my face, i wish Tata comes back with similar ads for its products.

I really hope they don't screw up this time , the R&D have done a nice job, be courteous while selling the product and be proactive while servicing.
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Old 10th December 2014, 23:07   #51
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Re: Tata Bolt 1.2L Revotron : Official Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by gauravdgr8 View Post
Yes, all windows/android phones do get charged with the USB slot, however not blackberry (if someone still uses them).

A 4' screen android gets fully charged within 90 mins. This is based on my experience in my Vista.
At least on the Windows and android devices I use, the drain is heavy when navigation apps are turned on. Even if I plug in the car charger, it drains faster than it can charge and the battery level actually goes down during charging. I noticed this when I tried using gMaps in my HTC when it had ~10-15% charge remaining. The phone drained out soon even though the car charger was connected to it. Once it got turned off, it started charging

Connecting it via usb and playing songs from it might not be an issue, but in case the HU relies on the location/GPS/data connection and other features on the phone, it could get drained very fast.
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Old 11th December 2014, 00:49   #52
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Re: Tata Bolt 1.2L Revotron : Official Review

Thanks for the crisp review. I'm really glad that quality wise, Tata is improving. Hoping to see a day, when we have an Indian product setting benchmarks in quality.

btw, in the case of a puncture, how does Tata think that driving around with an inch difference in the drive wheels is OK? Well, its OK, but it just isnt right.
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Old 11th December 2014, 01:11   #53
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Re: Tata Bolt 1.2L Revotron : Official Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by zenren View Post
It is really disappointing to see a hard dependency on android phone, especially when they have a head unit that supports offline navigation and has provision for a memory card to store the maps. How difficult was it for them to have the option of offline maps without a phone dependency, even if it was a limited set of functions?
The head unit do not have GPS receivers and hence the dependency on phone. May be a cost cutting measure for now.
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Old 11th December 2014, 01:17   #54
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Re: Tata Bolt 1.2L Revotron : Official Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by Aditya View Post

Black screw-head sticks out like a sore thumb. Should have been painted over:
Nice review there.

Sorry to nit pick, but trim assembly happens after paint booth. Touch-up adds one more work stage in the assembly line and colored fasteners are not an option (new part number, paint peel-off while fastening etc).

Prost
Spike

Last edited by SPIKE ARRESTOR : 11th December 2014 at 01:20.
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Old 11th December 2014, 01:18   #55
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Re: Tata Bolt 1.2L Revotron : Official Review

Ah, why didn't Tata design this a couple of years earlier? That photo of the Bolt alongside the Swift sure to give the Swift owners a complex! The Bolt just makes the Swift look a couple of generations old! I would love to see how many are sold just on the looks.
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Old 11th December 2014, 01:37   #56
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Re: Tata Bolt 1.2L Revotron : Official Review

Thanks for the detailed review. I haven't seen the car in flesh, but to me it fails in the looks. It is just like a facelifted Indica
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Old 11th December 2014, 08:44   #57
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Re: Tata Bolt 1.2L Revotron : Official Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by teamveevee View Post
The head unit do not have GPS receivers and hence the dependency on phone. May be a cost cutting measure for now.
You can get the entry level navigation systems in the 6k-7k range including display and maps. For just a reciever alone, I would imagine it to cost max 2k on an individual basis. At the scale that Tata is looking at, it could easily be available to them in 1k range. No excuse for not providing this in the top variant.
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Old 11th December 2014, 09:34   #58
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Re: Tata Bolt 1.2L Revotron : Official Review

Awesome review and an equally good product. The party spoiler is no AT or AMT. They should have offered one. Fingers crossed for the future! Even I am not a fan of that Black C-pillar thingie they have done. I wonder if it can be peeled off completely? That way, you can get it done better at a local shop -

Tata Bolt 1.2L Revotron : Official Review-tatabolt32.jpg



Quote:
Originally Posted by BlackPearl View Post
What is the use of that RFID tag? I can see that on my Thar as well.
It's good thing if infrastructure catches up with it.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/street...ollection.html
and
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/street...s-october.html
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Old 11th December 2014, 10:16   #59
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Re: Tata Bolt 1.2L Revotron : Official Review

Thank you very much for the very detailed review. The level of details you have gone through is amazing and for sure a great reference in the times to come.

Good that TML has not been rushing into launches and taking time to eventually come out with good products, what with these products being do-or-die for them in terms of their market sustenance.

Great to observe the quality improvements, am sure it will do wonders for TML.

A couple of reservations I have - the largish turning radius and the ground clearance. The increase in turning radius is probably a natural consequence of the multiple improvements incorporated into the model, but is frankly a step back in the context of city rides (though I guess thankfully still better experience as compared than what a person driving a Punto has to undergo while taking ‘U-turns’ on our narrow roads). The increased rear suspension firmness should reduce scraping due to reduced ground clearance.

I wish TML will also soon focus on some more of the low hanging fruit (like cup-holders) and increased quality in some of the exposed areas. It doesn’t do TML any credit when parts (however small or inconsequential) start falling off when people handle them as happened in the course of this review, or still have some low quality highly visible exposed parts when having taken so much effort to improve most other areas.
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Old 11th December 2014, 10:42   #60
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Re: Tata Bolt 1.2L Revotron : Official Review

Nice and detailed review, I doubt Bolt could make enough sales like zest does, In hatchback segment competition is stiff now & With the introduction the face-lifts for swift, i20 the premium hatchback segment is nothing like ever before. In ownership reviews of zest, owners are already complaining about the lack of quality control, Tata should address theses basic things first.
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