Official – Tata Bolt B+ segment hatchback launch confirmed for January 2015

Tata Motors’ Car Division President, Mr. Ranjit Yadav, has revealed that the Bolt B+ hatchback will be launched in January 2015, nearly six months after the Zest’s India debut. The Bolt B+ segment hatchback will replace the Vista, which is expected to become a taxi-only model. The Bolt hatchback is expected to carry a very competitive price, considering the fact that its compact sedan sibling, the Zest, has redefined price points in its segment with a 4.66 lakh rupee starting price tag.

CarToq sources indicate that there has been a conscious decision to re-position the (Indica) Vista as a taxi only model with the Bolt being pitched at family car buyers. Doing so will allow Tata Motors to address both ends of the market – family buyers and cab operators – while ensuring that the Bolt doesn’t suffer from the Taxi-image that many Tata cars are now stuck with. The Bolt hatchback will be the second major new product launch under Tata Motors’ HORIZONEXT strategy.

The Bolt hatchback will be sold with turbo petrol and turbo diesel engine options. The turbo petrol motor will be the 1.2 liter-4 cylinder REVOTRON unit that Tata Motors introduced on the Zest compact sedan. The engine makes 88 Bhp-140 Nm and will give the Bolt Petrol the status of being India’s least priced turbo petrol car. The diesel powered Bolt is expected to use the 1.3 liter-4 cylinder Fiat Multijet turbocharged motor in a 75 Bhp-190 Nm state of tune.

Both engines will receive 5 speed manual transmissions as standard fare. Tata Motors will endow the Bolt Diesel with the 5 speed automated manual transmission (AMT), making the car the first diesel hatchback in India to feature a diesel-automatic option. However, Tata Motors might go slow on the Bolt Diesel AMT’s launch given the pressures the automaker in terms of the AMT’s sourcing from Italian autoparts maker Magneti Marelli.

Like the Zest, the Bolt will come loaded with features and creature comforts. The car will represent the new chapter that Tata Motors has opened, in terms of quality, and fit and finish levels of its cars. The hatchback also gets a revised top shell that has many differentiating design elements to make it stand apart from the Vista. However, the X1 platform of the Vista is the same one that underpins the Bolt.

Via MoneyControl