Tata Bolt Revotron XT - Road Test Review

The petrol engine is the Revotron 1.2T, a turbocharged MPFI. For the first time in the segment in the country, Tata Motors is offering us a multi-drive feature. Thus, you can choose between Sport, City or Eco. It drives on City when you start (that is the default setting) but then the moment you shift on the fly to Sport, you can feel the engine change performance. It’s like as if the machine has suddenly gobbled up hundreds of energy tablets at one go.

If the engine is a deer in disguise, then the car is like a solid rock you can depend on. The car has great suspension that keeps it steady and rock solid on the ground at all kinds of speed. The smart hatch simply hugs the road even in some of the tightest corners. Tata Motors engineers have done a remarkable job in achieving this. One must keep in mind that the Bolt comes with an electronic power assisted system with ‘Active Return’ function and speed sensitive power steering. There is also an advance gen ABS for improved braking efficiency and Cornering Stability Control.  Oops I got so carried away with the performance, that I almost forgot talking about the looks and styling of the vehicle.

The exterior design element is both refreshing and nostalgic. I explained the latter part a little earlier. But the flowing lines finishing on a flat edge of the spoiler, the blacked out C pillar, the floating roof spoiler, the new Tata signature grill, wider air intake and fog lamp bezels, all of this give the car a very sporty exterior. Look at it from either the front, rear or sideways, the new Tata Bolt is impressive on the styling front. The smoked out projector headlamps merely enhances the looks of the car.

And when you are seated inside, there are more revelations that confront you. The dash looks very chic and modern. The instrument cluster and the central AC vents are connected in a single wing shaped graphics. There is no dearth of infotainment that the car has to offer. The company has associated with Harman for designing the infotainment and audio acoustics system and with MapMyIndia for next generation navigation and location based services to allow the user to stay connected. And what more does the touchscreen infotainment offer? It supports rich multimedia experience, video playback, smart phone based navigation, advanced Bluetooth technology, smart voice recognition which understand user commands and advanced smartphone integration, incoming SMS notification and read outs. If that is not enough it even has an in-built HVAC controls.

It’s obvious that Usain Bolt has to be jealous of this one. But then at least Mayank Pareek is happy, I know! He knows very well that this car will sell like hot cakes in the months and years to come… As for me, I know he will not be disappointed.