How Good Is Tata Bolt Petrol compared to others? Let’s Find Out…!!!
Tata Motors launched its latest hatchback the Tata Bolt in India and surprised the market by keeping the starting price of Bolt below the psychological barrier of Rs. 5 Lakh. The company launched Bolt at a starting price of Rs 4.45 Lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) for the (petrol-engine) Revotron model and Rs 5.50 Lakh for the diesel-engine variant. The Tata Bolt now competes with Maruti Suzuki Swift, Hyundai Grand i10 and Honda Brio in the similar price-bracket. Tata Bolt has offered in 4 trims of XE, XM, XMS and XT with its high-end petrol XT variant priced at Rs. 6.06 Lakh and the top-end diesel XT is for Rs. 6.99 Lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).
Engine & Transmission:
All the models provide a 1.2L MPFi petrol mill. Tata Bolt’s 1.2L SOHC Revotron is the only turbocharged and the most powerful engine among all with 90 Ps power & 140 Nm torque. All the brands provide a 5-speed manual transmission. However, only the Tata Bolt provides “Multi-Drive Mode” which lets the driver choose the engine performance according to driving conditions. This will definitely give Tata Bolt an edge over its rivals in driveability.
Space:
Tata Bolt happens to be bigger in the size than its predecessor Tata Vista. However, in the length it is smaller than Maruti Swift, in width it is exact same as Swift and in height it is taller than the Brio. The Bolt has a wheelbase of 2470mm the widest among all, making it spacious. The height of Brio is lowest at 1500mm and from the point of ‘Centre of Gravity’, Brio will get an advantage while handling. But the Swift has highest ground clearance of 170 mm, making it perfect for the Indian road conditions.
The Bolt has boot size of 210 litres which is smaller than 256 Litres of Hyundai Grand i10 – the biggest among all. With kerb weight of 1125kg the Bolt is also the heaviest among the all. Since the dead weight is very high, Tata Bolt will not get advantage in fuel economy.
Steering & Suspension:
The Bolt provides electric power assisted steering (EPAS); which is common to other models. However, with the highest turning radius of 5.1 meters for the Bolt; will not make its turning very easy in congested city areas. Honda Brio has the turning radius of only 4.5 meters – the smallest among all. The Bolt provides tyre size of 175/60 R15 – a 15 inch radial which is bigger than Brio & Grand i10. However, it is smaller than Maruti Swift which gives 185/65 R15 – biggest among all giving Maruti Swift an advantage.
The front suspension of the Bolt includes McPherson Struts and an anti-roll bar, which provides stability. The rear suspension for the Bolt has a Twist-Beam design which is similar to other models.
Safety:
The Bolt’s front brakes are discs and rear brakes are drum. The Bolt comes with an ABS unit alongwith EBD and two front airbags, all of these are common to other models; except Grand i10 which provides only ABS.
Convenience:
The Bolt provides an Automatic Air Conditioning unit alongwith Swift, except Brio & Grand i10, which provide only A/c with heater.
Performance:
The Bolt’s fuel tank of 44 litres is the biggest among all. However, Bolt Petrol’s ARAI certified fuel average is only 17.57 Km/L*, which is the lowest as compared to other cars. If driven only in the eco-mode the Bolt might return a marginally higher mileage. But, with the class-leading 20.4 Km/L* Maruti Swift gets a clear advantage in this category.
Price:
The top end XT variant of the Bolt compared here is priced at Rs.605,893/- (ex-showroom Delhi) which is marginally lower than Maruti Swift at Rs. 611,362. Hyundai grand i10 Asta (O) has lowest price at Rs.583,917/-.
Verdict:
Tata Bolt Revotron provides a powerful engine, good suspension & some of the class-leading features, barring the mileage; which disappoints. Maruti Swift gives an ideal combo of best-in-class mileage, highest ground clearance & bigger tyres; except its styling which is not very appealing. Honda Brio provides contemporary styling, better mileage & lowest turning radius and Hyundai Grand i10 provides plenty of useful features & value for money.
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Tata Bolt vs Maruti Swift vs Honda Brio vs Hyundai Grand i10 |
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Verdict: |
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| Model | Tata Bolt Revotron 1.2T XT | Maruti Suzuki Swift 1.2 ZXi | Honda Brio VX BL (M/T) | Hyundai Grand i10 Asta (O) |
| For: | Powerful Engine, Good suspension, Features | Best Mileage, High ground-clearance, Bigger tyres | Better Mileage, Low turning circle, | Moderate mileage, Plenty of features, |
| Against: | Heavy, Poor Mileage | Price | Small fuel tank, Smaller tyres | Low power, Smaller tyres |
(Note: All the Photos – Courtesy respective manufacturers – Tata Motors, Maruti Suzuki, Honda cars India, Hyundai Motors India)
For more information on Tata Bolt: http://bolt.tatamotors.com/
