The upcoming hatchbacks – Tata Bolt and Honda Jazz – are expected to be face a stiff rivalry from each other once both are launched next year. Bolt will be based on X1 platform, which underpins Indica Vista. On the other hand, Jazz marked its presence in the Indian market in 2009 with a 1.2-litre i-VTEC petrol engine. Initially, it did really well, but then increasing petrol prices came up as a barrier for its sales. Later, things went worse and the Japanese auto maker was forced to discontinue the Jazz to create a room for Amaze.
However, the company is now planning to launch a refreshed version of the same. The new Jazz has witnessed a refreshing makeover and now exudes more aggressive designing language. Sources close to the development process revealed that the car now features a redesigned front fascia, which follows the pattern of its siblings, being complemented by a new grille. Coming to the designing language of Bolt, the next generation car showcases the company’s DNA and sports newness in terms of drivability (DriveNext), design (DesigNext) and connectivity (ConnectNext). According to senior company officials, the name Bolt signifies speed and throttle and represents a winner’s attitude. The car comes with several segment defining features and features a new designing language for exteriors and interiors as well.
Coming to the technical specifications of both the models, the upcoming Jazz is anticipated to source engines from the current generation Amaze - 1.2-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engines. In the current tuning, the petrol engine will pump out a maximum power of 85 bhp with 109 Nm of peak torque, while diesel mill will churn out 99 bhp with 200 Nm of highest torque. However, Tata Bolt is expected to get a 1.2-litre Revtron petrol engine, producing 84 bhp of highest power with 140 Nm of maximum torque. The diesel version is likely to get a 1.3-litre Quadrajet engine.
