At the Auto Expo event held in Delhi last month, the country witnessed two fresh hatchbacks – Tata Bolt and Datsun Go that were slated for release sometime soon in the Indian market. The 'Bolt' has been termed as a dynamic hatch from the Indian car-maker. The Datsun brand which had been inactive for nearly 3 decades has now sprung to life with the 'Go' hatchback launch by Nissan recently in the Indian market. The Datsun Go has been priced at 3.12 lakh for the entry level model, while the top spec model costs Rs. 3.69 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). Bookings for the car have already been commenced with a minimum token amount of Rs. 11,000.
The 5 door Datson Go hatchback is powered by a 1.2 litre, 3-cylinder petrol engine. The fairly powered engine is mated to a 5 speed manual gearbox and delivers a fuel efficiency of around 20.6 kmpl. As per sources, the diesel version is anticipated to be launched at a later unreleased date. Series production of the first Datsun model in India, the Datsun Go, has began on the 4th of February at the Renault-Nissan joint venture Oragadam plant in Chennai. The front seats in the Datsun Go has been designed keeping in mind the natural curve of the spine to support the pelvis and chest, thereby relieving pressure off your back. The interior is spacious and noise free. Amongst a list of hatchback cars in India, the Datsun brand may face the stiffest competition from the Maruti Suzuki Celerio.
At the Auto Expo event, Mr. Ranjit Yadav, President, Passenger vehicles, Tata Motors, said, “We at Tata Motors are delighted to showcase to the global market the much awaited next generation cars – the ZEST, a stunning and exciting new compact sedan and the Bolt, a dynamic hatch. These cars have been engineered for global markets, through global teams across India, UK and Korea to set new standards in their respective segments. These cars are a true representation of our Horizonext philosophy, with best-in class offerings for performance that yet offers economy and efficiency.” The Bolt hatchback has been made a reality owing to valuable design inputs from three Tata Motors design studios located in Coventry (UK), Turin (Italy) and Pune (India).
Tata Bolt is powered by 1.2 Litre MPFI Turbocharged petrol Revotron engine. The car is loaded with interesting features like ABS, EPAS, speed sensitive power steering and Active Return function. Moreover, the car is loaded with next generation Harman infotainment system that lets you access the entire collection of videos, music and more on the 5 inch touch screen. On the exterior, the hatchback sports a floating roof spoiler. Its look is further enhanced due to the smart placement of fog lamp bezels. Official launch date has not yet been declared by the Indian car-maker but it is expected to hit the roads sometime soon as the carmaker has even come up an exclusive website for the Bolt hatchback as well as the Zest sedan.
