Tata Bolt review, road test

Clap your eyes on the Bolt and for the most part, it doesn’t have that ‘functional’ look of the earlier Tata hatchbacks. Instead, it comes across as a fairly stylish car, especially when viewed head-on. The face sports a neatly executed grille and headlight combination and has little in common with the Vista; that’s a good thing for a brand that’s reinventing itself. Nevertheless, in profile, the blackened C-pillar (which is a stingy vinyl sticker instead of paint) and the ‘floating roof’ can’t distract you from thinking that there’s a Vista underneath here somewhere. The identical glass area and doors are a dead giveaway.

The rear now gets contemporary wraparound tail-lights that replace the dated ‘Christmas tree’ design. There’s also a chrome bar that gives the wide rear some much-needed definition and the black cladding on the bumper adds some ruggedness. And since the petrol variant tips the scales at 1125kg (1160kg for the diesel), there’s a fair bit of heft in its construction too – it’s heavier than some mid-size sedans.

The Bolt rides 165mm above the ground, which is 10mm lower than its sedan sibling. This is because, while both the Bolt and the Zest ride on 15-inch rims in their highest trims, the hatchback gets smaller 175/65 section tyres compared to the sedan’s 185/60 section rubber.