The national launch of the Tata Zest will be conducted on August 12, Tata Motors confirmed in an email today. Production of the compact sedan started at the Tata-Fiat joint venture plant in Ranjangaon, Maharashtra, last month.
Based on a revised Manza platform, the Zest is the first of Tata's 'new' cars, which is to be followed by the Bolt hatchback later this year. The Zest will offer two engines - the diesel engine is the familiar 1.3-liter Fiat Multijet producing 90 PS (88.7 bhp) and 200 Nm of torque. It will be available with a 5-speed manual or a segment-first 5-speed automated manual transmission (AMT), making it the cheapest automatic-diesel car in the country.
The Zest's petrol engine is Tata's new 1.2-liter turbocharged 'Revotron' that develops 90 PS (88.7 bhp) and 140 Nm of torque. The Zest petrol comes only with a 5-speed manual transmission.
Tata Motors has already initiated pre-launch bookings for the Zest at INR 21,000. The car will come with a 6-year warranty, according to a media report.
Be sure to read our reviews of the Zest diesel AMT and Zest turbo-petrol.
Competitors: Maruti Dzire, Honda Amaze, Hyundai Xcent
Expected Price: INR 5 - 7.5 lakhs, ex-Showroom
