SCOOP! Sporty Tata Bolt to be showcased at Geneva show

Tata Motors will be showcasing a performance version of the Tata Bolt at the Geneva Show next week. The sportier Bolt will eventually will the wear the badge of a new performance brand Tata is planning to launch towards the end of the year.

The more powerful Bolt will use the existing 1.2-litre Revotron petrol engine, but the power output will be raised from 89bhp to around 120bhp. The engine is also likely to be torquier, and to handle all these extra reserves, Tata will arm the new car with Fiat's tried and tested C501 gearbox which does duty in the diesel multi-jet powered models.

The Geneva show car will be properly kitted out with flared bodywork and 17 inch wheels. The interiors too will get a makeover and reflect the car’s sporting intent. The suspension too has been modified with stiffer damping and lowered ride height. Unlike the high-riding standard Bolt whose tall ground clearance is all too obvious, this hot hatch will have a squat stance

Tata Motors is desperate to boost to its brand image which has taken a beating in the past few years and the lukewarm response to Bolt is reflective of this fact. The company feels a new sporty sub-brand could create some excitement and enthuse car buyers.

An announcement of the name of Tata’s new performance brand is likely to be made in the second half of the year.

Comments

2018 Lamborghini Urus India review, test drive

On first introduction, it’s a recipe for intimidation. It’s claimed to be the fastest SUV in the world (0-100kph in 3.6sec and a top speed of 305kph puts it nearly in supercar territory), and it’s made by Lamborghini – creator of some of the most savage vehicles on the market. Things – as with any Lamborghini, for that matter – would be a lot less daunting if we were driving on a smooth European country road, a wide motorway, or even a race track. But today we’re driving the Urus on a narrow ghat road, as well as through some heavy Pune traffic. Perhaps the intention was to demonstrate that this is the first Lamborghini ever to go on sale in India that truly works in our conditions – but still, I doubt they accounted for rush hour. It’s requisitely mad to look at, employing as many ‘sporty’ design tropes to an SUV body style as possible – the only thing missing is a massive wing on the back; and somehow, it works. It’s ...

Skoda Vision RS concept previews new hatchback

Skoda has set the stage for its forthcoming Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus rival with the Vision RS, a concept car that features a performance plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain. Under the sporty details and concept flourishes, the Vision RS bears a close resemblance to the Rapid hatchback that will be introduced next year. The fact that it has been previewed in vRS form, complete with 245hp PHEV powertrain, shows how much further upmarket the new Rapid will go compared with the current value-led model. Skoda product marketing chief Björn Kroll said: “The current Rapid is too low-market. For this one, we have tried to balance it out.” Skoda will drop the slow-selling liftback version and concentrate on the Spaceback hatch for the new Rapid. At 4,356mm, the concept is just over 50mm longer than the current Rapid, and it has a 440-litre boot that's up by 25 litres. The concept retains some of the current Rapid’s des...

What to avoid during a car service

When it comes to getting their cars serviced at authorised outlets, owners usually go the whole hog. They want their cars coming out of service centres looking brand new, and are willing to pay for it. But do service centres take undue advantage of this? Yes, they do. Servicing may involve changing certain parts and oils after a set interval, but service centres will almost always try to plug in a few extras using technical jargon that a layman may not really understand. Certain processes are completely unnecessary, and customers end up paying extra as they are not aware of what's important and what's not. Also, most of the times, the service associate will throw you a hard sales pitch, and it's not always done with your best interests in mind. So what exactly are the things you don’t really need and should avoid? Engine flushing Flushing an engine simply means cleaning the impure oil and gunk that ...

Automobilestillnow

Search This Blog