1. Global New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP)
Announced in 2017, the Tata Bolt achieved a four-star safety rating from Global NCAP.
Safety features rate high on Tata Motors’ priority list with airbags for the driver and front passenger as well as speed-sensitive automatic door locking and daytime running lights as standard equipment.
The Bolt is equipped with the ninth generation Bosch ABS for the disc/drum braking system, it has electronic brake distribution (EBD), and includes a corner-braking feature.
Related: 6 extras you should fit on a new TATA Bolt
2. Performance
Powering the Bolt hatch and sedan is the 1.2-litre Revotron turbocharged petrol engine. It is the first Indian-designed and made turbo petrol power unit which underwent 300 000 hours of rigorous testing.
The engine was developed by the Tata R&D team in conjunction with global power unit consultancies and leading global suppliers. The engine puts out maximum power of 66 kW at 5000 rpm and peak torque of 140 Nm available between 1500 – 4000 rpm. There are three different settings for engine response, being Sport, Eco and City modes with Sport as the default setting for the Bolt in South Africa.
The engine drives the front wheels through a 5-speed manual transmission with the top two ratios being overdriven to assist in lowering fuel consumption. Steering is electronically controlled with electric assistance and is speed sensitive.
The suspension has lower wishbones, coil springs and Macpherson struts in the front and rear, as well as a twist-beam axle.
Related: How to top up screen wash on a Tata Bolt
3. Infotainment
One of the key aspects of the Bolt design philosophy is ConnectNext where the Tata design team has worked with well-known audio specialists Harman to develop an acoustic and infotainment system.
There are steering wheel-mounted controls for the audio and phone facilities, while a centrally-located 5-inch screen (touchscreen for XT variants) supports the multimedia experience with Bluetooth technology for smartphone integration.
The infotainment system supports video playback (using USB and SD card when the car is stationary), smart voice recognition which understands user commands, incoming SMS notification and read-outs so that users can integrate their private and personal lives into their commute while bringing a high-quality infotainment experience.
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