Honda Amaze has already won the hearts of the Indian customers with its fuel efficient tag. Now, Tata thought it’s time to show the world what they are capable of when it comes to mid size sedans. So, here we have the Tata Zest with its aggressive and no-frills profiling which is a refreshing change for sure. And, what an entry – a slow but steady start and a final push to take up the sales figures well above Honda’s baby.
Tata Zest 2014 and Honda Amaze Features
While the projector headlamps and the honeycomb grille of the Tata Zest gives it a great front profile Amaze gives a good competition with its balanced exteriors and an overall sporty feel. The rear profile of Amaze wins hands down when it comes to a comparison with that of the Tata Zest. What works for Zest is its dual tone interiors, its smart dashboard and chrome detailing which gives a good feel to the car. It’s not your regular Tata in any way – that’s a plus point, of course. Amaze offers an amazingly spacious interior with all the features that you would expect from a compact sedan. You also get LED tail lamps, chrome weather strip on windows and LED daytime running lights with the Zest.
Mileage
The Zest offers an average mileage of 17.6 kmpl while the Honda Amaze offers a mileage of 12.8kmpl in the city and a highway mileage of 16.1kmpl.
Engine
For the sake of comparison we are taking the diesel variants of these vehicles. Amaze gets a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder i-DTEC engine and gives a max power of 98.6bhp while the Tata Zest offers the Quadrajet 90 PS Diesel turbocharged VGT with a max power and torque of 90@4000 and 200@1750-3000.
Transmission
Honda Amaze gets a 5 speed manual transmission and for the Quadrajet 90 PS Diesel of Tata Zest a 5 speed manual or AMT choice is available.
Performance and Handling
Amaze reaches 100 kph in just 0.6 seconds less. Zest takes 18 seconds to go from 0-100kmph. In terms of ride quality Zest definitely scores better. While the AMT takes time to respond, the engine makes up for the loss in time with its smoothness. The lighter weight of the steering that Amaze offers is better for city rides but gets a bit noisy at high speeds.
Braking and Safety
ABS and airbags are available with the top end variants of Amaze as a part of the package. The braking system of Amaze is responsive. Zest offers rear parking sensors, ePAS and ORVM with third row visibility. The electric power assisted steering of Zest doesn’t do much to take up the responsiveness of the Zest.
Verdict
From the perspective of braking and safety the Honda Amaze scores better than the Tata Zest any day. What works better for Zest is its tubocharging engine option which is definitely a deciding factor.
