It was two days before the Auto Expo opened. A makeshift enclosure on the lawns of Delhi’s Imperial Hotel, in Janpath, was where Tata Motors chose to make a statement to the media. It unveiled two cars – the hatchback Bolt and compact sedan Zest. For the company, it was a momentous event, coming as it did just 10 days after the tragic death of its charismatic Managing Director Karl Slym.

With strobe lighting and loud music associated with such launches, Tata Motors drove the two cars down a ramp, which had even the die-hard sceptical motoring journalists nodding in appreciation. Here were two cars that marked a radical departure from what the company had on offer till now. The fit and finish of the cars were as good as any in the market.

While a bulk of the questions thrown at the company executives was about “what next after Karl”, the company itself chose to highlight its strategy going forward, what it described as Horizonext – one that focussed on new, cutting-edge design, making the cars fun to drive and packed with the latest features.

At the Auto Expo, held this time in distant Greater Noida, a pleased Ranjit Yadav, President of the Passenger Vehicle Business Unit, said “one of our key vectors is intense product focus”. The Zest and the Bolt will hit the market in the second half of 2014. Yadav said the company had a product portfolio and promised action every year. The new design philosophy was about comfort, driving experience and performance. It was the same philosophy that was behind the Nexon concept, an urban utility vehicle that Tata Motors showcased at the expo.

The brand names of the two new cars, Yadav said, stood for different values and attributes and marked “the start of a new journey”.

Both the cars sport a distinctive new grill. The Zest will have automated manual transmission and advanced infotainment system. The Zest, according to the company, is all about being vivacious and energetic, while the Bolt represents an attitude of winning and staying ahead.

Priorities What was the mandate given to the designers when they started working on these two models? “Make the most beautiful cars you can. Better than anybody else. Make me some performance vehicles,” replied Yadav.

The two new cars, he said, could be sold in any market globally. But, the company’s focus would be the domestic market and other emerging markets.

Yadav was confident that the production model of the Nexon would hit the market in less than 24 months. “It is an urban utility vehicle. Some people would argue are you late for that. But what I would say is that what we are building in terms of value and desire will make sure we win,” he said.

With the tried and tested 1.3-litre multijet diesel engine and the new family of Revotron petrol engines, and a slew of launches every year, Tata Motors hopes to finish on the podium.

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