The longer wheelbase also allows for more space and greater room on the insides for the passengers. It means lower seating and a less upright or straight-backed seating position.The overall length of the car has increased as well, though this does not come through if you look at the dimensions of the car, as the spare wheel has been moved under the body on the new version.A new braking system is used on the Sumo Grande. The front discs will now use twin-pot calipers for better bite, and the system will have ABS on future versions. This should improve braking performance, as the weight of the Sumo Grande has only marginally increased.ENGINE AND GEARBOX
Powered by a de-rated version of the 2.2 DiCOR motor recently shown on the Safari, the Grande will be fast too. The motor has been detuned from 140bhp to 118bhp on the Sumo Grande in the interest of fuel efficiency. An all-new motor that displaces 2179cc, this DiCOR unit shares no parts with Tata’s older motors. Designed in collaboration with AVL of Austria, the new motor uses twin overhead camshafts and 16 valves and has been engineered to have a very high service life.A modern, up-to-the-minute common-rail system from Delphi is used on the engine and power is delivered in a smooth and refined manner. Like the version of the motor that powers the Safari, this motor also uses a Variable Geometry Turbo that delivers both strong low-speed responses and high-speed power. Expect the Sumo Grande to have a very tractable and flexible power delivery. Tata claims to have specifically tuned this engine for driveability and low-speed responses, and the flat torque curve seems to bear this out. The maximum torque of 25.49kgm isn’t great, but it is available from an almost-instant 1500rpm onwards.
INTERIORS
The new Sumo Grande will be more car-like than the current car as well. The steering has been made lighter, the gearshift less utility vehicle-like and Tata engineers say they have been working with feedback from a number of women drivers. The driver’s seat height can be adjusted and you can adjust the steering wheel as well. The seats are car-like and support and comfort, as a result, are very high, especially lateral support. There is also a fantastic amount of comfort for passengers in the second row of seats, with only the Safari being more comfortable. Underthigh support is good, the seat back can be reclined, and there are even some small door pockets. Still, legroom, and particularly knee-room, is slightly compromised. Tata has paid special attention to making the third row of seats as comfortable as possible and it has succeeded; only the Innova’s flatter floor allows it to be better. Access to the rear seats involves less than the normal number of contortions, there is more room than normal for a third row, but the best part is that the seats are near full-sized, with plenty of support.And third row passengers get butterfly rear windows as well.Also unlike the current Safari, which has an ugly aftermarket-like aircon blower system mounted over the passenger’s head, the new Sumo features roof-mounted air-con vents for the rear seats.All the cladding on this car feels two generations ahead of that on the Sumo, there are plenty of cubbyholes and storage areas around the cabin and the design of the new dash is an improvement. The basically blocky central console is due to the fact that the expensive shell of the old dash remains. New air-con controls and better-quality buttons are used as well. The most impressive bits, however, are the stylised steering wheel and gear knob. Some plastics are not of the highest quality and there are crude bits like the glovebox and the flat-folding vents. But, overall, you do get the feeling you are sat in a modern utility vehicle, the beige colours and hues helping as well.
CONCLUSION
The Sumo Grande will be in showrooms within the month. There are three models on offer, from the Rs 6.70-lakh LX to the Rs 7.68-lakh GX, which is the fully-loaded one. The base version lacks power windows, that dual aircon system, central locking and the driver’s seat doesn’t adjust. Tata offers a generous warranty of 2 years or 75,000 kilometres on the car, and this alone should allay fears of unreliable performance. The Sumo Grande is a big step forward for Tata’s utility vehicle. Now seriously better looking, more sophisticated and more urbane, the Sumo Grande will appeal to a whole new set of customers. All that remains is for us to drive and test the Sumo. This could be Tata’s stealth bomber.The longer wheelbase also allows for more space and greater room on the insides for the passengers. It means lower seating and a less upright or straight-backed seating position.The overall length of the car has increased as well, though this does not come through if you look at the dimensions of the car, as the spare wheel has been moved under the body on the new version.A new braking system is used on the Sumo Grande. The front discs will now use twin-pot calipers for better bite, and the system will have ABS on future versions. This should improve braking performance, as the weight of the Sumo Grande has only marginally increased.
ENGINE AND GEARBOX
Powered by a de-rated version of the 2.2 DiCOR motor recently shown on the Safari, the Grande will be fast too. The motor has been detuned from 140bhp to 118bhp on the Sumo Grande in the interest of fuel efficiency. An all-new motor that displaces 2179cc, this DiCOR unit shares no parts with Tata’s older motors. Designed in collaboration with AVL of Austria, the new motor uses twin overhead camshafts and 16 valves and has been engineered to have a very high service life.A modern, up-to-the-minute common-rail system from Delphi is used on the engine and power is delivered in a smooth and refined manner. Like the version of the motor that powers the Safari, this motor also uses a Variable Geometry Turbo that delivers both strong low-speed responses and high-speed power. Expect the Sumo Grande to have a very tractable and flexible power delivery. Tata claims to have specifically tuned this engine for driveability and low-speed responses, and the flat torque curve seems to bear this out. The maximum torque of 25.49kgm isn’t great, but it is available from an almost-instant 1500rpm onwards.
INTERIORS
The new Sumo Grande will be more car-like than the current car as well. The steering has been made lighter, the gearshift less utility vehicle-like and Tata engineers say they have been working with feedback from a number of women drivers. The driver’s seat height can be adjusted and you can adjust the steering wheel as well. The seats are car-like and support and comfort, as a result, are very high, especially lateral support. There is also a fantastic amount of comfort for passengers in the second row of seats, with only the Safari being more comfortable. Underthigh support is good, the seat back can be reclined, and there are even some small door pockets. Still, legroom, and particularly knee-room, is slightly compromised. Tata has paid special attention to making the third row of seats as comfortable as possible and it has succeeded; only the Innova’s flatter floor allows it to be better. Access to the rear seats involves less than the normal number of contortions, there is more room than normal for a third row, but the best part is that the seats are near full-sized, with plenty of support.And third row passengers get butterfly rear windows as well.Also unlike the current Safari, which has an ugly aftermarket-like aircon blower system mounted over the passenger’s head, the new Sumo features roof-mounted air-con vents for the rear seats.All the cladding on this car feels two generations ahead of that on the Sumo, there are plenty of cubbyholes and storage areas around the cabin and the design of the new dash is an improvement. The basically blocky central console is due to the fact that the expensive shell of the old dash remains. New air-con controls and better-quality buttons are used as well. The most impressive bits, however, are the stylised steering wheel and gear knob. Some plastics are not of the highest quality and there are crude bits like the glovebox and the flat-folding vents. But, overall, you do get the feeling you are sat in a modern utility vehicle, the beige colours and hues helping as well.
CONCLUSION
The Sumo Grande will be in showrooms within the month. There are three models on offer, from the Rs 6.70-lakh LX to the Rs 7.68-lakh GX, which is the fully-loaded one. The base version lacks power windows, that dual aircon system, central locking and the driver’s seat doesn’t adjust. Tata offers a generous warranty of 2 years or 75,000 kilometres on the car, and this alone should allay fears of unreliable performance. The Sumo Grande is a big step forward for Tata’s utility vehicle. Now seriously better looking, more sophisticated and more urbane, the Sumo Grande will appeal to a whole new set of customers. All that remains is for us to drive and test the Sumo. This could be Tata’s stealth bomber. The longer wheelbase also allows for more space and greater room on the insides for the passengers. It means lower seating and a less upright or straight-backed seating position.The overall length of the car has increased as well, though this does not come through if you look at the dimensions of the car, as the spare wheel has been moved under the body on the new version.A new braking system is used on the Sumo Grande. The front discs will now use twin-pot calipers for better bite, and the system will have ABS on future versions. This should improve braking performance, as the weight of the Sumo Grande has only marginally increased.
ENGINE AND GEARBOX
Powered by a de-rated version of the 2.2 DiCOR motor recently shown on the Safari, the Grande will be fast too. The motor has been detuned from 140bhp to 118bhp on the Sumo Grande in the interest of fuel efficiency. An all-new motor that displaces 2179cc, this DiCOR unit shares no parts with Tata’s older motors. Designed in collaboration with AVL of Austria, the new motor uses twin overhead camshafts and 16 valves and has been engineered to have a very high service life.A modern, up-to-the-minute common-rail system from Delphi is used on the engine and power is delivered in a smooth and refined manner. Like the version of the motor that powers the Safari, this motor also uses a Variable Geometry Turbo that delivers both strong low-speed responses and high-speed power. Expect the Sumo Grande to have a very tractable and flexible power delivery. Tata claims to have specifically tuned this engine for driveability and low-speed responses, and the flat torque curve seems to bear this out. The maximum torque of 25.49kgm isn’t great, but it is available from an almost-instant 1500rpm onwards.
INTERIORS
The new Sumo Grande will be more car-like than the current car as well. The steering has been made lighter, the gearshift less utility vehicle-like and Tata engineers say they have been working with feedback from a number of women drivers. The driver’s seat height can be adjusted and you can adjust the steering wheel as well. The seats are car-like and support and comfort, as a result, are very high, especially lateral support. There is also a fantastic amount of comfort for passengers in the second row of seats, with only the Safari being more comfortable. Underthigh support is good, the seat back can be reclined, and there are even some small door pockets. Still, legroom, and particularly knee-room, is slightly compromised. Tata has paid special attention to making the third row of seats as comfortable as possible and it has succeeded; only the Innova’s flatter floor allows it to be better. Access to the rear seats involves less than the normal number of contortions, there is more room than normal for a third row, but the best part is that the seats are near full-sized, with plenty of support.And third row passengers get butterfly rear windows as well.Also unlike the current Safari, which has an ugly aftermarket-like aircon blower system mounted over the passenger’s head, the new Sumo features roof-mounted air-con vents for the rear seats.All the cladding on this car feels two generations ahead of that on the Sumo, there are plenty of cubbyholes and storage areas around the cabin and the design of the new dash is an improvement. The basically blocky central console is due to the fact that the expensive shell of the old dash remains. New air-con controls and better-quality buttons are used as well. The most impressive bits, however, are the stylised steering wheel and gear knob. Some plastics are not of the highest quality and there are crude bits like the glovebox and the flat-folding vents. But, overall, you do get the feeling you are sat in a modern utility vehicle, the beige colours and hues helping as well.
CONCLUSION
The Sumo Grande will be in showrooms within the month. There are three models on offer, from the Rs 6.70-lakh LX to the Rs 7.68-lakh GX, which is the fully-loaded one. The base version lacks power windows, that dual aircon system, central locking and the driver’s seat doesn’t adjust. Tata offers a generous warranty of 2 years or 75,000 kilometres on the car, and this alone should allay fears of unreliable performance. The Sumo Grande is a big step forward for Tata’s utility vehicle. Now seriously better looking, more sophisticated and more urbane, the Sumo Grande will appeal to a whole new set of customers. All that remains is for us to drive and test the Sumo. This could be Tata’s stealth bomber.Factfile
TATA SUMO GRANDE
Price Rs 6.70-7.68 lakh*
L/W/H 4421/1780/1940mm
Wheelbase 2550mm
Kerb weight 1940kg
Turning circle diameter 10.5m
Engine Four cylinders, in line, 2179cc, turbocharged diesel
Layout Front, longitudinal, RWD
Gearbox Five-speed manualPower 118bhp at 4000rpmTorque 25.49kgm at 1500-3000rpm
Brakes (F/R) Ventilated discs/DrumsSuspension (F/R) Independent
wishbone, coil springs/Parabolic leaf springs
Fuel tank capacity 65 litres
