Tata Sumo Gold GX - An Ownership Review


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Section One: Background and Buying Overview

For a few years we have had 2 small cars doing transportation duties very well. An efficient Maruti Alto K10 and a Hyundai i10 are great cars for office commutes, daily errands around the town, passenger pickup/drops and even for occasional (twice a year) highway duties. For out of town trips, these 2 together cars could accommodate our rather large (joint) family of 5 adults and 3 kids and couple of additional family members (in-laws or cousins). The rides in such situations were cramped but fairly enjoyable. However the fun of travelling together in a single vehicle was missing and the smaller cars ran out of breath on non-tarred or patchy roads and in summer with 38+ C temperatures. The other lurking reason was that I was soon reaching my forties and a mid-life crisis driven aspiration of owning a masculine jeep like UV/SUV was taking shape in my heart. The thought was to drive across to numerous forts, hill stations and beaches around Pune and a few long trips across the country. Given the steep price depreciation of new cars, existing home loan, the desire to minimize on additional loans (and or reduced interest payments), our budget for a new tourer was at Rs 10-12 Lakhs (on road). Apart from the budget, our requirements were straight forward

  1. Able to accommodate 5 tall adults & 3-4 kids with sufficient Cargo space
  2. Ability to drive in hilly areas
  3. Could be used in the city for regular errands and office commutes
  4. Lower total cost of ownership

In Nov 2012, based on discussions with family members and research on auto portals and magazines led to the following candidates
  1. Toyota Innova
  2. Mahindra Xylo
  3. Mahindra Scorpio
  4. Mahindra Bolero
  5. Tata Safari & Storme
  6. Chevrolet Tavera
  7. Maruti Ertiga
  8. Nissan Evalia

My other top favorite, ranked higher than the Innova was the Mahindra Thar CRDE 4x4, mostly based on my upcoming 40 year milestone and mid-life aspiration to develop a cool lifestyle of a 25 year old – especially on weekends – which included trekking forts and off-roading.

A little about my in-house test drive team - I test drove most (if not all) of the cars in the list above. My test drives were designed to validate my requirements – ease of handling, ability to climb on steep hilly inclines and seating comfort with A/C on. So on most of these drives, I would have at least 4 adults and 2 kids. Thanks to my brothers who are all 6+ ft tall and the wife and kids who were able to spend many a weekend afternoon accompanying me to these test drives. One side effect of these test drives are that my kids can easily identify a MUV from side, rear or front views [:)]

Here are my brief thoughts on these test drives. I did not maintain a log for these drives and the following thoughts are my strongest recollections and memories of these test drives. All of the vehicles listed above are great value for money MUVs and I am certain will give many years of great services to their owners. Here goes.

The Toyota Innova is a great MUV with excellent quality, comfort & ride. This was a top favorite amongst all members of my family. The space in the last seat was good for 2 adults or 3 kids. The price on the mid-top end models was about Rs 2 Lakhs beyond our budget. I was aware of the legendary Toyota Quality and the hassle free ownership experience for over 4-5 lakh kilometers. Personally for me, the MUV is a market leader, has a great social acceptance, a quality benchmark in its segment – and in short too perfect. If I bought the Innova, there would be no excuse to replace this car for at-least 10 years or 6 lakh kms. These were all great reasons to own this perfect MUV. The MUV did not have a strong character and did not appeal to me. If I chose this car, it would be a mind over heart decision.

The Mahindra Xylo was in a category similar to the Innova. The quality was a degree (or two) lower than the Innova. I did not care too much for the Mahindra niggles. The MUV was an odd-ball in terms of it’s size & proportions. The Xylo that came later in 2012 (?) fixed many of these issues. This was the second best car that the ladies of my home liked. When I drove this car, I liked the responsiveness of the engine and the thoughtful interiors. However, this car did not appeal to me either. The Totoyta Innova was a better car than the Xylo, according to me & the numerous comparison articles, I had read.

The Mahindra Scorpio had character with its butch looks and masculine exteriors. Inside the vehicle was a very different story. The ergonomics were sub-optimal, the gear was placed weirdly and the seating was surprisingly very very cramped. The last rows (side facing) could seat 2 adults at best. I did not understand why the interiors were not as roomy given the size of the vehicle. The sales experience at Sahayadri Motors at Baner was not helpful either. Both the Xylo & Scorpio were not available for test drives easily and there were no follow-ups from the dealer to help with a test drive quickly.

The Mahindra Bolero is a great Utility Vehicle. I had borrowed my cousin’s SLE model for a trip to Nashik and it’s surrounding vineyards. I drove it across 2 days from Pune to Nashik and I liked it. The Bolero is the top selling UV in India for many months, quarters and is a benchmark in the UV category. Farmers, city & town dwellers swear by the quality. I liked to the low-end torque. The interiors were nicely done and I liked the beige color combination. The OTR price of 8.5L on the top end model was within my budget. The main areas of concern were that the engine would grunt if driven over 90-100 Kms/hr. Also the side facing seats in last row could accommodate 2 kids at best. The A/C’s cooling was sub-optimal and there were no rear A/C vents.

The Chevrolet Tavera was another great candidate. I did not test drive this vehicle because at that time the Pashankar Chevrolet outlet at Baner/Sus did not have any for a test drive. I sat in one of these and liked it. A closer look at the specifications showed that the BS3 model had the old Isuzu engine with a low torque and lower sized (80 ps) engine. The Bs4 model had the Rhino engine – but this model was not widely used. In any case, after the GM recalls in June/July 2013, I struck this vehicle of my list, since it was not even available to be sold in Pune (and rest of India). After the GM recall, I did not even consider the Chevy Enjoy, mostly because I felt I could not trust GM any longer.

The Maruti Ertiga is a popular small MUV, considered as a leader in it’s segment, with great all round reviews and long list of owners, who swear by it’s quality and ride. When I test drove this in on the inclines, example going up from NH4 to Pashan-Sus road with all seats occupied with 6 ft adults and kids thrown in and A/C running in second level, it was easy to see that neither the petrol or diesel engines could hold the stress. In fact, I test drove both the variants to test this capability. In the steep ghats of the Sahaydris for example in Tamhini, Varandha or on the ghat on NH4 going to Satara – a strong torque at very low rpm is a must have ability. The middle and last seats were cramped. The last seat was severely cramped and the proportions ruled out any trip with occupants in it for more than couple of hours. The engine’s response and torque did not meet my requirements; although I thought the car was perfect for the segment it was designed for – a city dweller with a family of 4 with an occasional highway trip with 2 additional passengers. But this was not a vehicle that could be taken in the hills along windy gnat turns and on rougher pot-holed roads (any one drive Tamhini ghat in the last 2 months?).

I test drove the Nissan Evalia also. And I liked it a lot. The engine is wonderful, the ride quality is great. The van can drive well on steep inclines with all seats occupied. The AC is powerful and the build quality is superior and in the league of the Innova. This is a pucca van and you will like it if you liked the erstwhile Maruti Omni or if you like the Maruti Eeco. I liked it’s utilitarian value, it has a lot of interior space. And all of your luggage can easily fit in for long drives. There were 2 aspects which got this off my list. The middle row windows are of the “butterfly” type – so these cannot be rolled up or down normally. The vent on the third seat is not optimal. The tyres are puny and would need a major upsize. Everything else in this car is wonderful and with the Evalia refresh coming later this year – I think this car will be wildly popular – at-least with families who need a tourer and also with fleet owners.

The Tata Safari & Storme both have a great reputation as tough & powerful SUVs with imposing road presence & great engines. I did not test drive these SUVs - and I will explain why in the next post. My issue was with the last row – which I saw could accommodate only 2 kids. In fact the last row was less useful than the Bolero or Xylo or the Innova. I felt that both these SUVs would be ideal for a family of 4 with an additional passenger or two. The Storme would on top of my list over Safari, because of quality improvements as compared to Safari.

The Mahindra Thar CRDE was my deepest secret wish. I was in awe of it’s Willy’s heritage and it’s legendary sturdiness. The CRDE engine seemed nice with lot’s of torque and power. I was not able to test drive this, since I was usually asked (by Sahayadri Motors, Baner) to go to a stockyard 30 kms outside of Pune. I did sit in the front seat of a Thar that an office colleague has. I also sat & ogled (but did not test drive) in a model parked in a M&M showroom on NH4 highway at Satara. The OTR price was within budget though the interiors seem dated and of low quality. The alloy wheels, standard A/C fitment and the soft top made the proposition of buying this jeep more attractive. The gear stick was ergonomically screwed and I had duly noted the niggles & quality issues reported on various forums. The opportunity on the Thar for DIY enhancements and the additional opportunity to learn off-roading were extremely mouth-watering. My in-house test drive team, quickly struck this jeep off the list – because anybody other the driver & co-driver would have a hard time surviving a 100+km trip. The side facing seats were functional at best but not comfortable. Off-roading was no place to take kids (& senior citizens) along. And in summary it became very clear this was a vehicle for a SINK (single income no kids) or DINK (double income no kids) family!!

All of which, brings us to the test drive of Tata Sumo Gold.
 
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Wow superbly written honest to the point review .

This will be one comprehensive review ever on any online forum for the sumo gold .

Rating it 5* for your writing skills , effort and being the first sumo gold review on the net .

Congratulations waiting for the second part and pictures .
 
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The Test Drive Experience

The Sumo Gold was not on my list to buy. I went to Concorde Motors at Baner to check out the Tata Storme. The Tata Storme was released a few months earlier and I knew that most of the initial niggles would be out of the way. The Tata Storme is a great SUV and I found that the first 2 rows were luxurious and the quality of interiors was great. The paint job seemed excellent. The last row was a let down. For the size of this vehicle, the designers had provided two very small jump seats. These could accommodate 2 kids (less than 12 years) at best. With the seats folded up, the SUV provided plenty of space for all kinds of luggage and gear. Due to this reason, I did not test drive this vehicle. Standing next to the Storme was the Tata Sumo Gold.

Now the Tata Sumo is a ubiquitous utility vehicle used by fleet owners all across the country as the cheapest means to transport many passengers. And I had not sat in it for many years. I had a general bias on the ride quality and power of it’s engine not to mention it’s NHV levels. After getting disappointed with the Storme (and mentally) striking it off my list – I walked across to the Sumo Gold. The model was a GX.

I sat inside it. I found there was ample space for all it’s occupants – including in the third row. The plastic quality was not as great as the Storme or Evalia. The seats were nice and there was lumbar support for the driver. I had not see the lumbar support in many of the other cars and was duly impressed. However, I was not sure of the ride quality. So I asked the SA (more about him later) for a test drive. My wife was not sure either. Why would you test drive this car – this is for the cabbies, she asked in a perplexed low voice. She was hoping that we would buy the Innova. We did the paper work on the test drive – which was mostly sharing my driving license and signing a gate pass on the front door.
I sat in the vehicle and started the engine. This was the pre-2013 refreshed model. So the first thing I heard was a slightly irritating alert beep, alerting me to put on the seat belt. Then another one, since my wife and kids had kept the doors open. After closing the doors and adjusting the seat belt, I started the AC. The AC was powerful and cooled the car quickly ..remember this was summer in April 2013. The radio/music player was the only ergonomically misplaced item. It was placed behind the gera level a little lower than the knob. So in 1st, 3rd or 5th gear - it is cumbersome to operate the buttons. I made a mental note of this.

The engine has a quiet purr but the the engine noise was not audible inside the cabin and I was impressed with the noise dampers used. I took the car out on the NH4 highway going from Baner towards Dehu road. On moving to the first gear, I instantly noticed the powerful torque at 900 rpm and the car lugged ahead. This reminded me of the Palio 1.9 D that did duty with us for seven years and I was pleased. I realized that this car would demonstrate the same characterstics. The Palio had 190 Nm at 1700 rpm. The specs for the Sumo Gold listed 250 Nm at 1000-2000 rpm !!

I decided to test the torque by trying higher gears at lower speeds. The car had me, the wife 2 kids, my mother, the SA and 2 cousins. The torque was powerful and the car was soon in third gear at 30 Km/hour. Then to fourth gear at 50 Km/hr and in 5th gear at 65 Km/hour. At the Hinjewadi traffic light, I slowed down and then was able to pick up the car in third gear at 30 Kms/hour. Although, I had not yet tested this vehicle on inclines, I though this would be a great car to drive in the hills around Pune.

The brakes were not as sure as the Maruti Alto and the gear slotting was a notch lower than the Hyundai i10. In the fact the gear was a long stick and took some getting used to. After the Hinjewadi flyover, I took a U turn after MyCar Maruti dealer and came back from the other side from Hotel Ginger. The NVH levels with A/C on were negligible. There was very little (if any) engine noise coming in the cabin.

I noticed that my cousins on the last side facing rows were complaining about the AC cooling. So I turned the AC to level 4. Then we came back to NH4 going towards Baner. The Baner-University road traffic is very city like and I wanted to test the handling of the UV here. The UV is very very car like. The power steering is hydraulic and is very powerful. The turning radius was small (for a UV) and if I remember almost similar or lesser than the Palio 1.9 Diesel. I finally took it to my apartment to check If I could park this beast in a reverse parking in a narrow slot. I thought if I could do this, then I would almost run out of reasons to NOT buy this beast.

The Tata Sumo Gold and the Maruti Ertiga have almost the same exact dimensions. I am sure you would not have realized this. I did not until, I parked. The parking into the lot was smooth and effortless. The Maruti Ertiga has a lower height than the Sumo – and is probably longer and wider by a few millimeters.

On the way back to the dealer’s showroom, my cousin tool over the driving and I sat in the last row. Since this was the middle of summer, the fact that the A/C air was not coming across to my face was an area of concern. And I now realized why my cousin was a little uncomfortable. The good news was that the last seats were not as cramped as the Bolero or the Ertiga. In fact, I was seated next to another taller) cousin and I realized, that four adults could easily sit in the last row. I checked with my wife who was on the front seat and my mother who was in the middle on the ride quality. The wife indicated that folks on the road gave way to this beast. She’s the Maruti k10 driver and she was remarked about this "respect" in jest. My mother said the ride was very smooth and not as jumpy 9for the middle seats) like to Scorpio. My kids frankly wanted to go home and were impatient; given the summer heat, besides they were hungry.

On the way back home from the dealer, most of the folks were impressed with the Sumo and were shaking their heads on their earlier bias about the Sumo. The Innova still remained a favorite with the ladies - atleast until we started looking at prices. I on the other hand, started seriously worrying about the good value for money that this UV had, the ample space and the ride & engine quality. I wondered if I did end up buying this beast; how would this decision reflect in social discussions with my relatives, friends (Innova, Ertiga and Scorpio owners).
 
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Brilliant write up mate and great narration of your test drives for different vehicles. I am glued to this thread. Awaiting for more pics.

A person with budget same as you would never consider Sumo Gold, mainly due to social status and cabbie image of the vehicle. You did a right choice considering your requirement and yes it is indeed a VFM vehicle. I have sat in this vehicle, and trust me the power it generates is awesome. Vehicle I sat in the driver was doing 100 in 5th gear at 2000 rpm. Isn't this great. [clap]

Pics please...
 
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Tata Sumo Gold GX - Test Drive Impressions

Later that week, I contemplated on what I would buy or if I would buy any vehicle at all. There were 2 contenders in my mind – the Innova and the Sumo Gold.

Here’s what I liked about the Tata Sumo Gold GX
  1. Lots of torque at low rpms
  2. Lots of space – on all rows
  3. Low NVH levels
  4. Smooth ride on patchy & pot holed roads
  5. Car like handling & maneuverability at top speeds of 100 Km/hr

What I did not like
  1. No rear A/C vents
  2. Top End model did not have alloys
  3. Plastic Quality was a notch lower than the contemporaries
  4. Possible quality issues or niggles
  5. Perception about Tata Motors quality & after sales services

On the other hand, the Innova was the no brainer choice. Although, I felt the price for the top end model was a little too steep at almost Rs 16 Lakhs on road. I could still opt for the middle variants with prices nearer Rs 13 Lakhs or so. The brand boasted of world class reliability and Innova owners had reported many years of awesome over several lakh kilometers. This was not necessarily a good thing for me, since I have not driven the same car for more than 5-6 years and I doubt I would go beyond a 1 or 1.5 lakh kilometers of running before selling it.

In addition, I was still not convinced about the Tata Sumo Gold because of the negatives that were listed above. And there was no big rush to buy anything at all. Our existing cars were (and are still running) fine.

That was about to change a couple of months later.

In June 2013, Tata Motors announced a refresh of the Tata Sumo Gold. See - www.tatamotors.com/media/pdf/Tata-Sumo-Gold-Note.pdf

While Tata Motors claimed many improvements, a few were welcome in my case. The top end model got the rear A/C blower - which meant the third row seats would no bake in the hot Pune/Deccan summers. TML also claimed improved suspension, smoother transmission and a one touch power windows and smoother gear slotting. A better music system with blue-tooth & USB was also included.

Finally, based on customer (fleet owners?) feedback, they had fixed the clutch, which could now go to over 1 Lakh kms. The other thing I noticed (not related to the new refresh model) was a comprehensive warranty was for 3 years and 100K Kms (which was included in the OTR). An extended warranty of another 50K kms and fourth year would be another Rs 8K extra.

The new 2013 model year improvements and the 4 year comprehensive warranty tilted the decision in Sumo's favor. My unique test drive team (wife, mom, kids, cousins, in-laws) seconded the decision.

You may not know that Tata Motors makes new models available to dealers a good 2 months or more after they are announced. Ford or Maruti will typically have the car available at the dealers in a week after the announcement. So after the June 2013 announcement, I waited until the first week of August to take a look at the vehicle at Concorde Motors. Later that week, I decided to go ahead and buy this beast and put down a basic booking amount. See - http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...el-uvs-sumo-gold-vs-bolero-48.html#post314652

We chose the GX model with (Twilight) Grey Color & 9 seats.

Five days later, the dealer called me up and said that the car was available in their stockyard. This was earlier than expected – so now the ball was in my court for the funding part. I now started my search of auto loan options.

I wanted to avoid paying the lowest interest if possible. After considering the usual suspects – ICICI, HDFC, I finally settled on State Bank of India. SBI has an option of over-draft facility on auto loans. This This means that if you can put in the entire loan amount in the overdraft account, you end up paying no interest and you only pay for the principal each month. Essentially, you do not have to pay interest on whatever amount you put in the overdraft account. This facility is available in some home loans also. But I was pleasantly surprised to know that SBI also had this facility on auto loans.

With the funding out of the way, I then did a pre-delivery inspection of the vehicle – and found that there were no issues. See photos at http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...el-uvs-sumo-gold-vs-bolero-49.html#post316826

Later over the long independence day weekend (Sunday), I took delivery of the beast !!

Photos - Predelivery Inspection



Rear A/C Blowers


The new console in the 2013 model
 
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Cool ownership review, Twinstar. Its nice to read. Probably will help me to do mine in sometime soon.[:)] Also interesting to see that Sumo Gold also comes with the Wood-finish central console (colour) inside just like the Bolero top end, although I was not really crazy about that wood-finish they gave it anyways for me as mine was the top-end. Although I never considered this vehicle at all to be very honest, I am now quite impressed with the value it provides with the nine-seater option which is missing in the Bolero! Superb VFM if you ask me! one question where does the spare wheel go? mounted on the back or screwed to the bottom? or possible both ways? How about on-road price, could you please share that as well.
 
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Dealership experience with Concorde Motors
I bought this car from Concorde Motors at Baner, Pune. My experience with the dealership was awesome. The Sumo sales rep Hemant Gurav was polite, paid attention to detail and had average knowledge of the Sumo. He was patient with my queries. The sales manager at Concorde Motors also made sure my buying experience was smooth. Kudos to both of them for maintaining a professional and smooth buying experience for me.

On Road Costs – Rs 8.46 Lakhs. Breakup as follows -
Ex showroom – Rs 731000
Extended Warranty – Rs 8950
Road Tax – Rs 80520
Auto Insurance – Rs 20000
Handling Charges – Rs 7000
Bank Processing – Rs 3723
Discount - Rs 5000
 
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I wondered if I did end up buying this beast; how would this decision reflect in social discussions with my relatives, friends (Innova, Ertiga and Scorpio owners).

Cool, So now that you have bought it, how are friends, family & others reacting? [;)] I am sure most people are envying you as you saved a cool 8 lakhs(almost) from the Innova price & in my case(Bolero) most of them (friends/relatives) are surprised [surprise] or in some cases some are even even like [confused] bit confused.
 
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@ twinstar

Can you kindly post pictures of the front look of your car .

I hated sumo gold to death , but then one of my friend bought it . I had a oppurtunity to drive it one day and I became a big fan of the sumo .

The kind of pulling power the SUV has is just awesome .

Although iam not a big fan of the decals tata designers have put on the new gold .

Will you be updating the thread very often ?

And how many Kms driven so far ? What was the mileage you got ? And how was the after sales service expreince ?
 
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Pictures look cool buddy! & how much did that top carrier cost btw? is that a stylish/sporty looking carrier option? & what does the YOKOZUNA sticker mean or stand for? [:)] sounds japanese similar to Sumo! sorry too many questions...
 
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Good selection of car and equally good presentation of your views. Nice roof rack on your Gold. May I know how much did you pay for the roof rack ? You can never find SUV with 3000 CC engine at this price. The taste of driving a tall UV with powerful engine is very very special.Please keep sharing your experience with your car.
 
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Absolutely amazing write-up and fantastic ownership review.One of the very best,I've ever read on the web world.Congrats on your GOLD,this is one mean machine.Anyone who knows about 407 derived 3.0l engine will understand what I'm saying:)


Anyway,have fun with your SUV for years to come.Cheers!



THE X-OVER
 
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Pictures look cool buddy! & how much did that top carrier cost btw? is that a stylish/sporty looking carrier option? & what does the YOKOZUNA sticker mean or stand for? [:)] sounds japanese similar to Sumo! sorry too many questions...
@IndicaDLS2002 - Thanks for your comments.
The roof carrier cost me Rs 4800 (inclusive of taxes and installation).
Yokozuna (横綱) is the highest rank in Sumo wrestling. See Glossary of sumo terms - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 

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