Exclusive: Tata Sumo Grande Mark-II Road Test

[Zinam]

• Car Tested: Tata Sumo Grande Mark-II
• Variant: GX
• Fuel Type: Diesel
• Price: Rs.8.72,000(OTR Chennai)
• Official Website: Click Here
• TAI Member's Discussion: Click Here

ABOUT TATA MOTORS (Next)


Established in the year 1945, Headed by Mr.Ratan Naval Tata.
Tata Motors is India's one of the largest car maker which is popular in Commercial Vehicle Sector as well. Latest acquisition by Tata is Jaguar and Land Rover brand which has raised their market share.

Tata Motors Introduced their first small car to Indians in 1998, Known as Indica and launched other cars like Sierra, Estate and the Sumo, Safari and Indigo. No doubt, Line up of Tata products is improving in terms of reliability with the time and getting Value For Money everyday. The most recent all-new car introduced from their stable was Indigo Manza and Now it's the Sumo Grande Mark-II.


HISTORY OF SUMO



Named upon Suman Moolgaonkar, Sumo is one of the most popular model from Tata Motors. Since its release in 1997, The car was much preffered in rural areas due to its Solid Build and Ruggedness but now with the modern design and style, Its has captured the urban market as well.



Tata Motors gave Sumo a new lease of life with a major facelift in the year 2004, Badged as Sumo Victa. In 2004 it received another Major change which hosted a lot of New features and an All New Modern Design. This time it was Re-Badged as Sumo Grande.

Now, Very recently,Tata Motors has given a minor upgrade to the car and extended the Name to Sumo Grande Mark-II (No! Its not vintage).

The Automotive India Team took it out for a spin to find out how Grande this Sumo is and how much Marks it would score in segment.

[Zinam]

EXTERIOR LOOKS, DESIGN & STYLING (Next)




Grande - As the name says, The car is much much Grand and muscular than most of the cars in segment. The Sumo Grande Mark-II is a full-fleged fleshy car which doesn't only looks tall and muscular in pictures but in the real world too.

Sumo gets bulky front looks with modern design which was not ever seen in any of its earlier models. The Big ventilated grill with chrome touch helps to add some style and those headlamps resembles to its pick-up sibling, Xenon.



The big bumper with dual split grills add feathers to this kings's crown and the under-chasis bumper guard will keep you telling every time to treat Sumo as a SUV, Not MUV!

This vehicle has a bus-like side profile, waist line has moved just a bit above and it gives more classy feel. The wheel arches bulges out into very big proptions giving massive looks to side. The windows are airy and the big view providing ORVM now comes with integrated Indicators.



Move to the rear and you'll know how much efforts Tata has done to make Sumo Grande a Modern product. Those horizontal tail lamps are very stylish and a way far more better than "truck" like ones which used to be on very first model. Between the tail lamps what you will see is a big chrome rectangle shaped piece below which Number Plate sits. (Also note the attractive Xenetron Font used to write Sumo Grande Mark II on the car).



However, Over all from rear car is still boxy and sometime gives us the feeling that it will fall down anytime. A Spare wheel screwed in the underbody can be easily noticed, Although we would have preffered its place to be on the rear door.

[Zinam]

INTERIORS, LUXURY & COMFORT (Next)



Step inside the Sumo Grande and what you notice at first sight is big airy room and thanks to those new beige Interiors with wooden finish which provide a luxurious feel.

The overall built & plastic quality is good and stand apart from few of the other Tata Models, Starting from the launch of Manza, TATA has started concentrating more on the Ergnomics, Beware Rivals!







This time the blend of beige and black color combination has been used wisely, Most frequently used parts are provided in black where as other interiors parts remain beige.

Indica Vista style steering wheel is not something which we really liked over the previous up-market one. The entry and exit position of car is high but of course comfortable. Short height people may sometime feel the need of ladder to climb up in this truck.

The seat adjustment options are manual, Even in top end version. We expected some electric seat functions in Mark-II.

You will always feel like king of road, Ever worried that a lorry driver is making you stare while passing? With the Grande you can make him cry because of the big huge stance of car.

Front windows are wide open and obviously this makes the cabin more airy, spacier and you have to search for the blind spots in Grande.
The speedo console is big and attractive. Wooden finishes on the door armrests gives a classy touch and those power window buttons are no more filmsy or light, They have significantly improved.

There are abundant places to carry your items/gadgets, Cup holders are bigger this time unlike its predecessor and door pockets are bigger & deep which is quite an advantage but has its own disadvantage too.

The seats are comfortable enough and will not make you tired in long drives, The Climate control system is really powerful to cool up the big room in just few seconds. A welcome feature we discovered is that 2nd and 3rd rows also have their own vents with controls. What missed is the the audio controls on steering wheels.

The insrument console is typical Tata Trade Mark which is quite dissapoiting but it is placed at a comfortable location where there are no distractions. Gear console is placed bit far away and may take some time to get used to it.



The rear seat has a adequate Leg, Head & Shoulder room which can take on 3 average adults. Since the shoulder room is lesser, packing full sized 3 adults could be a bit tougher.

Rear seat also have a 64:40 split which makes the entry to the 3rd row of the Sumo Grande. Sumo Grande is equipped with an Alpine Audio system which is a over kill for this beast. It also has an USB & Aux in Ports. Sumo has almost no boot space left until you fold the 3rd row, Once folded you can carry loads of luggages in the acres of space.

[Zinam]

ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION (Next)



Under the hood, Powers a 2.2 litre DICOR (Direct Injection Common Rail) Engine, The same which is found in Safari but this is slightly detuned for Fuel Efficiency.

Sumo boasts 120bhp which is quite impressive considered the size and make it the fastest Sumo ever. Crank the engine, Grande Mark-II lightens up and ready for the drive. Still a noise & vibration whispers in your ears to remind that you are in a Tata vehicle.

The steering wheel is sometimestight and pretty accurate. The gear box is what makes us down & to say frankly its quite a mess. Slotting in the gears is one of the biggest challange.

We managed to reach 0-100 in 15+ second which is fine when looking to the size and weight of the vehicle.

DRIVE, HANDLING AND PERFORMANCE



Since Grande runs on a diesel mill, Every one is ready to hear about the Turbo Lag. Yes, Grande too has a Turbo lag but quite un-noticable, Turbo kicks in exactly at 1500 RPM which makes you race against any vehicle near you.

Sumo comes with an Independent, Double Wishbone Coil Springs suspension on front and those bumpy Leaf springs at the rear.

Mark-II has improved a lot from its predessesor but still hasn't matched the ride quality of Toyota Innova, Grande takes up all most all worst roads easily.

We drove Grande at 140+kmph, In straight road, the car is stable but around corners kind of bit bumpy & body rolls occur due to the height propotions.

Front wheels are equipped with Ventilated Disc brake with Twin Pot caliper & Rear wheel comes with Parabolic Drum brakes. However, The braking is not all that great on high speeds. This is where we felt need of ABS in Mark-II, Atleast as an optional equipment would have done the wonder.

[Zinam]

SAFETY AND FUEL EFFICIENCY (Next)



This heavy weight champion with 2.2 DICOR engine is not a rival in aspect of Safety & Fuel Efficiency. It gives an average of 9-10 kmpl in City Driving and at highways you can expect 12kmpl.

Considering the massive 65 litres tank you need not search for Fuel stations nearby, Grande will give you a promising 720 Kilometers in a stretch. Speaking on safety part, You should rely on the huge and tough built only because even the top-end GX variant has no Airbags or ABS as option.



What We Liked in Sumo Grande Mark-II?

• Huge SUV Like stance and looks.
• Best in class Turning Radius.
• Build Quality & Ergonomics.
• Highly mounted driver seats
• Good Road visibility
• Alpine Music System.

What We Dis-Liked in Sumo Grande Mark-II?

• No Steering mount audio controls.
• Engine is bit noisy.
• No Alloy Wheels
• Not so great gearbox and its reach
• Ride comfort in 3rd row not up to the mark

The Automotive India Ratings

• Design & Quality - (4/5)
• Comfort Levels - (3.5/5)
• Performance - (3/5)
• Ride Quality - (3/5)
• Handling - (3.5/5)
• Fuel Efficiency - (4/5)
• Safety - (3/5)
• Value For Money - (3.5/5)

The Automotive India's Verdict




Tata Sumo Grande Mark- II is a huge leap from the first generation model, Which shows that Tata Motors has tried best to keep up the customer expectations. The Grande slots in perfectly between Xylo and Innova.

The sophisticated Toyota will likely lose the race in a straight line with Grande, But Grande loses heads down in the Comfort, Handling & Transmission of Toyota. Tata Grande is a perfect blend of an SUV at MUV's cost. However it still doesn't hosts as much features when comparing with Mahindra's Xylo. If your budget is near 8 Lakhs, You require a huge vehicle and 90% Drive is outside the cities, i.e. highways, We suggest you to give Grande a thought. It makes a worth highway vehicle. However, You will have to compromise with few features.

[Zinam]

Variants and Pricing :

• LX - Rs.7.68Lakhs
• EX - Rs.8.09Lakhs
• GX - Rs.8.72Lakhs

(Prices OTR Chennai)

Color Choices :

• Arctic White
• Arctic Silver
• Quartz Black
• Mineral Red
• Walnut Gold
• Castle Grey
• Platinum Beige

Quick Tech. Summary

Engine:
2.2L DICOR (Direct Injection Common Rail) with 16 Valve DOHC, 32 Bit ECU, Aluminium Cylinder Head and Variable Geometry Turbocharger.

Transmission:
5 Speed Manual


Suspension:

• Front-

Independent, Double Wishbone with Coil Springs

• Rear-

Parabolic Leaf springs

Brakes:

Front-
Ventilated Discs
Rear-
Drums

Wheels:
235/70 R16


Dimensions:

• Length - 4421mm
• Width - 1780mm
• Height - 1940mm
• Wheel Base -2550mm
• Ground Clearance - 180mm
• Fuel Tank - 65 Litres

[Zinam]

From Where To Bring Home a Tata Sumo Grande Mark-II?

Impressed with our report and Tata Sumo Grande Mark-II? The Automotive India will help you to locate the dealers in your Area.

New Delhi
A-ONE MOTORS
KANCHANJUNGA BUILDING, GROUND FLOOR, 18, BARAKHAMBA ROAD
Pincode : 110001

Mumbai
WASAN MOTORS LTD.
3 & 4, PEARL MANSION, 91, MAHARSHI KARVE MARGE, NEAR KALA NIKETAN, MARINE LINES
Pincode : 400020

Kolkata
LEXUS MOTORS LTD.
209, A.J.C. BOSE ROAD
Pincode : 700017

Chennai
CONCORDE MOTORS (INDIA) LTD.
GLAXO, NO. 39, VELACHERY ROAD, GUINDY

Living in some other location? Contact Us and our team will help you to locate a dealer or take advice to choose a right car for yourself! Also, When enquiring from a dealer, Please mention "www.The Automotive India.com" and help us to spread the word!

Once you've bought the car, We're still here to assist you. Post your queries in our forums and many members out there will be happy to help you.


Credits:
Road Test & Photography : Adam Aniz (Zinam)
Text & Format : Vibhor Tyagi (350Z)

(C) 2009-2010, The Automotive India(www.theautomotiveindia.com), All Rights Reserved. Don't copy this article without owner/author's written permission.

[350Z]

Report Added.

This is the first detailed report of Tata Sumo Grande Mark-II on Net.
Note: Don't get confused with the date/time of posts above as they are re-arranged. Actual date the Sumo Grande MK-II Test Driven was 23rd November 2009.

Drive Safe!
350Z

[type-r]

good reort zinam
i really dont like this car whether it be mark 2 or mark 10

[Zinam]

Thanks Archit

Ha Ha !

But MKII has impressed us yesterday because, it has the toughest build among TATA stable :)

[raj_5004]

great report zinam. kudos to vibhor too.

while the grande looks much much better than the xylo (& even the innova!), i wish they had changed the flat dashboard & bumpy leaf springs on this one.

[vroom]

Great report. I agree with Rajeev. The dashboard looks flat and seems like one of those really old designs.

Just 1 question Zinam: What's the target segment for this? I hope its not the taxi owners.

Cheers,
Vroom

[cooldhaya]

Hey Zinam great report again!! The interiors looks great in beige but the dashboard looks very plain and all the buttons and knobs look outdated!! The steering wheel looks very bad and looks like it has been taken from some ACE truck of TATA!! The engine , gear knob , wheels have been taken from TATA SAFARI exactly!! And Zinam is this petrol model?? Was the petrol engine noisy??? Nobody will buy this for sure if this is petrol!!

BTW where was the TD carried out by you??

[vijay]

good report guys, surely grande has a good looks, good GC,better quality and built as well, what it lacks it outright performance and stability, along with better gearbox.Still it doesnt sell well, maybe boxy design didnt appealed to taxi segment as well.