Tata Sumo Grande GX
Maxabout Review
More Than Meets The Eye
Thursday, February 14, 2008The new Sumo Grande combines the looks of an SUV with the comforts of a family car.It has been pecifically designed to satisfy the needs of city customers in the areas of driveability, manoeuvrability and fuel efficiency. In its 13 year long journey Sumo faced many rivals but Tata has kept the vehicle alive with constant upgradation. But in recent years, image of the brand changed a lot. The Sumo Grande sports an all new styling with clean chiselled looks mating with flowing contours.
The tall aggressive stance of the sumo grande is complimented by large clear headlamps, and a cutaway air dam in the front. The clean rear look, with the spare wheel tucked under the body, is accentuated by attractive tail lights and a chrome overlay. Tata has borrowed few design cues from the new Xenon for the new sumo grande. The high bonnet, strong crease and grille gives a V shaped front. The V theme is carried on to the lower part of the bumper. The end result is the sumo grande retains the same masculine feel though in a different form. The real attraction is the side profile of the vehicle.
The tapered roofline, dynamic fenders and glass windows are sure attract every by passers. The waterfall fenders merges with the bumpers smoothly. Rear gets a new trendy tail lamp cluster but it looks bland without any distinct bumper. The Tata Sumo Grande is built with a longer wheelbase than is usual for Tata, namely 2550 mm in comparison to the current 2400mm. The SUV features three rows of seats and is powered by the new generation 2.2 liter direct injection common rail (DICOR) engine, fitted with a variable geometry turbocharger. The new Sumo Grande combines the looks of an SUV with the comforts of a family car. Chassis and suspenison system are carried over from sumo victa.
But this time it has to do more work due to the increased wheelbase and weight. Tata has worked on with the steering to make maneuvering easy in the city. Ride quality is good at lower speeds. Beige interiors are complimented by fire and stain resistant fabric upholstery. Dual HVAC with roof integrated louvers ensures personalised climate adjustment for the occupants in each row. Power steering, power windows, motorised ORVMs, height adjustable driver's seat and a state of the art CD/MP3 music system further add to the comforts and convenience of a family traveling in the Sumo Grande.
The Sumo Grande is available in 2 variants: Lx, Ex and Gx. All of which have two seating configurations : 6+1 and 7+1. The vehicle will be available in 7 colours, including 4 new shades, Sunset Orange, Zephyr Green, Mineral Red and Marine Blue.