Every Sumo,Tavera, Qualis or Scorpio driver we passed whistled appreciatively, waved us down, asked for the price, and walked around the car...
Every Sumo,Tavera, Qualis or Scorpio driver we passed whistled appreciatively, waved us down, asked for the price, and walked around the car a few times to check out just how much better this one is. If you have a basic MUV, if you need to cart a good number of people around - and if the Innova seems a bit too pricey - the Grande looks like the perfect next step up for you.
A good part of that is the styling.The vast slabs of metal, all glistening in metallic paint (fantastic quality, for the record) are very distinctive, very difficult to miss. It is really impressive and looks handsome in the flesh from quite a few angles especially around the front three-quarter region, with handsome, modern headlamps and a clean job of the grille and bumper.What really worked with the original Sumo was the sense of proportion, the big bonnet working well with the overall bulk.The new lower more civilised front now finds it difficult to counter balance the massive body panels that characterise the doors and rear.The greenhouse is also tapering toward the rear and seems dwarfed by all the metal around. Moreover, the strip-like taillamps at the rear seem to be no match for the massive tail gate and the curving D-pillar towers above. Still, it stands out, you have to give it that.
The interiors are a big step forward as well.The vertical dashboard could have been a bit more imaginative in design, and though the new instrument binnacle and centre console help things along, it could have been finished in better fashion.The seating is comfy enough, but the seats don’t flip-fold anywhere as easily or intuitively as in most cars now, which is something Tata could work on going forward. Also, the arm-rest for the driver could’ve been slightly bigger to allow driver’s to rest their elbows and change gears with more ease.What does blow you away is the level of
equipment that is available for the price.The top-end GX variant comes with a CD/mp3 player, puddle lamps, electric mirrors, a sunglasses-holder, heightadjust for driver’s seat and steering wheel, and foglamps.That’s a lot for a jumped-up MUV. And a lot for the Rs 7.68 lakh (exshowroom, Mumbai) price tag.
The Sumo owner looking for an upgrade is going to get a few surprises when he drives it, too. For one, the Grande leaps straight to a lower-spec version of the Safari’s 2.2 VTT, which is a very good motor for the job. It’s smooth, progressive, and with none of the turbo lag that plagued earlier Sumos.
It’s obviously slower than the Safari, with 120bhp and 250Nm against the Safari’s 140bhp and 320Nm, but the performance feels right for the class of vehicle. It does get a little boomy when you’re pushing out on the highway, but it never gets obtrusively loud. Fuel economy worked out very well too: we managed 16.5kpl on a loping highway run, which is very good.
Mr Sumo would be even more shocked by the handling, which is far better now.You can turn into corners with more ease, although body roll is still considerable. The steering is very light and easy to use in the city, which is a big help in a hulking car like this however the feel could’ve done been much better. Highway composure is startling: the extended wheelbase has given an entirely new level of stability to this car. The brakes, despite a lack of ABS, are very impressive.
What the Grande seems to be lacking is good ride quality, something Tata’s manage rather well with all their cars and was better even in the Victa.You hit a bump and the front wheels seem to buck.The rear is considerably worse as it jumps up causing massive discomfort to passengers who will feel the roof come dangerously close to their heads. At the end you have a massively improved MUV which has loads of equipment for the price and uses some of the latest generation technology by way of the common-rail motor too.The new Grande catches eyes in an instant and feels quite comfortable to be in too.Tata’s latest certainly hits all the right notes.
