Tata Sumo Grande MKII GX

Sumo Grande MKII GX Review

Produced by India’s largest automobile company, Tata Motors, Tata Sumo Grande is a MUV (Multi Utility Vehicle) was initially launched in 1994. Sumo quickly dominated the Indian market and more than 100,000 sumo vehicles were sold within 3 years. And after a decade and half, they launched the Tata Sumo Grande MKII GX which is completely different in terms of looks and power from its predecessor. It has one of the most innovative and latest 2.2L Dicor engine which delivers lot of power and performance too. While stepping in the car, it is a different dimension. The spacious interiors, soft fabric, multiple seating options are just the beginning. Also this vehicle is prepared for any extreme eventuality and to provide protection to the loved ones.  Plus it has got numerous comfort features which provide good level of convenience.  

Exteriors

Tata Sumo Grande MKII GX comes in mainly 5 colors namely Arctic Silver, Pearl White, Arctic White, Castle Grey and Mineral Red. Plus there has been usage of graphics on the body side of the cars. The overall length, width and height of this vehicle are 4421mm X 1780mm X 1940mm respectively. And the gross vehicle weight of the car is 2625kgs. The fuel tank capacity is of 65litres. The front grill and the door rub rails of the vehicle have been stylized with chrome insert which looks very good. There are scuff plates on the front as well as back of the car. The bumpers and the door handles both are body colored but there is a hint of chrome on door handles. Also the tailgate appliqué has been given a chrome finish. Some other exterior features are wheel rim covers, fabric inserts on door pads, sump guard, black “B” & “C” pillars, and adjustable headlights with fog lamps, power adjustable outside rear view mirrors, side stepper and turn indicators on outside rear view mirrors.         

Interiors

From the inside the Tata Sumo Grande MKII GX is like a completely different experience from the outside. Despite being a big family car, every seat has been carefully designed and placed to give great space and leg room. The two interiors of Barley Beige and Ebony Black are very refreshing and satisfying. The seats are made from velvet feel full fabric which is soft and comfortable and also has back pockets too. The centre console has been made using faux wood and so is the door switch plate finish. The driver seat can be adjusted with respect to height. The dimming roofs lights and follow me home lights provide good amount of illumination. The air conditioner cum heater provides very good amount of air flow in the car. Other interior features include tachometer, cigarette lighter, cup holders, and impressive audio player with speakers and many other things too.

Engine and Performance

Tata Sumo Grande MKII GX comes with 2.2L Dicor engine which is capable of producing 2179cc as engine displacement. With the maximum power output of 118.3bhp at the rate of 4000rpm and maximum torque of 250Nm in the range between 1500 to 3000 rotations per minute, this car has been designed to dominate the roads. It has 4 cylinders and each cylinder has 4 valves . The valve configuration is of the double overhead camshaft type. One interesting feature is that despite being so big and powerful, this car is neither super charged nor turbocharged. The transmission system is a 5 speed manual gearbox system; it is also synchromesh with overdrive. And has a front wheel drive. The engine provides a good acceleration and a top speed of 140kmph . The fuel economy comes out to be 12kmpl on highways and 9kmpl in city traffic which is quite decent .       

Braking and Handling

Starting with brakes, the Tata Sumo Grande MKII GX has front brake as ventilated disc brake with twin pot caliper and the rear brake is the drum brakes which are auto adjusting. Also there is a vacuum assisted independent hydraulic system for the brakes. And for the front suspension, wishbone with coil springs which are independent have been installed and for the rear suspension, parabolic leaf springs are there. Nowadays the steering of the car is also given much emphasis, and Tata has one the same as they have made it the steering wheel totally tiltable and collapsible along with power assisted too. The 16inch tyres have been installed with the type 235/70 R16 which provide a ground clearance of 180mm and turning radius of 5.25m.     

Safety features

Tata Sumo Grande MKII GX is one kind of fortress itself. It’s just not a ride but also is a tough built. The superior class barking system, side impact bars, collapsible steering column, fog lights ensure full safety of car and the passengers also. The fire resistant seats, clear lens technology for fog lamps are both innovational and very unique in their way. Also the seats have been scotch guarded. Some other safety features are tubeless tyres, motorized adjustment of lamps, central locking, antiglare internal rear view mirror, sump guard etc. Also there are many sorts of warnings such as door open warning , low fuel warning, driver seat belt unfastened warning and door ajar. The negligence of any airbag, traction control, ABS (Anti Brake system) or any sort of braking system is disappointing also considering the fact that this is a top notch model of the Tata Sumo Grande series.   

Comfort features

The HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and AC) are very good quality in the Tata Sumo Grande MKII GX. Also the roof mounted ducts have integrated AC air flow. An Alpine CD MP3 player has been installed along with 6 speakers with iPod port too. Lumbar support for 3 positions is provided for the front seats only . Some other features include electrically adjustment of ORVM’s, keyless entry, remote fuel flap operation, cup holders, two 12V power outlet, rear wash and wiper apparatus and many other things. The electrically demister for rear glass comes handy in foggy conditions. Certain small things such as illuminated ignition slot, tachometer, internal radio antenna, side and rear footsteps, bottle holder , magazine pockets may sound not interesting but offer quite a lot of convenience.      

Pros

·Safety and comfort features.

·Good engine which gives great performance.

 Cons 

·Plastic quality looks inferior.

·Plane and dull design.