Man of the Series -Sumo Grande

Remember when Gautam Gambhir won the man of the match for the india-australia tie he was gifted an sx4,what the organisers did not realise is that it is not very practical for all your teammates to pose with your trophy in case of a car.There is just no space to accommodate 15 men.Looks like a UV manufacturer just realised the problem and they have stepped in.It also helps that it is the best opportunity to catch the attention of more than a million viewers which would bring the product into the spotlight be it for a few minutes.

Tata have announced that the winner of the Man of the series award in the India-South Africa cricket series would be awarded a Tata Sumo Grande.

However I won't be surprised if inspite of the space available the players still prefer to be on the roof again.

Update:

After all that Harbhajan Singh went through in the last two months,it is fitting that he gets the sumo.Is it a coincidence that the tag line of the sumo grande reads more than meets the eye.No more controversies lets savor the winning moment.

[image source:cricinfo.com]

Would prospective car buyers opt for an SUV instead?

Last month it was the Honda city,this time its the Mahindra Scorpio which has achieved a phenomenal rise in sales.Sales are up by 48%.

Scorpio sales, including exports, grew by 48% in February ‘08, with sales of 3,909 units as against 2,637 units for the corresponding period last year.

So did prospective C segment car owners switch to the SUV segment cannot say that yet,the important word is exports,don't know how many units were exported.The budget has not brought down prices of either the SUV segment or the C segment cars,its the Hatchbacks which have benefited the most and it would not be surprising if the B+ segment of cars actually grows at the expense of the C-segment cars[Will take up this in a later post].The Scorpio would have to contend with the Sumo Grande from this month onwards so it would be interesting to see how sales are impacted and how big the SUV segment is actually.Its with the Sumo grande that we would know if C-segment car owners[prospective] would choose an SUV instead of a sedan.

One huge disadvantage is that in India a women driving an SUV is to put it politely not something that is acceptable.So thats an area where the SUV just cannot take the place of a family car atleast in the near future.

However we have traditionally accepted the big is better concept on the roads.Besides the anti-SUV environmentalist party is an absolute minority in India if it is actually present.

Apart from the Macho image and the utility factor what should help the SUV's is that two strong players Maruti and Honda don't have a diesel offering.Increasing parking woes and the traffic mess in our cities is something which would work against the SUV's.Although theoretically the Sumo grande is expected to be much easier to drive than some of the C-segment cars even.

But even after taking into consideration all these factors I don't feel the C-segment cars would be in danger because of the SUV"S simply because they would be appealing to two different segments of people.Its only the in the advertisements we would see the SUV being a replacement for a family car.

Tata Motors to Launch the Sumo Grande on 22nd February 2008

So its finally here,the sumo grande would be available at your nearest Tata motor dealer[if you are from the lucky few cities] from the 22nd February 2008.The sumo is an important launch for Tata as it has the potential to upset sales of its rival the Mahindra Scorpio and also take the sumo to the next stage from its now essentially a people carrier image.It also does have the potential to cannibalize sales of its stablemate the TATA safari.Whats is Mahindra's response would be interesting to see considering the huge price difference between the two,well hopefully mahindra are forced to cut prices of the Scorpio.

Update :
The Sumo Grande website is up and running heres the link,
Sumo Grande

Heres the TATA motors press release:

The new Sumo Grande combines the looks of an SUV with the comforts of a family car. It has been specifically designed to satisfy the needs of city customers in the areas of driveability, maneuverability and fuel efficiency. The Sumo Grande sports an all new styling with clean chiselled looks mating with flowing contours. The tall aggressive stance 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.

Designed with a longer wheelbase of 2550 mm (existing 2400 mm), the Sumo Grande sports comfortable 3 row seating with best in class third row seats. 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 vehicle is powered by the new generation 2.2 L direct injection common rail (DICOR) engine, fitted with a variable geometry turbocharger creating a perfect blend of performance and fuel efficiency. Maximum power and torque of 120 PS and 250 Nm, coupled with high torque levels over a wide RPM band enhance driveability in stop start city traffic. For a vehicle its size, the Sumo Grande is extremely maneuverable with the turning circle radius of 5.25 m, similar to a small car.

The Sumo Grande will be available in 3 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. The Sumo Grande range is priced in the range of Rs.6.55 lakhs to Rs.7.49 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi). It comes with an enhanced warranty of 2 years or 75000 kms. (whichever is earlier). An additional 2 years’ warranty can be availed through the extended warranty option.

[Source:Tata Motors]

Mahindra can we have a more spicier Bolero please

Mahindra is trying its best at attracting the younger generation towards its cheaper Bolero UV and as far as marketing campaigns go it is making all the right noises but what Mahindra seems to have forgotten is how is somebody supposed to show a take on anything,macho image with a puny 63bhp engine vehicle.

As far as the competition is concerned its main rival the Tata Sumo has raised the bar by more than a few notches with its new avatar[Grande] and a 2.2L 120 bhp common rail engine.The Bolero now feels like it is from the age of the Dinosaurs.

Mahindra already offer the Bolero engine as an option on the Scorpio[M2DI] now its time the Bolero gets the Scorpio engine as an optional choice.The Mahindra scorpio engine has actually a large fan club even.The Bolero with a Scorpio engine could be a very potent combination

There is no doubt that Mahindra is trying to go upmarket with the Scoprio and with each passing generation the prices are heading more towards the luxury buyers segment away from the mainstream buyer.There is a vacant space as far as the sub Rs.7 lakh SUV's are concerned in India.

A decent looking powerful SUV for under 7 lakhs would have more than its share of takers in India,are we asking a bit too much from Mahindra?

Toyota to launch new variants of The Innova

Now that the competition [Mahindra scorpio and the Tata safari] have raised the bar its time the innova gets a few added luxury features.The Mahindra scorpio for instance now comes with cruise control,rain sensing wipers ,automatic headlamps,tyre pressure monitoring systems,Reverse parking assist.

Toyota may also thinking along these lines for the newer variants but expect a rise in prices too.Since the innova is not that new a facelift cannot be ruled out completely but at this point looks unlikely and toyota may just come out with only newer variants of the Innova.Toyota could do well if it also gives an engine upgrade option too since the competition has somewhat left behind the innova with regards to this[even the Tata sumo is shortly going to be launched with a 120 bhp engine].

For those waiting for the fortuner a bit of hope is that once again toyota talk of launching new products on the innova platform for India.However it may not be here that soon.What we could see in the near future apart from the changes to the innova is the All new Corolla which is hitting ASEAN markets by march so we could get it here real soon.Also work on the new small car is going ahead at full steam and a lot more details could possibly come out when Toyota President, Mr Katsuaki Watanabe comes here by the end of january.

Edit:What I have learnt is that for 2008 ,Toyota is indeed thinking of a facelift for the Fortuner and the Hilux pickup in markets like South Africa , so the possibility of an Innova facelift cannot be ruled out completely.

Tata reveal all new Sumo and the Compact Indigo at the Auto Expo

Tata have revealed an all new sumo [based on the new tata xenon , pickup truck from tata].The new vehicle is a mix of an Muv and an Suv and looks definitely to be an improvement over its predecesor.Tata says there is a big difference in ride and handling,while the sumo would be powered by a 2.2L dicor engine[specs awaited].Will post the pics of the sumo as soon as I get my hands on it but for the moment can say it has a touch of the Mitsubishi Montero to it.The wheelbase of the Sumo grande has increased to 2550mm as compared to 2400mm of the Sumo victa.The sumo would be available for sale next month onwards and is expected to be priced between Rs. 6.55 lakhs and 7.5lakhs.The new Sumo is called the Sumo Grande.

Unconfirmed yet but according to media reports,its the same 2.2L VTT dicor engine as on the safari for the sumo as well[if that's the case who needs the safari,the sumo being relatively smaller than the safari may seem more powerful and may even be fun to drive].Toyota[innova] and Chevrolet[Tavera] really need to get in better engines,the competitors have all raised the bar.

Tata also revealed a compact version of the Indigo with minor changes which have made the car eligible for the 8% excise duty rebate.This means this version called the Indigo CS would be a cheaper option for consumers who are looking at a sedan but can't afford the present Indigo.The car will have a 1.2Lpetrol engine as well as a 1.4L diesel engine option.Further details awiated.

Image from worldcarfans

Press release from Tata Motors:

Indigo CS (Compact Sedan): The world’s first sub four-metre sedan, the Tata Indigo CS is positioned as the first car for young professionals. It carries forward the cabin seating comfort and space package, that is now closely associated with the Indigo range and a capacious 400 litre boot. Clever and efficient design has made it possible to encapsulate this entire package within the four metre length, making this car a complete package to address the combined demands of space and manoeuvrability in our congested cities. The Indigo CS sports a stylish new tail light cluster in the rear embedded in a smart new rear profile completed with a new, trimmer rear bumper. The front of the car has also been visually differentiated with a new front grille and new headlamps.

The new car is available in both petrol and diesel variants. The petrol variant is equipped with a multi-point fuel injection engine powered by a 32bit microprocessor and churns out a maximum power of 65PS @ 5200 rpm. The diesel variant comes with the turbo-charged intercooled engine that generates 70PS @ 4500 rpm. The petrol variants will have beige interiors, while the diesel variants will have black interiors. The Indigo CS will be available in two trim levels – a basic AC model & an AC, power steering model. It will be made available in an exciting new Scarlet Red colour, apart from the existing range of Indigo shades. Priced attractively, the car goes on sale mid-January 2008.
*********************************************************************************

Sumo Grande: The new Sumo Grande combines the looks of an SUV with the comforts of a family car. It has been specifically designed to satisfy the needs of city customers in the areas of driveability, manoeuvrability and fuel efficiency. The Sumo Grande sports an all new styling with clean chiselled looks mating with flowing contours. The tall aggressive stance 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.

Designed with a longer wheelbase of 2550 mm (existing 2400 mm), the Sumo Grande sports comfortable 3 row seating with best in class third row seats. 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 vehicle is powered by the new generation 2.2 L direct injection common rail (DICOR) engine, fitted with a variable geometry turbocharger creating a perfect blend of performance and fuel efficiency. Maximum power and torque of 120 PS and 250 Nm, coupled with high torque levels over a wide RPM band enhance driveability in stop start city traffic. For a vehicle its size, the Sumo Grande is extremely manoeuvrable with the turning circle radius of 5.25 m, similar to a small car.

The Sumo Grande will be available in 3 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. The Sumo Grande range is priced in the range of Rs.6.55 lakhs to Rs.7.49 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi). It comes with an enhanced warranty of 2 years or 75000 kms. (whichever is earlier). An additional 2 years’ warranty can be availed through the extended warranty option. The vehicle will be available in showrooms across the country from the first week of February 2008.