Why was the Sumo Grande not a hit?

jessie007 · 19th June 2009, 16:38

I believe the Tata’s lost the plot in positioning the vehicle. The Sumo was a VFM vehicle for large families and cabbies alike. My father bought one some 13 years ago for around 3.5 lakhs or so and if I remember correctly, at that time Maruti Zen was also launched at the same price point.

The Sumo brand name that Tata created over the years came to be associated with:
1) Relatively inexpensive to buy
2) Cheap on the maintenance front
3) Affordable to run
4) A full ten seater people carrier

Now they launch Sumo Grande which should have replaced the original Sumo by raising the overall level of the vehicle segment, just like Toyota did when it replaced the Qualis with the Innova. But where they lost the plot is in the pricing. They need to understand that the brand name Toyota commands a premium and Innova is selling as well as the Quails even with a substantial price increase. But brand name Tata stands for Value for Money and so they couldn’t price the vehicle so high. The decade old Sumo platform should have been discontinued after the launch of the Grande and not kept alive with in the form of the Victa. (Or even better – the Grande should have been launched as an altogether different vehicle without the Sumo brand name. Victa competing with the Bolero and the Grande with the recently launched Xylo). By focusing on volumes they could have brought down the price of the Grande over a certain period and at the same time raised the stakes in the segment and made Xylo a non-starter.

So eventually my father after waiting so long for the Sumo Grande was aghast at the price point and totally gave up the idea of replacing his Sumo with the Grande.

ramzsys · 19th June 2009, 16:42

Pricing. The UV's appearance and performance was not much different from the predecessor. But was priced on the higher side.

raj_5004 · 19th June 2009, 19:40

i think the reason was the pricing of the vehicle. secondly, the competition.

i mean, the grandle looks cool, but everybody knew that beneath the skin, its the same old sumo. similar naming re-confirmed this fact! apart from the 2.2 Dicor engine, there is nothing worth talking about in the grande.

also, when i can buy a safari/scorpio for a few thousands more, why should i buy a 'SUMO'?

safari_lover · 11th August 2009, 11:06

According to today's Business Standard, Tata will launch an modified version of the Grande in a month or so. Anybody has more details?

nurni76 · 11th August 2009, 11:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by hillram

I will tell you why Sumo Grande is not a hit in 2 cents:
1. Wrong naming convention : Like Grande Punto...it should have been named Grande Sumo.
2.Sheer Weight:Sumo ads dont show any acrobats or ballets...these days Sumo wrestlers are flying and doing pirouette in ads..(courtesy Parle Sugar free Bon Bons)

Nice one. But Grande Punto isn't doing too well either (though early stages).

007 Bond · 11th August 2009, 11:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by safari_lover

According to today's Business Standard, Tata will launch an modified version of the Grande in a month or so. Anybody has more details?

yups an updated interior grade is coming next month mid or by October first week before the festival season, No more details i had this info from a Top end TML production man.

NIP · 11th August 2009, 13:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by 007 Bond

yups an updated interior grade is coming next month mid or by October first week before the festival season, No more details i had this info from a Top end TML production man.

Like buying grandma a new saree !?

Only two things contributed to its fall. Looks and Name. Period.

shankar.balan · 11th August 2009, 13:59

The Sumo was always positioned to play in the mass people mover segment - and its initial outstanding value, powerful turbo engine, relatively easy maintenance, toughness, inexpensive running costs etc, contributed hugely to its immense popularity in the taxi and people mover segments.

Suddenly for Tata to tart it up a bit and try to re-position it so as to appeal to "lifestyle suv" buyers, was according to me, a completely incorrect strategy.

I surmise this was no doubt led by the reported "findings" of some market research agency who must have clearly gone laughing all the way to the bank, having been paid by Tata to do such research!

The Sumo despite being a pretty competent vehicle simply didn't make the "cut" amongst the Lifestyle SUV / Image seeking consumers.

Notwithstanding its international design tag and rather Grandiose nomenclature of Grande, it clearly appeared to suffer from "delusions of grandeur" - in that the fit and finish inside and the rear seat comfort were simply not upto the mark for the target consumer segment in the "lifestyle SUV" category..

Additionally, there is always the question of its fuddy duddy image and its ponderous proportions which would certainly make it quite irksome to drive in the city.

poor vehicle - this is clearly a "crime de la position" perpetrated by Tata Motors Marketing Dept - positioned for a completely nose-diving disaster in the marketplace!

arin_12 · 11th August 2009, 16:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by NIP

Like buying grandma a new saree !?

Only two things contributed to its fall. Looks and Name. Period.

That's a Good one. I think they should also change some more part and design to position in SUV type. Only the interior will not work. Why not they change the name too.

athalaga · 11th August 2009, 16:18

I think the name itself was a serious no-no many didnt even go into the specs because of that

arunpn · 11th August 2009, 16:50

Sumo Grande looks really nice but like other Tata vehicles, its interiors are its weakest link. See picture below this. It has got lots of features, but its plastic dasboard vendors are its weakest link

greenhorn · 11th August 2009, 17:06

what exactly have you highlighted ?

agbenny · 11th August 2009, 17:28

The Exterior is no way lesser than Xylo, But why Tata failed to provide the same importance to its interiors? In fact NO Tata vehicle has the build quality, especially in the interiors.
I want to see how the Sedan from Tata Prima will be - It should be another joke with poor plastics under the name "Premium".

4x4addict · 11th August 2009, 19:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by NIP

Like buying grandma a new saree !?

Only two things contributed to its fall. Looks and Name. Period.

Quote:

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Additionally, there is always the question of its fuddy duddy image and its ponderous proportions which would certainly make it quite irksome to drive in the city.

To me looks and maybe the Sumo name to some extent is responsible. I doubt sprucing up the interiors will do any good. One has to get past the ugly exterior before even considering the interior. The vehicle looks like it suffers from child hood obesity.

fx45 · 11th August 2009, 21:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by arunpn

Sumo Grande looks really nice but like other Tata vehicles, its interiors are its weakest link. See picture below this. It has got lots of features, but its plastic dasboard vendors are its weakest link

those wheelcaps are so ugly :( even chinese automakers offer better stuff.

19th June 2009, 16:38	#46
jessie007 BHPian Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: New Delhi Posts: 792 Thanked: 1,561 Times View My Garage	I believe the Tata’s lost the plot in positioning the vehicle. The Sumo was a VFM vehicle for large families and cabbies alike. My father bought one some 13 years ago for around 3.5 lakhs or so and if I remember correctly, at that time Maruti Zen was also launched at the same price point. The Sumo brand name that Tata created over the years came to be associated with: 1) Relatively inexpensive to buy 2) Cheap on the maintenance front 3) Affordable to run 4) A full ten seater people carrier Now they launch Sumo Grande which should have replaced the original Sumo by raising the overall level of the vehicle segment, just like Toyota did when it replaced the Qualis with the Innova. But where they lost the plot is in the pricing. They need to understand that the brand name Toyota commands a premium and Innova is selling as well as the Quails even with a substantial price increase. But brand name Tata stands for Value for Money and so they couldn’t price the vehicle so high. The decade old Sumo platform should have been discontinued after the launch of the Grande and not kept alive with in the form of the Victa. (Or even better – the Grande should have been launched as an altogether different vehicle without the Sumo brand name. Victa competing with the Bolero and the Grande with the recently launched Xylo). By focusing on volumes they could have brought down the price of the Grande over a certain period and at the same time raised the stakes in the segment and made Xylo a non-starter. So eventually my father after waiting so long for the Sumo Grande was aghast at the price point and totally gave up the idea of replacing his Sumo with the Grande.
	() Thanks

19th June 2009, 16:42	#47
ramzsys Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: NH209 Posts: 1,775 Thanked: 1,462 Times	Pricing. The UV's appearance and performance was not much different from the predecessor. But was priced on the higher side.
	() Thanks

19th June 2009, 19:40	#48
raj_5004 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Dubai/Mumbai Posts: 5,238 Thanked: 3,139 Times	i think the reason was the pricing of the vehicle. secondly, the competition. i mean, the grandle looks cool, but everybody knew that beneath the skin, its the same old sumo. similar naming re-confirmed this fact! apart from the 2.2 Dicor engine, there is nothing worth talking about in the grande. also, when i can buy a safari/scorpio for a few thousands more, why should i buy a 'SUMO'?
	() Thanks

11th August 2009, 11:06	#49
safari_lover Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Bengaluru / Bagdal Posts: 1,135 Thanked: 685 Times	According to today's Business Standard, Tata will launch an modified version of the Grande in a month or so. Anybody has more details?
	() Thanks

11th August 2009, 13:59	#53
shankar.balan BANNED Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 11,368 Thanked: 23,158 Times View My Garage Infractions: 0/2 (8)	The Sumo was always positioned to play in the mass people mover segment - and its initial outstanding value, powerful turbo engine, relatively easy maintenance, toughness, inexpensive running costs etc, contributed hugely to its immense popularity in the taxi and people mover segments. Suddenly for Tata to tart it up a bit and try to re-position it so as to appeal to "lifestyle suv" buyers, was according to me, a completely incorrect strategy. I surmise this was no doubt led by the reported "findings" of some market research agency who must have clearly gone laughing all the way to the bank, having been paid by Tata to do such research! The Sumo despite being a pretty competent vehicle simply didn't make the "cut" amongst the Lifestyle SUV / Image seeking consumers. Notwithstanding its international design tag and rather Grandiose nomenclature of Grande, it clearly appeared to suffer from "delusions of grandeur" - in that the fit and finish inside and the rear seat comfort were simply not upto the mark for the target consumer segment in the "lifestyle SUV" category.. Additionally, there is always the question of its fuddy duddy image and its ponderous proportions which would certainly make it quite irksome to drive in the city. poor vehicle - this is clearly a "crime de la position" perpetrated by Tata Motors Marketing Dept - positioned for a completely nose-diving disaster in the marketplace! Last edited by shankar.balan : 11th August 2009 at 14:00.
	() Thanks

11th August 2009, 16:18	#55
athalaga BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 129 Thanked: 48 Times	I think the name itself was a serious no-no many didnt even go into the specs because of that
	() Thanks

11th August 2009, 16:50	#56
arunpn BHPian Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Nagercoil Posts: 65 Thanked: Once	Sumo Grande looks really nice but like other Tata vehicles, its interiors are its weakest link. See picture below this. It has got lots of features, but its plastic dasboard vendors are its weakest link
	() Thanks

11th August 2009, 17:06	#57
greenhorn Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: KL-01 Posts: 7,745 Thanked: 4,402 Times View My Garage	what exactly have you highlighted ?
	() Thanks

11th August 2009, 17:28	#58
agbenny Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: TN38 Posts: 1,069 Thanked: 276 Times	The Exterior is no way lesser than Xylo, But why Tata failed to provide the same importance to its interiors? In fact NO Tata vehicle has the build quality, especially in the interiors. I want to see how the Sedan from Tata Prima will be - It should be another joke with poor plastics under the name "Premium".
	() Thanks