[aviddenis]

Hi All,

It has been 3 days since I got my DC (Storme). However, I have had a chance to drive her only last evening for some 50 odd Kms (Manesar to Gurgaon for Vehicle Puja and back). My very initial impressions may seem odd to some of you, but you have to consider that I have been owning small hatchbacks and sedans for 20 years and esteem has been my vehicle for past 7 years. I have occassionally driven SUV/MUV but those have been a few occassions:

Things That I like:

1. It is super quite. After a long time I could converse in soft voices while driving. I seldom honk while driving and last night I had to honk at a trailer. I could not hear it well sitting inside. Conditioned to believe that it was one of the niggles, I nevertheless rolled down my window to get the attention of the driver ahead blocking the service lane. The moment the window rolled down all the cacophany around hit me! To be sure that there was no niggle, honked again to reassure myself that the car has good cabin insulation and not a weak sounding horn.

2. Commanding View: This was one of the reason I had preferred it over other options. But I can not stop marvelling at the unhindered view of the traffic all around. The ORVMs are just great. Driving in the middle lane of expressway, I could see the complete road and even the service lane through the ORVMs.

3. Driving Comfort: There is no comparison to any other driving seat that I have sat on. The armrest did initially come in the way of gear change but that was more due to the default seat configuration. Some quick adjustment saw that problem dissappear. I still have to configure the seat perfectly to my liking but still it feels good to sit in royal comfort.

4. Music System: Awesome! You actually don't feel the need for an active sub woofer for most range of music. The Bass is really good and the the speakers are distortion less.

5. Ride Quality: I stay in the emerging sectors of Gurgaon where the sector roads are full of sand, gravel and potholes. It really feels like riding a divine chariot floating over all this with minimum of discomfort.

6. Clutch and Brake: Clutch is lighter than my sedan and the brakes much more reassuring. Had to brake suddenly while going at 80, and the reponse was very prompt and reassuring.

What I am struggling with:

1. Getting In and Getting Out - The later being more troublesome. The pavlovian response is to open the door, the right foot comes out and meets the ground, you get up and out. Not anymore. The moment the right feet comes out, you realize that the ground is some distance below and then you need to place the foot on the side step and jump down.

2. Sense of Speed: I am an instinctive driver and depend a lot on my feel and instincts for the driving outputs. I am used to low seat in esteem and the ground whizzing below. The speed sense is instinctive and my estimation does not vary much from the instrument. Not so in DC - It is doing 80/90 or even 100 on the highway and there is no noise, vibration and even the rush of the ground below or the kerbs on the side. I get a feeling that it is lazily moving till I see the instrument and realize. Hopefully, I will soon get the feel once I drive it for a couple of 100 KMs over this weekend.

3. The Gear change: This is related to point 2 above. The beast is too heavy in first gear so I move into second gear quite almost immediately - much more quickly then I would in my sedan. Is this normal? Also I change into 3rd, 4th and 5th much more early that I would in my sedan. The gear changes are smooth - No issues. But it is a different experience as I move into the 5th gear much early and at a lesser speed that my petrol esteem. Again is this normal? Would benefit from your response.

4. Instrument Cluster: Much different placement than I am used to. Guess, will be sorted out over the weekend.

5. Reversing: I definitely need the rear view camera. The reversing kit works but it is not able to see things like drain and last night I would have ruined my DC while reversing the car at an eateries parking. I could not see the drain at the end of the parking place. Luckily I saw the frantic arm waving of the security guard and braked in time.

These are the observations from my 1st 50 KMs of driving. Thought I would share and benefit from your responses if I need to correct something or do it in a different manner.

[hyper-VTEC]

Originally Posted by aviddenis

These are the observations from my 1st 50 KMs of driving. Thought I would share and benefit from your responses if I need to correct something or do it in a different manner.

I graduated from a petrol hatch to the beast. And i too faced the same things which you mentioned: problems getting in and out, sensing the correct speed and upshifting earlier than my petrol Swift. Believe me you'll get over these pretty soon. After 7 months and 8500 kms i am almost at home with the beast and feels like I am driving it from past 5 years. Enjoy the beast and rule the road.

[aviddenis]

Originally Posted by hyper-VTEC

I graduated from a petrol hatch to the beast. And i too faced the same things which you mentioned: problems getting in and out, sensing the correct speed and upshifting earlier than my petrol Swift. Believe me you'll get over these pretty soon. After 7 months and 8500 kms i am almost at home with the beast and feels like I am driving it from past 5 years. Enjoy the beast and rule the road.

Thanks! It is very reassuring to hear from someone who has gone through the same experience.

[rajneeesh]

Aviddenis,
Does TML offer a rear view camera as an company approved accessory, and if so how much does it cost. What all accessories would you be going in for? looking forward to your updates.

Petrol engines have a wider powerband so you need to shift gears a lot less and upshift at a higher rpm. In diesel engines you have to shift earlier to stay in the powerband.

By the way, I will also be picking up an Urban Bronze Storme instead of Arctic silver as planned earlier. Concorde has promised faster delivery. I have a query for you. Is the dust very visible on the Urban Bronze colour? I had chosen the Arctic Silver earlier as it is easier to maintain ( the car does not look dust covered) compared to the Black coloured SX4 I drive.

[BipB]

Originally Posted by rajneeesh

Aviddenis,
Does TML offer a rear view camera as an company approved accessory, and if so how much does it cost. What all accessories would you be going in for? looking forward to your updates.

Petrol engines have a wider powerband so you need to shift gears a lot less and upshift at a higher rpm. In diesel engines you have to shift earlier to stay in the powerband.

By the way, I will also be picking up an Urban Bronze Storme instead of Arctic silver as planned earlier. Concorde has promised faster delivery. I have a query for you. Is the dust very visible on the Urban Bronze colour? I had chosen the Arctic Silver earlier as it is easier to maintain ( the car does not look dust covered) compared to the Black coloured SX4 I drive.

Rajneesh, TML approved-promoted one is costing around 20k at dealerships. Screen is inside the rear view mirror and is of good quality. Comes with anti glare feature as well. It is the same one which they used to sell with dicor vx versions. OEM is tropicool india, if bought directly from their website, it was around 14k last year.

[rajneeesh]

Guys I was in South Ex with my wife yesterday so I dropped in at Concorde Motors. As per the service advisor, the LX version of the refreshed Storme which was to have 15 inch wheels,is now coming with 16 Inch wheels.

[Familyguy]

Originally Posted by aviddenis

Hi All,

It has been 3 days since I got my DC (Storme). However, I have had a chance to drive her only last evening for some 50 odd Kms (Manesar to Gurgaon for Vehicle Puja and back). My very initial impressions may seem odd to some of you, but you have to consider that I have been owning small hatchbacks and sedans for 20 years and esteem has been my vehicle for past 7 years. I have occassionally driven SUV/MUV but those have been a few occassions:

Hey Aviddenis, I agree 100% with all your observations! especially the gear change bit. I have to shift to 2nd immediately after 1st. I normally upshift the moment engine reaches 2000 RPM.

One month and 3000 KMs later, I've adjusted to all the differences I experienced initially. I'm sending him for the first checkup tomorrow. No real issues apart from a couple of little annoying sounds in the otherwise super silent cabin.

Has anyone seen the new DRL's which is an official Storme accessory? I am getting them tomorrow. Look really nice, will share the pics once I get them.

[aviddenis]

Originally Posted by rajneeesh

Aviddenis,
Does TML offer a rear view camera as an company approved accessory, and if so how much does it cost. What all accessories would you be going in for? looking forward to your updates.

Hi Rajneesh, The Tata official accessory was quoted for 5.5 K and included 4.3 inch screen to be pasted on dashboard. I have checked outside and a wide range is available from 2.5 K to 9 K. I am going to the accessory shop and will let you know the details

Originally Posted by rajneeesh

Aviddenis,Petrol engines have a wider powerband so you need to shift gears a lot less and upshift at a higher rpm. In diesel engines you have to shift earlier to stay in the powerband.

By the way, I will also be picking up an Urban Bronze Storme instead of Arctic silver as planned earlier. Concorde has promised faster delivery. I have a query for you. Is the dust very visible on the Urban Bronze colour? I had chosen the Arctic Silver earlier as it is easier to maintain ( the car does not look dust covered) compared to the Black coloured SX4 I drive.

Cool! The Urban Bronze is a stunner. However, the dust will definitely be visible more. Around my housing complex there are lot of buildings coming up and dust is always in the air. Within an hour or so, there is dust visible. It is less visible on White / Silver but Stoeme looks good if slightly dusty

Originally Posted by BipB

Rajneesh, TML approved-promoted one is costing around 20k at dealerships. Screen is inside the rear view mirror and is of good quality. Comes with anti glare feature as well. It is the same one which they used to sell with dicor vx versions. OEM is tropicool india, if bought directly from their website, it was around 14k last year.

That may be the IRVM mounted one. That is not easily available, neither being actively pushed - probably because of the higher cost.

Originally Posted by Familyguy

Hey Aviddenis, I agree 100% with all your observations! especially the gear change bit. I have to shift to 2nd immediately after 1st. I normally upshift the moment engine reaches 2000 RPM.

One month and 3000 KMs later, I've adjusted to all the differences I experienced initially. I'm sending him for the first checkup tomorrow. No real issues apart from a couple of little annoying sounds in the otherwise super silent cabin.

Has anyone seen the new DRL's which is an official Storme accessory? I am getting them tomorrow. Look really nice, will share the pics once I get them.

Thanks Boss. Observations like these help reassure me that I am not doing/experiencing something stupid.

I had seen the official accessory DRL. They will cut the bumper and put the DRL there.It is not the pasting job. The cost was out of my budget at 12385/

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by GrammarNazi

(Late) Karl Slym used a Range Rover (Blue IIRC), yet his driver mentioned he often used an ARIA too since "both the cars are comparably good, and Mr.Slym being a hands-on person, sought to understand how the cars felt"...

I remember an interview of his with Hormazd where he actually drove the Storme. Thought that was his drive. May be, he kept 'feeling' all the vehicles.

[param22k]

Went for short test drive of Storme 2015. The official review is exhaustive and excellently put together, and can't think of much that I can supplement it with. Still putting down my feelings. Note that my observations are from the perspective of a Dicor owner.

Got into the cabin and my first feeling was that the fit and finish is much better now, comparable to Ford and only a few notches below Honda. The lack of ACC, 2-Din ICE and MID are major irritants and it got to a level of divine questioning "why TML, why!" when I saw these features in the Bolt and Zest. The seating is comfortable though I still find the Dicor seats better. Doors are much lighter and closure is more premium. The Dicor doors need a muscle man especially if you have to close them against gravity. The soft finish on inside door handles make a comfortable resting place for the arm and that's an appreciable touch. I didn't notice any cheap plastics. Overall the interiors are nice and tidy.

When I lifted the front hood and had my first look at the engine compartment, all I could say was "wow". The images don't do it justice. It is very neatly laid out with good accessibility and plenty of room. A mechanic's delight! Good work here TML.

During the test drive, the first thing I noticed was the steering wheel which doesn't feel like Safari anymore. I missed the feeling of moving Dicor's big steering wheel like a truck. The engine drives smoother than Dicor with lesser lag, but the difference is not very significant. The biggest change I felt was in the suspension and body roll. It is much stiffer which doesn't give the same buttery ride as Dicor, but on the upside body roll is significantly reduced. This makes a sea difference in cornering. TML has tried to make the Storme more car like to drive. Though from a personal perspective I didn't like that, it is appreciable as TML is trying to increase its target market with these changes. They've done a good job in that sense.

Overall, I would recommend the new Storme to anyone considering an SUV below 15L with a rider that TASS service is still far below national standards (can't be compared at all to international standards). I've learnt to live with this over the years and now in fact enjoy it with a tad of humour cus I don't depend on them anymore!

Will I be looking to upgrade to Storme? No, it doesn't offer enough improvement for me over the Dicor. So this means more time and money going into the Dicor. The joy it gives me is worth every rupee and minute though.


The engine compartment looks even better in person.


The battery terminal has a nice cover. Very upmarket.


Under the cover you find the fuse array. Nice touch.


Funny finding stickers mentioning Safari Merline even after 3 years of launch. My perfectionist self is disappointed.


I like the soft finish on the door arm rest.

[narayan]

Originally Posted by param22k

Overall, I would recommend the new Storme to anyone considering an SUV below 15L with a rider that TASS service is still far below national standards (can't be compared at all to international standards). I've learnt to live with this over the years and now in fact enjoy it with a tad of humour cus I don't depend on them anymore!

TASS is not as bad as its made out to be. Atleast in Chennai I have a good experience with Tafe. I agree they dont have fancy customer lounges or sweet talking SAs but largely they get the job done. Also lot of product issues in the past end up affecting the service experience and that may not be per se the TASS issue. With the Storme being a largely trouble free product, the TASS experience is bound to be good.

On your pt reg upgrade from Dicor to Storme - I tend to agree. The Storme probably does not provide enough justification and that is TML's biggest failure - not being able to provide a natural upgrade to existing customers ( who are relatively easy to retain than go out there and get new ones ).

Mahindra has excelled here by providing the XUV as a natural upgrade from the Scorpio and I just saw this ownership review where someone who owned the earlier XUV has now gone for the refreshed model. This is what any manufacturer should aspire to achieve.

[rajneeesh]

The wait is finally coming to an end. Rustom, that's the name we have decided for the newest member of our family, arrived at the dealership yesterday. If the registration formalities get completed by noon tomorrow, I will get the delivery by evening. However, I have not informed my kids yet as their expectations will soar, and in case we don't get the delivery they will be disappointed. Fingers crossed.

[apachelongbow]

Originally Posted by narayan

On your pt reg upgrade from Dicor to Storme - I tend to agree. The Storme probably does not provide enough justification and that is TML's biggest failure - not being able to provide a natural upgrade to existing customers ( who are relatively easy to retain than go out there and get new ones ).

Mahindra has excelled here by providing the XUV as a natural upgrade from the Scorpio and I just saw this ownership review where someone who owned the earlier XUV has now gone for the refreshed model. This is what any manufacturer should aspire to achieve.

I would disagree with you here. The Storme is a logical upgrade over the Dicor. One needs to keep the basic body shell commonality out of mind for understanding. The engine, suspension, internals, interiors, ride quality are all different. The bodyshell to carries the doors and sides as common.
I too felt the Storme is not a upgrade over my Dicor when I upgraded. It's only when I lived with the Storme for about 10 days, that I could really appreciate as to what a world of difference the Storme meant. Honestly the Dicor felt like a cheap compromise.

Regarding the XUV it is not a upgrade at all, it's like the Aria, more of a softroader MPV, clothed with a SUV ish shape.

[aviddenis]

Originally Posted by rajneeesh

The wait is finally coming to an end. Rustom, that's the name we have decided for the newest member of our family, arrived at the dealership yesterday. If the registration formalities get completed by noon tomorrow, I will get the delivery by evening. However, I have not informed my kids yet as their expectations will soar, and in case we don't get the delivery they will be disappointed. Fingers crossed.

Congratulations Rajneeesh! Is it your original colour choice or Rustom comes draped in Urban Bronze like my DC. What Accessories are you going in from the dealer. My experience has been equal or better choices in the aftermarket at lower cost. Expect to see some pics.

[rajneeesh]

Thanks Aviddenis, I will be picking up an Urban Bronze Storme. I have not decided on the acessories but am interested in leather/ art leather upholstery . Could you post the photos of your seats. What all acessories have you gone in for?