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Originally Posted by Murugan Saw a Marine blue TATA Sumo Grande GX version at a Chennai showroom today.
Very macho looks. Is it just me or do others also see a similarity with the Mitsubishi Montero in side profile?
The front has a mean, butch look to it. The tail lights are eye-catching. The colour and the paint job were impressive. Side foot rails are standard on this top-end version; no roof rails though. No resemblance to the old Sumo definitely.
Front bucket (with armrest) and reclining middle row seats are comfortable. The 3rd row gives a little bit of 'knee to chin' feeling with poor underthigh support but will nevertheless seat 3 abreast. Ingress to the 3rd row by folding the 2nd is not too cumbersome. Unlike the Innova, with the 3rd row in sitting position there is hardly any space even for knick-knacks at the back.
4 roof mounted directional AC vents for middle and 3rd row passengers with a single speed/ throw adjuster and reading lights for all 3 rows are top notch. The faux-wood fascia merges well. Puddle lamps on all doors are a good safety feature.
6 speaker music system - 2 on the dashboard, 2 on the front and 2 on the 2nd row doors. Could not sound it out. There is even provision for a speaker on the side opening tail gate - not sure if it will seat a woofer though. The spare wheel goes away from the tail gate increasing rear visibility and reducing chance of door rattle since the weight is less. Rear wash-wipe with demister, power sockets - very thoughtful.
Could not get a test-drive as it was their closing time; might get to tomorrow. Even without the engine switched on the gear lever was very uncomfortable to shift; incomparison the Safari and Indigo (parked at the showroom) were so light. The gear lever may turn out to be a big sore point for me . |
Test drove a Marine blue TATA Sumo Grande GX version - it was marked demo vehicle and not the same in the show room.
Couple of points I missed in the interiors yesterday - there is a sunglass holder above the front glass and a double cup holder when you open the glove box which has a lock. Middle row cup holders are also useful.
The stereo sounded good. The instrument cluster is attractive. Under seat storage like in Hyundai Santro and Ford Fusion is welcome.
The 16 inch tubeless tyres add to the Grand(e) looks and safety. The external paint quality and fit and finish is stunning and belie the fact that the Grande is from the TATA stables.
Height and lumbar adjust seats are a boon. The middle row seats have a nice adjustable recline, a la Toyota Innova. The triple row AC with direction adjustment is COOL (pun intended!). I was surprised by the speed at which it cools although it is not as quite as the one in the Maruti Versa.
On to the test drive - vroooooooooom
The ignition key slot is illuminated - nice touch. The engine was not too noisy at idle or during the run. The ride was decent at speeds upto 50kms/hr which I was able to reach on good and pot holed roads - definitely not as bouncy as the Scorpio which I gave the miss after a test drive (NO, this is NOT intended to be Scorpio bashing - but for the ride and the poor AC it is an excellent vehicle). Not sure how the Grande will be at higher speeds. The turning circle is definitely smaller that of Safari, almost on the lines of a sedan. The gear shift was not as bad as it looked yesterday but the one on the Safari is definitely smoother.
In summary I am sold on the Grande and am likely to make a booking shortly.
There is no definite delivery schedule as the price list is not ready and according to another dealer one of the reasons for the delay is the lack of a GO/ RTO clearance for white board (private vehicle) registration as it seats 8. Is that likely to be true or is it just an uninformed dealers mumbo-jumbo? |