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Old 10th March 2008, 21:48   #16
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Originally Posted by v1p3r View Post
Here's some random shots of the old and the new.
It seems that someone has forgotten to remove the camouflaging before applying the paint on the new car.

The rear is a joke.

Wish they continue selling the Victa.
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Old 11th March 2008, 07:31   #17
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Saw it yesterday - no TD though since they were pretty much closing.
Looks - feels like they were going through multiple iterations and somewhere along the way - just gave up. A nip and tuck more would've gotten a very decent looking gaadi out of more or less the same skin. Esp the last window - that practically belongs to another vehicle. I would not call it horrible - the car has a tall butch stance and only the rear looks unfinished. Its definitely ok to live with. I'd rank them thus on looks - Safari, Scorpio, (big gap here), Grande, Bolero, Sumo, Innova. Of course this is all subjective.

Interiors: Looks wayy better than the "cheap" people carrier it actually is (do not compare with similarly priced sedans). Yes the quality of materials isn't that great and that beige would be better off in grey - cheaper grey probably holds up better than cheap beige stuff. But lotsa goodies and if you ignore material quality, not much inside seems "stuck-on".

The space behind the last row is - well - non-existent. A lot of folks are either going to have badly scruffed last seats or keep it permanently folded, if there's even a teeny amount of luggage to be carried around.

Overall VFM seems very good. Now for a TD.

[ BTW, also saw the CS standing next to it. Unbelievable package! Even the interiors seem way better then what I've seen in older Indicas. ]
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Old 11th March 2008, 08:28   #18
 
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Originally Posted by Sankar View Post
Anyone know if the Turbo in the Grande and the 2.2 Safari is the same or different?
The engine and the turbo are the same but detuned in the grande for better fuel efficiency.
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Old 11th March 2008, 08:48   #19
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zenx : The space behind the last row is - well - non-existent. A lot of folks are either going to have badly scruffed last seats or keep it permanently folded...
It's supposed to be the last row in the house ! Hope you are not expecting one more row behind the last row !!

That's the design of these vehicles. You get yourself a bench for the last row if you move people more than material, or, you can go for jump-seats if you have more material than people at the back. If you're confused, do check out the options on a Scorp, Victa, Innova etc.
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Old 11th March 2008, 09:00   #20
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@condor - true. Tho I remember the Qualis we travelled to Trivandrum in had *some* usable space - for a thin suitcase and a bag or two - behind the last row.
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Old 11th March 2008, 09:02   #21
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Originally Posted by amitg79 View Post
That has to be one of the ugliest rear ends on an automobile ever!
on the contrary i quite like it. its a nice change from the normal vertical tail lamps on most big cars these days. dont ask why, but these tail lamps remind me of the ones on the bmw x5. i guess the shape is similar. also if you see the add in todays ht the rear looks quite nice.
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Old 12th March 2008, 20:56   #22
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Took a closer look today - they had only the GX on Sarjapura Road. The plastics aren't that bad, really. Not great, for sure, but perhaps all the other reviews had lowered my expectations a bit much Overall, quality of materials is ok, fit and finish is iffy.

Space behind the last seat - you CAN fit a couple of laptop bags or a briefcase etc behind the last row. The door does swing out (and they could've put the wheel up on it but it might've reminded them of the Safari's issues with the same).

Price : 8.87 OTR for the GX - wayyyy high for anything thats called "VFM". True its a great engine etc, and its probably the road taxes (90k) and insurance (30k+) which sour it in Bangalore, but finally thats what goes out of my bank, right ?

The Indigo CS standing next to it - diesel - is 5.02 OTR! I just cannot keep wondering about that even though it wasn't the car I went in to look at.
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Old 13th March 2008, 10:12   #23
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I saw an orange one on the road yesterday. It looks good, much better than the old Sumo. At first glance, the assembly work looks neat, it doesnt look like too many parts joined together.
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Old 13th March 2008, 10:53   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zenx View Post
The Indigo CS standing next to it - diesel - is 5.02 OTR! I just cannot keep wondering about that even though it wasn't the car I went in to look at.
If that's what interests you, just wait a little more for the DiCOR version that's reportedly on the way.
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Old 13th March 2008, 12:28   #25
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[quote=zenx;756096]Took a closer look today - they had only the GX on Sarjapura Road. The plastics aren't that bad, really. quote]

Had a quick look at the Sumo Grande at concorde motors, Dairy Circle yesterday, and I would tend to agree, that the Plastics are much better than on the Safari 2.2. the fit/finish of the interiors also is quite good.

But for the butch front end, and the 'very' thick pillars, the design is good.

I would have liked a more raked 'A' pillar, and thinner pillars / wrap over doors that would have made the vehicle look better. If they can do it on the Safari ( wrap up doors ) they could have done it on the Sumo as well.

With volumes, i am sure the design and engg cost would still be manageable.

Off Topic: The Fiat MultiJet looks to be selling like hot cakes, looking at the number of deliveries happening at Concorde
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Old 13th March 2008, 13:14   #26
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Originally Posted by hellspawn View Post
The engine and the turbo are the same but detuned in the grande for better fuel efficiency.
How do you say that?
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Old 13th March 2008, 13:20   #27
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For the price and design and seating and the engine.

You cant ask for more.

This is the best MUV in this category.

I dont see a second to this in scene.
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Old 17th March 2008, 14:38   #28
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Happened to give my DiCOR EX 4x4 3.0 for the 30,000 km service at Concorde Chennai on the ECR and was offered a short test drive on the Sumo Grande that is accompanying the Ferraris and the FIATs. This was on Friday night.

Getting in: the high floor sill (is that the name?) is a pain.
Once inside: the steering wheel is bigger than the Safari's. This means one has to reach out for the control stalks on either side unlike the Safari where the stalks fall to hand easily.
Crank: My Safari feels so unrefined in comparison! Refinement levels were very high.
Gearshifts were not great.
Initial pick-up: Fantastic. The 3.0 feels lazy in comparison.
Ride: This is where the Safari scores without a doubt.
Handling: Didn't try any stunts. The feel of the steering is still vague. Need to make constant corrections while driving.

Need to take a longer test drive. A lot has been said about the rear. I think adding a spoiler and the rear footstep / extended rear bumper will break the monotony of that flat rear.
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Old 17th March 2008, 16:07   #29
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this is an interesting car! any idea if tata plans on offering a 4WD option? if so when?
 
Old 17th March 2008, 17:19   #30
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Quote:
Originally Posted by headers View Post
How do you say that?

This is as per all the press coverage the sumo grande is getting and also the tech specs i guess
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