The Hindu Business Line : Tata Motors pins hopes on new-look Sumo

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Mumbai Jan. 28 Tata Motors is to introduce a new-look Tata Sumo in April 2007. The new multi-utility vehicle will have a 2.2 litre CRDi (common rail direct injection) diesel engine instead of the present 2-litre. Apparently, it is the same engine used on the sports utility vehicle Tata Safari. Company officials say they have the option to choose either the 2.2-litre or 3.0-litre CRDi engine.

The launch of the new model can be a comeback for the utility vehicle brand in a market currently dominated by the likes of Chevrolet Tavera and Mahindra Bolero. According to analysts, the brand has been beaten by other competitors in design, ride and handling.

All for change

Mahindra & Mahindra introduced the Bolero with various facelifts to suit the value-for-money proposition of any prospective buyer. Moreover, entrants like the Tavera have brought in fresh features, built quality and after-sales service-warranty packages unheard of till now in the utility vehicle segment.

Toyota Qualis, which has been discontinued, played a major role in creating benchmarks for durability and longevity of the engine, low maintenance cost and quality in the utility vehicle segment.

Though Tata Motors introduced several face-lifts, the Sumo brand was not able to capture a sizeable chunk of the market. To their credit, the Sumo Spacio, a base variant, was the only model that dominated in its market — the semi-urban and rural areas.

The launch of the new model is expected to be technically and feature-wise on par with the competitors, said experts. The deciding factor would be the pricing of the vehicle though the Sumo range has always been priced competitively. Experts believe the common powertrain platform (2.2-litre CRDi engine) between the Sumo and Safari should keep the price down.

Cumulative sales of Sumo and Safari were 31,350 units in 2006, a growth of 26 per cent over last year.

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