Tata Sumo Grande MKII launch today

Tata Motors will launch the the Sumo Grande MKII in India today. Much information about the MKII is already available; we do not know if bookings would open immediately or Tata would wait for the Auto Expo 2010 to be over before it starts actively marketing the Grande MKII.

Most of the improvements in the Sumo Grande MKII would be under the skin – the overall shape is unchanged. Suspension is improved resulting in better handling and driveability. Noise levels and vibrations are much lesser. The leaf springs at the rear stay, but they work better now. There is no ABS in the Grande MKII yet. Steering wheel is different now, interior colours are better and there is a bit of black to balance the beige, gear lever is better now, there is a new MKII logo, and there are indicators on the outside rear view mirror, at least on the top model. Thanks to slightly modified transmission ratios, the Sumo Grande MKII feels much smoother too.

Price is now known yet; we expect Tata to announce the new prices at the unveiling today. Considering the stiff competition – the Innova, Xylo, upcoming Nissan NV200, Toyota’s new MPV, even the Maruti Suzuki Eco and Tata’s own Indicruz / Xover – pricing of the Sumo Grande MKII would be critical.

It was at the 2008 Auto Expo that we came across the Sumo Grande; it looked much bigger than the earlier Sumo / Spacio it was expected to replace. And at first look, considering Tata’s success with the Sumo till the Toyota Innova came long, people thought the Grande would be a winner. But that did not happen – sales were sluggish, while later entrant Xylo, new variants of Innova and Mahindra Scorpios all continued to sell well.

Automobile enthusiasts were quick to blame the looks of the Sumo Grande, but this hardly matters to the market – after all, the Xylo is not exactly a catwalk queen either.

Overall build quality, interior plastics and market positioning seem to be the reasons for the sluggish sales of the Sumo Grande in hindsight. Most of that, apart from targeting the appropriate market, could be solved by the new Sumo Grande Mark Two.

Positioning of the Tata Sumo Grande MKII, however, is still going to be a bit of a problem. The first ever Sumo was brilliant value for money and it became the taxi market’s favourite till the Qualis came along to displace it. Then the Innova did it again. If Tata wants to target the taxi market, low maintenance and overall brilliant value is what works – not nice interiors or good looks or new colours. If they want to target the family market, they have to make it reasonably sophisticated compared to the Xylo or Innova. And the name Sumo which is thoroughly identified with the taxi market – they would probably have to get rid of that too. But that is not happening with the Sumo Grande MKII.

Is Tata Motors trying to sell the Indicruz as the MPV for families – stylish and sophisticated – and reposition the Grande MKII as a vehicle for the taxi market and rural families? Possibly. Let us till the official launch is over to get a bit more info before we make any such wild guesses!