The Muscle Maniac. Review on Tata Sumo Gold

Have you ever heard of the phrase, “Muscle Power”? Well, you sure should have but when it comes to comparing this phrase to a vehicle then you might have some problems. But I certainly don’t have any. Because I know which should be compared with this phrase. I am talking about Tata Sumo, a muscularly built vehicle from Telco that had captured many a mind with its new design when it was launched in 1995. Its been a long way since then and certainly the Sumo is carving a niche for itself in this Indian Automobile market.

Not exactly belonging to the car variety, the Sumo creates its own category. I should say, the Sumo is a modified and upgraded version of the Jeep. Yes, the same old blue police Jeep is what I am talking. But Tata Sumo goes way beyond that and it gives me great pleasure to enlighten you about this vehicle.

The Sumo is certainly faithful visually and is giving the Qualis a run for its money. Though not matching the class of Qualis, Sumo certainly has something in it to boast for itself. It is certainly a breadbox on wheels. With almost a 2-meter height, the Sumo has an immediately apparent no-nonsense stance to it. And thanks to its near tank-like build, it apparently scores on this front with the punters from the rural and semi-urban areas, places where you can see more of this vehicle. Styling of the vehicle is pretty okay and so to say muscular. I’ll give it a 4.

The Sumo has one of the largest interiors as far as Indian UVs are concerned. It has a good driving position, brilliant visibility and a feeling of power as the vehicle hurtles forward allowing you to look down on other road users. The front and rear seats are as impressive as the Air Con System and the music system. Certainly 8 people can set off for a long journey.

The vehicle employs the proven reinforced ladder type chassis frame bolted onto it. Unlike modern day SUVs which are moving onto full monocoque structures, the body-on-ladder type of construction is yet the safer, cheaper and more efficient way going here in India. The suspension of the vehicle is too good to be true for such a heavy vehicle. The double wishbones, coil springs, hydraulic double acting shock absorbers up front and the anti-roll bars come to the fore in terms of suspension. Thanks to a larger booster and better linkage leverages, the braking has attained a new high. The Sumo comes with power assisted steering gear, which has made it a lot more easier for the driver.

One of the strengths of Sumo is its engine. The indigenously developed Tata 483DL indirect injection, four-stroke, 1950 cc engine gives out a sumptuous power of 89 bhp. The most contributive factor to the performance of the engine certainly is the underbonnet layout. Certainly the engine is a reliable one. The first thing that strikes everyone is the ease with which this heavy-weight can be handled. Though the vehicle has a near truck like steering wheel, you don’t need a lot of energy to push this big momma ahead. The engine performance is spectacular. With a top speed of 130 kmph the vehicle can whizz past long highways without much of a fuss. The 5-speed engine has enough acceleration to put it on a superdrive.

Also the Sumo has a nice feel to it in terms of pedal effort and also in overall brake modulation. Hmm...the anchoring is pretty impressive. I would say, the vehicle stops better than its bulk suggests.

Ah yes, the fuel efficiency. This is the most important factor that separates the winner from the loser in the Indian Automobile industry. You cannot expect this 1730 kg muscle maniac to give a high mileage, can you? Well, the Sumo turns out pretty good figures of 11 kmpl and certainly this is affordable. With the Sumo giving out a better-than-expected power in its class, certainly you’ll buy this mileage.

Well, let us face things in their proper perspective. There are people who shun cars per se and go in for the rugged, no-nonsense, go-anywhere type of vehicle which the Sumo so boldly denotes. The Sumo might not be the best looker in town nor would it be the most refined of the lot but it has its strengths which just cannot be overlooked. So if you are of the kind who go for a vehicle of this kind, then certainly, I would persuade them to get this one, because the Tata Sumo is a gem in India.