[drsingh]

I like the renewed interest in this thread. I was actually sad when condor sold the only SUMO on the forum.

SWB hard tops like Tata Sumo are immensely practical. I hope I see more ownership threads of the SUMO on the forum.

[torquecurve]

Originally Posted by vasant.guru@gma

.....

Quoted this post just to get your attention
I happened to see you and your better half enjoying this beast a few days ago (I think last weekend) - I was driving with you in my Vista.
The way you were chucking the truck was fun to watch. Just to confirm your car number is MB 0X11

[lohithrao]

Congrats Vasant!

Just get fatter tyres, maybe Dicor rims and the truck will look hot! enjoy

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by drsingh

I like the renewed interest in this thread. I was actually sad when condor sold the only SUMO on the forum.

SWB hard tops like Tata Sumo are immensely practical. I hope I see more ownership threads of the SUMO on the forum.

I have one. Only, its a 4WD.

Yes it is very practical - IMHO its the very definition of a UTILITY vehicle.

[drsingh]

Originally Posted by Steeroid

I have one. Only, its a 4WD.

Yes it is very practical - IMHO its the very definition of a UTILITY vehicle.

Put up an ownership thread!

[4Runner]

Hello everyone my sincere apologies on not putting up anything yet..

Have been really caught up and the truck is 2500 kms now. Just completed my first long drive from Pune to Ahmedabad just yesterday. 650 kms in 9.5 hours with two solid breaks.

Performance was exceedingly good. I will put up a detailed review tonight with pics.


Mr.Torque Curve you're right! I think I remember the Vista too..was this on Pune Mumbai expressway?

[DHABHAR.BEHRAM]

Originally Posted by vasant.guru@gma

Riding ones vehicles within its limits is important. I am not a huge fan of 130+ kmph driving. Within a limit of 90-110 kmph the Sumo is just superb on the road. Be prepared to enjoy the laid back ride quality and supreme strength the Sumo possesses rather than treating it like a sedan. I have started taking a 25 km scenic country side road to work everyday instead of the traditional 14 km rat race through traffic and commercial buildings to work. This road is particularly bad but the Sumo handles it so beautifully that I enjoy bad roads for the view it offers around it. Detailed review as soon as I get some more time behind the wheel and as soon as I get some time off the sad work that helps pay the EMIs.

Dear Vasant Guru - I am eagerly awaiting your full evaluation report. As you are in Pune and as I also work there (and pass through the spine of the city everyday to cover the 30 odd kms between my workplace and home), hopefully we can catch up.

Some suggestions that you may like to follow if you feel so: Remove the side footsteps, its not that difficult to get in and get out without them. You may want to reconfigure the rear footstep and make it small and black in color. Fit it to one side, it will look nice! Remove the production wheel caps and fit the old Safari hubcaps in their place, they will fit directly in three out of five wheel nuts, the pitch circle diameter of Sumo Gold and Safari wheel rims is same. Reduce the length of the number plates slightly. Alternatively, for the back, you can make a very decent rectangular number plate from powder coated aluminium sheet, fix this below the tailgate handle and use 2 Bajaj Pulsar / Yamaha motorcycle number plate lights. These mount vertically on the motorcycle so they will fit perfectly above the number plate and they look very decent and sleek too. These things will change your vehicle perspective completely and you will see reduced bulk without touching a single sheet metal part. On the inside, just roll down the soft cover on the gear lever completely to the floor down and keep it folded below the Velcro carpet. Buy a black color Safari Storme gear lever knob from the dealership and fit it in place of the production knob, the threads are the same. You will get a rich feel on your left hand every time you change gears. All this will cost you next to nothing to do. Try it out, you can always go back if you do not like it.

Obviously, you can go for Safari wheel rims with 235/70R16 Bridgestone tires as the offset is same (45 mm), but this comes at a cost.

There are many more things which can be done very quickly for less than a pittance and which will provide positive differentiation with enhanced value. Please PM me.

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

[condor]

BD sir, nice simple ideas !

The side steps - if they are the same ones as on the Dicor, and Victa GX - then is a good one. I would suggest to retain that.

DHABHAR.BEHRAM : Buy a black color Safari Storme gear lever knob from the dealership ..

Only problem with this is - the material wears out relatively quickly. We have seen TD vehicles with just 5k on the clock but with a worn out knob. The lever in my Storme lasted longer, but yes, the wear out is there.

[4Runner]

Ownership Experience Sumo Gold GX 2015:

The truck has now completed 3500 kilometers; most of it is from the close to 2000 kms I just made in over 4 days on a trip from Pune to Nadiad, Gujarat the previous weekend. I had taken the Pune- Thane- Belapur- Ghodbunder-Vasai-Vapi-Surat-Vadodara-Nadiad route during this journey. Total of 650 kms each way and I also did a short 170 km trip to Sarangpur near Bhavnagar and returned the same night.



The roads from Pune right up to Vadodara are an absolute delight discounting for about an hour’s worth of travel in traffic trying to get out of Mumbai outskirts and reach NH8. They’re three laned each way and although on an average weekday, the ratio of trucks to cars on the roads are over 3:1, it still made for smooth sailing since truckers are usually nice people and rarely weave across lanes and its usually the cab drivers who’re in a hurry to get from point A to B.

While returning back to Pune, I lost my way around Bharuch after having lunch at a friend’s place and ended up going 50 kms in the wrong way to Dahej and had to come back all the way when the roads ended. Waste of fuel and time perhaps but the gorgeous monsoon weather made the extra effort worth it. A 2 hour traffic jam right while coming into Thane worsened our ETA and got us late by over 5 hours in total.



While on our return trip, the EML, engine malfunction light turned amber and made me very stressed since I had no idea where the problem was. I had hit a pothole pretty hard earlier in the day which made me want to attribute the notification to. A few miles later, it disappeared. This has happened earlier also but again disappeared the next day in the morning. A team BHP thread had led me to understand that the light turns of if there was any vapor in the fuel.


I thought this made sense since I wasn’t always able to utilize the full power at times. Sometimes when I pressed the accelerator, in phases, it felt like the engine was unresponsive for just a bit before pouncing ahead with full power again.

Another short trip was a quick Sunday ride to Churchgate from Pune and back on the same day a couple of weeks ago.

Overall the performance of the beast has been mighty impressive and every time I drive it I feel only more proud to have purchased it. I had read somewhere on Team BHP where someone had mentioned that purchasing a TATA vehicle is like a coin toss, if you’re lucky you get away with a niggle free car or you get stuck with one that keeps throwing up niggles at each corner.

I somehow agree partially with that claim since I had always expected a few niggles to come along with a car that has been designed for a utility purpose and every possible attempt made to cut corners in designing the aesthetics both internally and externally. I will talk about these niggles shortly.

I for one don’t care about the cheap quality of the interiors since it’s the monstrous low revving 3 liter engine that I fell in love with and so far it hasn’t broken my heart! Interiors wise, I will plan and slowly modify the dash, seats and hopefully the steering wheel and the horrible knobs that came factory fitted. A few discussions are ongoing with a car modifying expert in Pune who has shown me a few snapshots of work done on Thars and Dusters but obviously everyone understands that modifying a SUMO is an entirely different ballgame. Alloys are also being planned with R16s hopefully but that’s some time later in the future, perhaps around the 20k mark.

I also feel that contrary to the desk job profile of an IT worker by day time, the SUMO has helped me fulfil a lifelong ambition of being able to truck for long distances and times. As soon as I hike onto the driver’s seat, which is merely a little hop for a guy who’s over 6 feet, I feel totally confident and powerful with the stance that the beast offers. Even on wet roads and massive downpours, against popular opinion, the SUMO handles surprisingly well and I never felt a lack of control unless I mistakenly ran into pooled water by the dividers at high speed. Such a scenario always shot my heart rate north as the sound is enormous, you definitely lose a lot of traction on the road and the water from the pool hits your wind shield hard and you lose a lot of visibility.

The external graphic stickers were always painful to a discerning eye and I had all of them completely removed over the weekend and now the beast looks like a nice cop car in all white and beautifully tinted glasses with the metallic SUMO insignia at the back.



The biggest handicap I feel with the SUMO are the disastrous ORVMs which seem to have rather been designed as a speed warning system, as the wind starts whooshing around it loudly even at speeds of around 90 KMPH. With no wind blowing across the roads and during quieter times, I was able to go up to 120 KMPH without batting an eyelid at lesser than 2200 RPMs which makes for absolutely delightful driving. Without this horrible whooshing noise and given a clean road, I highly doubt the monster would not be able to crank it up to 140 though I kept it mostly between 110-115 KMPH.

Hopefully I should be able to find a way around this and get better ORVMs sometime in the near future and work around this problem. I attribute this fault to the aerodynamic design of the SUMO or rather a lack of it which pushes the winds to the sides from its massive bonnet and minimally slanted wind shield. I hate this.

I am going to try and provide marks for each criterion below on a scale of 1, 3 and 5, 1 being poor, 3 average and 5 excellent.

Engine Performance: 4, It’s an incredible machine and the greatest advantage is its ability to reach up to 120 kmph in under 2500 RPM which makes for effortless driving. The noise on the outside while idling doesn’t sound like the old SUMOs at all and is very refined indeed. I think the idling RPM range is purposely kept at less than 1000 RPM since the turbo kicks in at 1000 rpm itself if I am not wrong.

Pulls like crazy at all speeds but the sudden lag in the full power kicking in when I floor the gas pedal is becoming a point of concern. This could be owing to water logging in the fuel tank as I drove over 750 kms in rains.

Interiors: 2 on most counts. The knobs on the dash are especially disgusting. The rear wiper switch has been getting stuck on ‘ON’ since the first time I've operated it, similarly the dash is of the poorest possible Piaggio tractor quality, of course all this can be changed with a little investment

Features: 4.5, I have all the features I need. Dual A/C, Music system with USB and AUX, decent speakers, rear wiper and washer, one touch PWs and internally adjustable ORVMs

Braking: 3.5, at speeds below 90 KMPH, the braking is pretty efficient. Even at higher speeds as long as you can anticipate that you might need to brake later you’re fine. But a sudden speed breaker as is the norm even on our national highways on slightly higher speeds is slightly dramatic and the truck bounces violently if you fail to anticipate bumps in advance. Not cool at all.

This could be owing to the inflated tires which are set to carry 9 people and having only 2 in the car makes it a little bouncy. This is where you really miss the ABS when you don’t have the confidence to stop it when intended.

Mileage: 3, slightly lower than anticipated at 10-11 in cities and 12-13 on highways. A TASS mechanic suggested I do an unscheduled oil change at around 7500 kms and that will significantly improve mileage to more expected levels. A/C on or off hasn’t really made a difference.

HVAC:
Below 90 KMPH: 4.5
Above 90 KMPH : 3

Air Conditioning: 5, oh my god it’s so chilled that most times you don’t need the rear A/C on. It cools upto the last row jump seats over time. It’s just seriously cold in the beast at even Level 2; my wife commented it’s like moving around in an air conditioned living room

Perception: I don’t know how to rate this, I am usually waved at by people by the roadside asking for a lift but once they spot me with my shades and overall demeanour they realize I might not be a cabbie! More than being met with disgust, people appear amused when I drive it to work which is now mostly everyday

Overall Satisfaction: for me it’s a 4. I wish I could get the brakes improved, the NVH was much lower around the ORVMs and my knees didn't hurt from the constant monster clutching over long journeys but such is life. Can’t have everything.

The SUMO is an all-out man’s car and will not disappoint you once you get used to it.

Recommendations: If you’re into some serious trucking fun and want to end up in the Ghats eating the gorgeous monsoon clouds at every possible mention of a holiday or even a half day, indulge yourself in a SUMO. If you’re worried about how people might perceive you or if you want to take your friends and family to Adlabs Imagica over the weekend , buy yourself an Ertiga VXI*

*Ertiga owners don’t be offended; I love the vehicle and had considered it first in my purchase journey.

Eventually I plan to upgrade the front two seats and make them plusher, might also remove the middle row benches and convert the middle row into an airplane business class type bucket seat arrangement with massive recliners for the legs and back.

I also wish I could get the car painted Olive Green and get some tough alloys with some R16s, unfortunately I can’t paint it like that since article 121 in the Motor Vehicles Act prohibits it.


More to follow..

[rakesh_r]

Excellent review.Is it me but I feel somehow after removing the stickers the truck seems to be void of something. Maybe its those dull wheel caps. A set of mean looking alloys and a nice set of tyres should enhance the look.

[Viju]

Very nice review there Vasant Guru!

Last day after I saw your truck's pictures, I was left wondering how much better the truck would look without those stickers. I like the new look. Why don't you go the whole way and de-badge the rear also? The steps at the side / rear also spoil the clean lines, though I guess they serve a purpose for you.

Now, the only aesthetically unappealing to me is that there is too much white on the car. To make the car look premium, Tata has made everything body coloured. I personally feel the truck will look much better with some contrast-painted parts (black bumpers, grill, ORVM etc).

I also hope it is in your future plan to get a set of beefy alloys and tyres for your truck. That will change the stance of the vehicle like nothing else!

[smsrini]

Use the Sumo 4x4 displayed at AutoExpo as a reference for any external mods.

that machine has killer looks..

Aah! I see the BOSS and the man behind the autoexpo sumo, has already replied to your thread... you will be in good hands.

cheers!

[1100D]

Originally Posted by vasant.guru@gma

Ownership Experience Sumo Gold GX 2015:

get some tough alloys with some R16s,
More to follow..

How about trying the Safari Dicor steel rims. They might not be the exact offset for the Sumo, but so is going to be your aftermarket rims. Am attaching a picture for reference from ADC's safari.



Besides this, may I take the opportunity to suggest the grille (black), headlamps and bumper (preferably body colour) from the Tata Spacio (or the Original old first gen Sumo). Coupled with the original round erstwhile Telco Logo, you will have our very own T-wagen (better even, if you could have indicators over the fender besides the bonnet). The Sumo definitely is the vehicle that put Tata in the passenger vehicle roadmap first, de-victa-ing it will definitely be paying the right tribute to this legend.

[4Runner]

Originally Posted by DHABHAR.BEHRAM

Dear Vasant - hello to you. Please DO NOT change any wheels / tires without PMing me first! Send me your contact.

Sir I am unable to Pm you..I am probably getting the alloys done next month itself. Can we please meet as I want to know about correct size and brand type?

My contact number is 9028715687.

[madhu33]

Mod Note : There are several spelling & grammatical errors in your posts. This negatively affects the forum experience for other readers.

Kindly ensure that you proof-read your posts prior to submission. Also, it would be a good idea to use a spell-checker.