IAB readers were the first ones to know about the Tata Sumo Gold as we brought you spyshots straight from the dealers stockyard.
Essentially, Tata Motors is on a rebranding spree and they are dropping at the old names in favor of new ones to make them be perceived upmarket.
Yesterday, Tata has finally launched the Sumo Gold in Pune in 2 engine options: the CR4 diesel and the TCIC diesel and each is available in 4 variants.
The price list is as follows:
Sumo Gold TCIC variants
- Sumo Gold TCIC CX – Rs. 5.23 lakhs
- Sumo Gold TCIC LX – Rs. 5.6 lakhs
- Sumo Gold TCIC EX – Rs. 5.96 lakhs
- Sumo Gold TCIC GX – Rs. 6.6 lakhs
Sumo Gold CRDI variants
- Sumo Gold CR4 CX – Rs. 5.49 lakhs
- Sumo Gold CR4 LX – Rs. 5.84 lakhs
- Sumo Gold CR4 EX – Rs. 6.1 lakhs
- Sumo Gold CR4 GX – Rs. 6.74 lakhs
The 3.0-liter, CR4 diesel engine is BS4 compliant and produces a power output of 85 PS at 3,000 RPM and torque of 250 Nm between 1000-2000 RPM. Tata Motors claim a fuel efficiency of 14.07 kmpl (ARAI certified)
The less advanced TCIC engine is also a 3.0-liter engine but is only BSIII compliant. It produces 70 BHP of power and 223 Nm of torque.
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The threat from continuous new entrants in the B+/C segment sedan markets such as Nissan Sunny, Ford Fiesta and the mighty Hyundai Verna cannot be ignored by VW India. More so, Skoda with its latest offering Rapid will pose a unique challenge for the Vento. The Rapid is a facelifted Vento and is likely to undercut corresponding Vento variants. The Vento’s reputation will be put to the ultimate test as Skoda India has not changed many body panels or soft components in the cabin.
Hence, VW India is quick to respond to market conditions. The company has added a few more features to the Highline diesel variant such as:
- Steering mounted audio controls
- Park distance control
- RCD 310 Music System with USB and 4 speakers as standard features
This specific variant is no available at Rs 9.77 lakh, ex-showroom New Delhi.
Small but valuable add ons seem to be the trend of the market. Recently, Ford India also added a few more features to the Figo to make it a lucrative proposition.
The three add ons in the Vento are sure to bring a bit of ease to your daily driving. Especially the park distance control which is a boon in city environment where parking spots are tight. But by how much will the sales figures of the Vento rise, well only time will tell.
The new CR-V has been the talk of the town lately. Honda has exposed the CR-V in the concept form and some leaked images suggest that the production version of CR-V is no different.
But thanks to Brenda Priddy, we now have images of the production version of the new CR-V. Oh yes, interiors included.
As one can see the production version is not that different from the concept form. It is a complete departure from the old CR-V. It has grown bigger and broader from the earlier generations. The extended tail suggest that now the CR-V will be a 7 seater. The model caught over here is an AWD model and reportedly Honda has promised a 4X2 as well.
The interiors have also been revamped completely. The new CR-V gets dual color interiors, steering mounted controls, a 6 inch display for entertainment needs and another small screen atop for driver information.
The model caught over here is an automatic one. Manual transmission should also be on cards.
It is common knowledge that the new CR-V will continue to use Honda’s 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. Power and performance figures are still known. In order to know every bit of the new CR-V, do visit us during the next week as we get you live updates of the LA Auto show where the CR-V will be launched.
Meanwhile here in India Honda is tight lipped about a local launch. They told us that an Auto Expo unveiling is ruled out for the CR-V and Civic models that have reached dealers in other parts of the world. Honda has to work out a CKD plan to bring down the cost and provide a diesel engine option if the new CR-V has to make the X1 and Fortuner sweat.
Over the last four weeks or so, IndianAutosBlog.com has been relentless in hunting down cars that are yet to reach the market. Our readers have received nothing short of spine-tingling material with exclusive shots of the new Camry, Innova facelift, Captiva facelift also in video, Jaguar XF facelift, Ford Fiesta automatic transmission, Tata Sumo Gold, Tata Indica XL and many more.
Continuing that habit of bringing exclusives, here’s an image of the latest Hyundai Avante/Elantra, registered in Delhi, snapped on the DLF golf course road in Gurgaon by our reader Pushpinder Sahi. This is the first image of the on-test Elantra on Indian soil on the internet.
IndianAutosBlog.com readers have been updated very often on the Avante. It is Hyundai’s answer to the Chevrolet Cruze, Toyota Corolla and Skoda Laura. It’s slightly bigger than the Verna and uses the same design ideology. It also shares components with the Verna.
When asked on the launch plan of the Verna, Elantra and i45 last year at the Santa Fe launch, Hyundai India boss Mr HW Park without being specific told IndianAutosBlog.com that they “will bring it one by one” to India.
At the Dubai International Motor Show on Thursday, General Motors unveiled the Trailblazer SUV. The Trailblazer sits on the Chevrolet Colorado pickup’s platform like its competitor Ford Endeavour that shares mechanicals with the Ranger pickup or the Toyota Fortuner that uses services of the Hilux pickup.
GM says production of the Trailblazer starts in Thailand during early 2012. It does not list markets on this vehicle’s radar and instead says its a global model. Do we sense a launch here?
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Two weeks back a posting on the Volkswagen offering LED lights on the Polo Sky’s headlamps in Austria left a lasting impression on our readers. If you were fascinated with that model, we have more good news for you. German aftermarket company Dectane introduces Daytime Running Lights for the Polo at 249 Euros (17k rupees) with taxes and shipping extra.
Dectane also offer LED lights for the brakes and license plate alongside a host of light clusters to various other parts of the car and previous Polo generations. Customization on the Polo now need not end with decals, blacked roof or alloy wheels. Your Polo can now have the menacing presence of an Audi.
Check out Dectane to learn more and buy one for your Polo!
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Starting in early 2012, Ford will shoehorn the 1.5-liter petrol engine seen first in India into Fiesta variants globally. In the next 2-3 months, Thailand is set to receive it following which China and European markets receive it in a phased manner.
Currently the Fiesta employs a 1.4 L and 1.6 L petrol engine depending on the market. The 1.5 will either substitute one of the two engines or coexist until the demand falls for an existing engine. This operation is for both hatch and sedan body styles.
Ford is also working on the facelift for the four-door model (sedan) that is expected next year when the Fiesta turns 4. The mock-up is ready at the design studio and work is on to see it to the production line. Since the Fiesta is a recent addition, India could receive the facelift at a much later date compared to China, Europe or South America.
Lending the diesel counterpart of this engine to the Figo is not on Ford India’s agenda. Powertrains are very expensive and the 1.5-liter diesel hijacked from the Fiesta could drive up the price of the Figo. Ford India finds more sense in using this highly fuel efficient engine on a new platform or product.
Before we fill you in on the driving impressions of the Fiesta AT, we want to answer the question that’s itching not only our readers, but the automotive enthusiasts at large – Why did Ford leave out the automatic transmission for diesel variants?
We served this question to an official recently and found out that Ford needs about 40-50k units global sales annually of this variant to sanction it. At the moment, India’s among the few countries where diesel cars beat petrol cars hands down in numbers. Countries such as China, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and South Africa are petrol markets some of which love automatic transmissions.
The One Ford strategy does not permit a country-specific model unless the demand is massive. The logic behind the One Ford strategy is developing a model that can be suited to every region on the map. According to the same official pairing the automatic transmission to the 1.5-liter diesel engine “is easy” but the investment to deem the product market ready is considerable and at this time, the global demand is too little for Ford to consider it. The reality is it is an impossible feat for Ford India to sell 50k units of all Fiesta variants put together.
Ford India has not disclosed the sales target for the Fiesta AT. It expects to sell the equal number of automatic and manual transmissions in petrol in 2012. It is likely to be introduced at the Auto Expo in January 2012 where Ford makes a comeback after a two year hiatus.
IAB readers were the first ones to know about the Tata Sumo Gold as we brought you spyshots straight from the dealers stockyard.
