Last time folks I gave you a blow-by-blow account of the test drive …Shiver me timbers, it felt good… After that I sat down in the office and all the drive was in my head throughout, a maddening urge to steal the Fiesta 1.6S and zip through traffic did grip me… Ofcourse the local Ford dealers weren’t that naïve and let me be a nuisance on the road… This time I decided to let you all have a look at the car with the pictures on this post. Without further adieu, let the pictures tell you what I went through (ofcourse the colourful expletives uttered throughout the ride when dodging jaywalkers and morose drivers has not been showcased)

So Saturday after a loooooong wait the car arrives finally at 12.20pm. Its a Morello colour 1.6S Duratec, fully loaded, with skirts on all four sides. The Headlights were slightly changed from the previous versions, maybe inspired by the Civic Headlamps

New Ford Fiesta 1.6S Duratec

Side Skirts + the ground clearance is also very high

15” Alloy wheels with 195/55/R15 tyres

The front somehow reminds me of the new EVO
The interiors of the car are just fab. Seems this time ford has taken time and worked on this one, I’ll let the pics do the talking.

The seats are very comfortable but I do wish they’d used leather instead of the fabric

Neat Door trim and design, Ample storage space and a bottle holder included.

Corporate panel MP3 Headunit, looks neat though

Front door Speakers

Tweeters in the tweeter pods, just check out the OVRM adjustable knob

6 x 9″ coax. in the rear, Yea yeah, they produce good BASS..!!!
I feel the ICE in this car is better sounding than any of its competitors

This car has a 1.6L Duratec 4 Cyl, in-line, 16-V DOHC engine at 101BHP. On enquiring about the Fuel Efficiency, I was told it shells out 9.5-11kmpl in city and 14.5-16kmpl on highways. The gear shifting of the car is very smooth and short shifting. Overall acceleration and pickup is very quick. The car is very stable on the road, comfortable and smooth to drive without any hassles. It also has ABS and Airbags

Smooth Gear Shift

engine bay

Dials

DTE feature: Man, it shows you how many kms you can drive with the fuel in the tank, I wish this feature was standard in all cars

Cigarette lighter and Auxiliary-in for music device.

Sporty Pedals, WOW! Now thats grippy and the feel is great.

Ample luggage space

After going through each and every detail in the TD, I strongly feel this car is worth buying and total VFM. I am personally looking forward for another TD of this car and maybe replace my 2001 Esteem sooner. My overall experience was awesome!! I could touch 130kmph on the western highway and am sure the car has potential to do lots more. Overall it was a great experience in reviewing. A good car, always a pleasure.

Before I make any more statements about the Grande, let me just begin with a salute to Ratan Tata for his latest success with Jaguar and Land Rover. It goes without saying that Mr Tata is a man of taste. I’ve always admired the Jaguar brand and Land Rover is a dream machine to own. I just read the morning’s paper that Jamshedji Tata was the first Indian to own a car and Suzanna Tata was the first Indian woman driver! And now from Corus to Nano to Jaguar and Land Rover, one can only imagine what the Tata’s have got up their sleeves!? Cheers to the Tatas!

The title of this post is symbolic in many ways. It’s a super finale for Tata’s after a season that began at the Expo. One can’t wait for season two! Also, this post carries the last block of my thoughts on the Grande. Not because I’ll have said everything there is to say on the car, but it’s quite enough for now, I think.

Well, to quickly sum up my last two posts. The Grande cannot be called an improvement on the old Sumo Victa because it’s in a class of its own now. It’s been resurrected as a new beast altogether. It’s got a very clean interior that’s perfect for a large family; it’s also got a cool sporty look with a powerful DiCOR engine, which is appealing to any SUV nutter. It’s as fuel efficient as a camel with the tall gearing and tuning, giving it, according to the Grande salesman, ‘14kph on highways and around 11kph in the city.’ ‘But,’ says the salesman, ‘if you live in Andheri, take it at 9kph.’

Moving on…

Ride quality is pretty good thanks to the thicker tyres carried from the Safari. The tyres have also made handling at high speeds much better. There’s definitely less roll as compared to the old Victa. But unfortunately the Grande has borrowed its suspension and chassis from the Victa, which definitely hampers the driving experience. Also, it is interesting to note that Tata hasn’t bothered one bit about car safety. It’s packed with goodies from sprinkles of cubby holes to personal ac vents to an alpine music system, but no ABS or airbags. Why the hell not? That’s something Tata has never bothered with, have they? Granted the braking is quite good, since they’re the same as those used in the Safari, but is braking in time good enough? I suppose they think it is.

Having said all of that, one must be reminded of the price. It’s only 7.8 lakh for heaven’s sake! What do you expect? It cannot be compared to an Innova, or can it? Yes, it’s got good performance, its comfort can be comparable, and it’s practical as well. It definitely looks better, gives a better average…. What else? Safety? Who cares about safety, we’ve all travelled in Mumbai’s cabs, so bring it on, I say!

Yes, the Grande is quite the looker. Due credit goes to the UK based Concept Group who are responsible for the Grande’s modern styling. I think what drew attention to this one is its bold front ‘V’ shaped grille and the large high-mounted headlamps. The rear is also very refreshing with the new tail-light design.

Stepping inside the Grande is a welcoming experience. Though the finish isn’t all that impressive, it’s a definite improvement and with TATA, it’s all about the price after all. So for the kind of price tag, it’s a super offering. The all new beige look is quite appealing with the stylish steering wheel and gear lever. In the Grande, passenger comfort is top priority with the two front seats having adjustable lumbar support. Also,

the driver can adjust both steering and seat height for added comfort. The second row is actually very spacious and comfortable with reclining backrests and ample space to stretch out. The third row is the best in its class with ample room for adults. Both the second and third rows are fitted with roof mounted vents, which helps in fast and direct cooling. The Grande also comes equipped with some interesting touches like the drawer under the passenger seat and plenty of cubbyholes.

The Grande’s performance is quite fantastic with Tata having fitted it with the new 2.2 DiCOR motor giving 118bhp, which has helped achieve greater fuel efficiency as opposed to the Safari DiCOR. Unfortunately, since I was only able to test drive the Grande in the city, I couldn’t push it beyond third gear, but even for short accelerations, the Grande responds quite well with very little turbo lag. Torque is really good in this one, which is ideal for city traffic. Tata’s goal was to offer up an urban consumer SUV with an emphasis on comfort and practicality. I believe Tata has done more than the needful, as it has also created a macho SUV with a penchant for the highway as well!

Hey Vikram you can have a look at some of the reviews,
http://www.carwale.com/research/roadtests/TataSumoGrande/

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-drives-initial-ownership-reports/36318-special-invitation-td-sumo-grande-2.html

I think most people trust Mahindra more than they do Tata and that seems to be the deciding factor. But, now with the introduction of the new Sumo Grande, I’d like to know what Mahindra thinks about it all. They can’t just brush it off with a care a damn attitude because this new one from Tata is not interested in competing with Bolero’s anymore. It’s going for the big one, the Scorpio!

The Grande has got individual roof mounted louvers for 2^nd and 3^rd row seats and a very comfortable 3^rd row seating. The Grande is surely no longer in the Bolero League and is a class apart from the old Victa [Thank God for that!].

Interestingly, Tata claims that the Grande’s third row seating is a best in its class and the same goes for its turning radius – 5.25m. Also mileage is stated as 16kph.

What’s the latest on the Grande website? When is it going to be featured? Accordingly we’ll know the launch dates. I want to test this 16kph, 5.25m turning radius promise!

I’m interesting in a car, but I don’t think I’m looking for a Grande, though I am very intrigued. OK, so it looks nice, but how nice? Not beautiful. Realistically it’s much easier on the eyes thanks to its resemblance to the Scorpio. It’s comfortable and that’s important.

Hello, I’m back!

It’s been a mad two days for me, but I’d like to believe it was all worth it. Business meetings went off alright, but more importantly, I got entry to the Auto Expo!

There were some great concepts, some not so great concepts and some very cool bikes.

What’s the word on the Skoda Fabia?

It looked really good. I wanted to take a few interior shots, but unfortunately I didn’t look like a photojournalist to get any importance from the manufacturers.

But Skoda looked a bit mellow on the first day. I think they never build any hype around the car and let the cars speak for themselves. In that case, the cars speak eloquently.

Next on my list was Volvo. I was obviously drawn to the SUV’s all over the place. And the new Volvo XC 90 was quite tempting.

The XC 90 comes with two engines – a V8 petrol and a diesel. It’s not that sport looking [like the Cayenne] but it’s supposed to be a good performer. It doesn’t claim to be a thoroughbred off-roader, but rather a soft roader and a comfortable family SUV. And it’s comparatively cheaper.

Rs 47 lakh – diesel

Rs 54.5 lakh – V8 petrol

Volvo’s also come out with a new S80 Executive which looks quite sweet. It’s got a lovely sleek look. In Fact, I happened to see an old Volvo S60 in Delhi [some consulate car] and it still maintained an appealing style.

My favourite was the red convertible C70. They should definitely launch this one in India. Not that I’d be able to afford it, but it would be nice to look at instead of that ghastly San Storm!

The Audi stall wasn’t that great, honestly. Except for the launch of the new A4. Personally, I’m not that fond of Audi. I don’t like that big grille and honestly, the design isn’t that great. My sincere apologies to those die-hard Audi people, but between a Q7 and a Range Rover, I’d take the Range Rover. Is that bad? Don’t hit me!

Actually, so far the only one that I’d be able to afford is the Sumo Grande. So don’t fret, no Range Rover or Q7 for me for the next three generations of Kumars.

But, no sweat! There’s always the One Lakh car for every Kumar!

I saw the new Chevrolet Captiva. Nice headlamps, an altogether good macho look. It looks somewhat like the CR-V from the side. I’d actually like a test drive of this machine. It would be a good option from the Tuscon – Endeavour list. What do you think?

Also, I took a look at the Sonalika. It’s quite neat. Profile is nice, but the front is quite silly. It looks like some cartoon network character.

But the Sumo Grande is still on top of my practical ‘I can do it!’ list. What are my options? Not many I believe.

Next up… my news on the Mitsubishi Montero, The Hyundai Santa Fe and a personal favourite – the Mitsubishi Evo!