Tata Sumo Grande at its best

Lust green fields, massive SUVs, chicken tikka and also the land of lassi! Yes, I’m talking of Punjab, which is one of the states in the country where the Green Revolution took place in the 1970s. I frequently visited my hometown in Ludhiana as it about 350km away from New Delhi, to meet my folks.

As a Punjabi by-heart, I have always liked SUVs but never really bought one for myself, though my dad had a Sumo Grande. Recently Tata had organized an off-roading event in Chandigarh, which I had missed out. Later on, I came to know there is an array of such proceedings to be organized under the banner “Full Throttle” and the next stop was in my hometown, Ludhiana.

Being a Tata event, we needed a Tata SUV to participate. This was sorted, as dad had a Sumo Grande. I got it confirmed from Cougar Motorsports— the event management company— that 2WD vehicles can also play a part. Soon, I got myself registered for Full Throttle and also for my FMSCI license.

The event began on a hot Sunday morning, when the temperatures were soaring about 35deg C. The weather wasn’t pleasant and the light from the sun was blinding. We were flagged off from Hotel Park Plaza in Ludhiana and were heading towards to the bank of river Sutlej. There were about 35 cars that participated and we all drove in a convoy. The off-road venue was about 15kms away from the hotel. As it was early morning on a holiday, the fleet reached the destination in 20 minutes. The terrain which was on the banks of Sutlej posed some exciting challenges, and we had to complete the trail within a maximum stipulated time, to qualify as finishers.

This was the first time I went to off-road, and mine was a 2WD. I was confident of the ground clearance of the Sumo Grande however it was the momentum of the front-wheels that concerned me.  The completion of first challenge amongst the total of six boosted my confidence. Slowly, the confidence rose and finally I crossed four of the challenges. We drove through slush, downhill, uphill and various tricky arrangements.

Then came one of the most difficult challenges where the Grande finally got stuck. The Grande was towed out with a tractor and soon we completed the most different terrain part. After this we headed to the last challenge, which was all about maneuvering.  The Sumo Grande was easy to steer and passed the maneuvering test and there ended our off-roading day. This was the last of the challenges and soon we returned to Hotel Park Plaza, which was also our starting point in the morning.

On reaching back, we came to know the point where we got stuck was a challenge meant for four-wheel-drive vehicles. Still the Sumo Grande was able to pass most terrain challenges except for the fifth one, which was made for 4x4 vehicles. Driving on such terrains was fun. This was my first such outing and I wish to participate in more of these events. I never knew going off-road will be such a joy.

Living in a city like Delhi, I hardly drive my Sumo Grande. Being dad’s car, it was here in Ludhiana. I drove a hatchback in and around Delhi as this is easier to drive and park. But this event opened my eyes and showed me the true capability of the Sumo Grande. The tuning of the engine is fantastic and the Grande pulled well, even while I drove in a higher gear. I felt it to more drivable than my diesel hatchback, as there was no kind of lag from the turbocharger. Sumo Grande doesn’t feel anything difficult to drive. It is as easy to drive as a hatchback. It does feel a bit large initially; all it needs is some getting used to. Even the handling at high speeds is good and car doesn’t feel shaky. Driving off-road was also simple, the engine’s high torque even at low rpm pulled out the vehicle without any difficulty through different terrains.

Apart from the ease of the engine, our savior for the day was the ventilation system of the car. The air-conditioning saved our skin, protecting us from the burning sun. The tints weren’t too dark and still the performance of the air-con was commendable. I wasn’t certain of how will it perform, considering the large interior area of the car.

All in all, a well spent Sunday. The event hasn’t just made me realize how good my SUV is, but got me connected to it. Now I will have to reconsider my thoughts and also consider a SUV for my next car buy even for my Delhi commute. The combination of ease and comfort are its biggest forte and this made me realize that I cannot get in my hatchback. Thanks Cougar Motorsports and Tata Motors for such an event.