OVERALL GOOD TO MARK 4 STARS

opted sumo grande gx against safari for its new LOOKS. and yes it's EYE CATCHING in its sunset orange color. keeping in view the price tag i have no complaints for exterior styling. all thums up when a family in brand new 'mahindra xylo' poured their eyes on my orange bull. for me grande surpasses xylo in every inch. for some xylos dashboard assembly may be good looking but to me it seemed to be bit tacky and untidy compared to the sober beige color of mine. INSIDE the car is a good comfortable space for 7 with roof top ac for 3rd row too which seems to be strong enough to the last row. front seats with LUMBAR SUPPORT not much of use. ADJUSTABLE HEIGHT driver seat is good for a short person to raise and have a better view in near front of car. HEIGHT ADJUSTABLE SEAT BELTS. 2ND ROW SEATS with centre folding armrest, reclining, tilting and foldable. 3RD ROW folding, removable most spacious in its class (innova, scorpio and safari). Remove third row seats, fold and tilt the second row what you miss is soft 6x4 mattress to lie down on such a huge space you find in the rear. GEAR shifting fine or say good for such price car as i have not paid 7 figured price for it. and no complaints for when i know i am buying tata car. DRIVING with power steering (EPS missing) wants you to hold the steering firmly on the turns (more firmly if you are driving in hills as i do). Na! not with your pinky only as maruti swift DDIS engine or other small cars with electronic power steering allows you to do. dont forget you are driving tata and not toyota (even toyota fortuner high priced car has a shaky gear lever). Done more than 17000 thousand after 14 october 2008. average of 1600 kms permonth which involved driving on unmetalled roads, single lanes, highways of Himachal, chandigarh, GT road was quite satisfying for the overall average 13.0 kmpl which involves mostly hill driving. For a tour to delhi 750 kms average obtained 14.5 kmpl with 300 kms of AC ON. thats why 5 stars for TATA car in this class. (where scorpio runs around 10/11 and safari around 10, not to compare with 5000cc landrover discovery giving much under 10kmpl since no match) SPEEDing upto 110 kmph is quite smooth, 120 still smooth, 125 never throttled above it since always driving with family. to my accord 140 may be the max speed to go on without daring to check its limits. two days ago drove the car in the village of punjab and knew the car is just a beast for villages of plain areas. clearing everything under it on the underconstruction roads whether it be sewerage, a pitch or a pothole. small turning circle allows to maneuver the car easily on 90 degree tight turns and curves, very satisfying to know the driveability of car. Ah! how could i forget to mention that the biggest drawback this car comes with is the lack of ABS. beware of your speed and the number of cars you are cruising among on the highway, since its TYRES GET LOCKED when brake pedal is pushed with hard jerk, thus giving you zero control and maneuverability. this may be another reason for not driving it at very high speeds. TYRE wearing is more in hill region for the difference of terrain and curved roads. need to keep regular check on wheel alignment a slight screeching sound i park it in the alignment station. purchased car from dealer in himachal. very dissatisfying wheel alignment 1st 4000 kms and my front tyres totally worn from the sides and JP MOTORS to be blamed for that. opted for alignment not to be done at dealer. MAINTENANCE : dont forget to buy extended warranty when you buy this car. it will save a lot on your pocket when you buy any indian car. you never know what will go wrong atlast you are driving a pieces of metal and machines joined together shaped to car. presently spent only on alignment, oil change and 1900 on a broken windshield free insurance, a single bridgestone tyre 5950 rupees all credits to JP Motors, Solan for disgusting wheel alignment replacing the tyre with tread of about 4mm still on the half left. fuel expenses come appurtenent to the vehicle ha!ha! much of maintenance depends on your driving style and skill. since driver and owner are the persons responsible for the way the vehicle is driven and kept. a wrong gear change and clutch pressing results in a broken pressure or clutch plates or may be serious and for that the car and its manufacturer is not to be blamed.looks, price, passenger comfortrear suspension, weight and power mismatch