TATA SUMO, What's the car all about!

 The TATA Sumo | The OG MPV

Tata Sumo. The car which left behind a legacy for not just Tata Motors, but for the entire Indian SUV car segment.

The car had an entirely different aura on the road. When one used to get behind that steering wheel, it did really felt like ‘ruling the roads.’ The car was discontinued after rigorously serving for 25 long years.

What’s the car all about? What made Tata Sumo ‘The Tata Sumo’? Let’s find out.

What’s in a Name? A Lot.

Before diving into the deepest details, let’s look into the name. The name ‘Sumo’ was inspired by the name Sumant Moolgaonkar. Mr Sumant is considered to be the architect of Tata Motors and used to be the MD of the same. Hence, the name ‘Su-Mo’ came up by combining the initials ‘Su’ from Sumant and ‘Mo’ from Moolganokar.

The Story Behind the Launch | Tata Sumo

The first generation of the Sumo

The year was 1994. India was thriving due to the economic reforms of 1991. Tata Motors looked at this opportunity to capture the Indian car market by launching a slew of vehicles in the decade. Back then, Tata decided to launch ‘Made in India’ SUV for the country.

Initially, Tata Sumo was launched for military use. The military version of the car was an all-wheel-drive SUV for the rugged terrain and the power. A rear-wheel-drive version was sold to the civilians in the country.

Evolution of the Car

Tata Sumo (1994-1996)

The first generation of the Tata Sumo was launched in the year 1994. Before the Sumo, the market was filled with the Jeep from Mahindra (inspired by Willy’s Jeep). Tata used the Sumo to capture a major chunk of the segment using the Tata Sumo. In the first three years of its launch, 100,000 units were sold.

Tata used Peugeot’s 2.0 litre, 1948 cc, 4 cylinder diesel engine for the Sumo. The gearbox was a 5-speed manual transmission.

Good things:- 

Spacious cabin which can seat either 7 or 9

Commanding driving position 

Three-row seating with ample storage capacity

Could be better:- 

Outdated in every right

Lacks performance especially compared to modern cars

Unrefined engine with old-school underpinnings

 Price: ₹ 5.26 Lakh onwards

 Mileage: 14.65 kmpl

 Engine: 2956 cc

 Transmission: Manual

 Fuel Type: Diesel