Tata Sumo SUV- a name worth coming back?
Tata is raking in good sales in the Indian market. They have various products and all of them have been raking in good sales. The 7-seater market has been especially active with new launches. Tata also brought in Safari to capitalise on this growth. But it needs affordable option to increase its advantage. In today’s article, we will discuss if Tata can bring the Sumo SUV back.
Sumo’s legacy
The Tata Sumo was a capable people mover. It was launched in 1994 primarily for off-road transport and military purpose. It quickly gained a lot of buyers, with Tata selling 100,000 Sumos in the first three years. To continue this momentum, Tata launched various versions of Sumo like Spacio, Victa, Gold and Grande. The car was popular among fleet operators due to its rugged and functional use. Tata had to discontinue the car in 2019 after being in production for 25 years. It was discontinued due to its low safety and BS6 norms.
Why will Tata do it?
Currently, Tata has no presence in the affordable MPV segment. But in the past, Tata had the Sumo SUV in this segment. The Sumo and Safari were the main products for Tata Motors. Sumo was an affordable 7-seater, while Safari was the premium 7-seater. Now that Tata has brought back the Safari, it can also bring the Sumo to complete its lineup. If Tata can do it properly, it can even compete with the Maruti Ertiga.
Problems Tata is facing
This is a bit complicated for Tata. Currently, it is using only two platforms: the ALFA Architecture and the OMEGA platform. The Alfa Architecture can’t get any bigger than it already is. The MPV has to be at least 4.2m to look proportionate and not crammed in the interiors. Tata can use the Omega platform, but the platform is derived from Land Rovers D8 Architecture, which is on the expensive side. Using this platform will severely restrict Tata from pricing the Sumo competitively.
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