CarToq Scoop: Entry-level Tata Sumo Grande CR4 to take on Mahindra Bolero

Snapshot: Tata Motors is testing the Sumo Grande MUV with a 3 liter CR4 turbo diesel engine. The engine that outputs 80 Bhp-250 Nm is tuned to deliver high fuel efficiency and give the Sumo Grande enough ammunition to compete with the segment leading Mahindra Bolero MUV. 

A high fuel efficiency is one of the biggest draws of the Bolero, an MUV whose strong sales in India’s semi-urban and hinterland regions result in monthly sales numbers close to 10,000 units for Mahindra. Tata Motors, which spawned this segment with the Sumo, is currently a distant second as both the Sumo Gold and the Sumo Grande aren’t finding sufficient traction at the hustings.

To challenge the Bolero, Tata Motors is considering powering the Sumo Grande with the 3 liter CR4 engine that currently does duty on the Sumo Gold. A high fuel efficiency is a major selling point of this engine, which manages an ARAI certified 15.3 Kmpl on the Sumo Gold. This figure is close to the Bolero’s 15.96 Kmpl, and quite a bit above the 13.5 Kmpl that the current Sumo Grande outfitted with the 2.2 liter DICOR turbo diesel engine manages.

CarToq’s exclusive spyshots of the Sumo Grande with the 3 liter CR4 turbo diesel engine also indicate 15 inch wheels, a departure from the 16 inch wheels that the MUV currently features. The wheels with smaller contact patches will also boost fuel efficiency by reducing friction. All in all, the Sumo Grande is being primed to be a fuel efficiency champion in its face-lifted form.

Apart from outfitting the CR4 turbo diesel engine on the Sumo Grande, Tata Motors is also working on a comprehensive overhaul of the MUV. Click here to read CarToq’s scoop about the various changes that the revamped Sumo Grande will come with. The revamped Sumo Grande will be launched in the coming weeks.