This pickup truck from Tata Motors gets modern looks, 4x4 & costs just Rs. 9 lakh

The commercial arm of Tata Motors has lifted the covers off from the facelifted version of the Yodha pickup truck. The new version of Tata Yodha is now available in two versions, 2.0 (single-cab) and EX Crew Cab (double-cab), both of which are available with rear-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive options. The prices for the updated Tata Yodha now start at Rs 9.99 lakh (ex-showroom, India).

The Tata Yodha now gets a tweaked exterior design, which highlights the majority of the changes introduced in it. There is a new three-piece metal bumper, with a silver-coloured skid plate attached to the central part of the bumper. There is also a new grille at the front, with its upper portion getting a chrome-finished slab.

Also read: Mahindra Thar and Scorpio in a classic tug of war video

The updated Tata Yodha gets a 210mm ground clearance and measures 5350mm long, 1860mm wide and 1810mm tall, with it rolling on 16-inch tyre options. While the Tata Yodha has a kerb weight of 3840 kg, it has a payload capacity varying between 1200 to 1700 kg.

On the inside, the updated Tata Yodha gets a grey-coloured theme for the door panels and dashboard, which looks quite basic with a tilt-adjustable three-spoke steering wheel and provisions for manual air conditioning and a 1-DIN audio system in the middle. The parking brake lever of the Tata Yodha has now been repositioned on the right side of the driver’s seat. The Tata Yodha also comes with a deck bed, the covers of which can be opened from all three sides, while it has side steps armed beneath the side doors.

Powered by a diesel engine

Under the hood, the Tata Yodha continues to get a 2.2-litre four-cylinder DI diesel engine, which produces a maximum power output of 100 PS and a peak torque output of 250 Nm.

A 5-speed manual gearbox is available as the standard transmission in both rear-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive versions. The mechanical specifications of the Tata Yodha are quite basic, with both versions of the pickup getting leaf spring suspension and steel wheels all around.

In India, pick-up trucks are still gathering steam. Tata Motors and Mahindra earlier used to sell pick-up trucks in the form of Tata Xenon and Mahindra Scorpio Getway. Currently, only Toyota and Isuzu sell pick-up trucks for private buyers in the country. However, there has been a lot of friction between RTO and the consumers with the registration of the Hilux in many states in India. As the payload of Hilux is quite high, authorities have been forcing the buyers to register the vehicle as a commercial vehicle instead of a private one.

Pick-up trucks are not as popular in India among private buyers because of multiple reasons. There is not much space on the roads and the pick-ups can be huge in size. Also, pick-up trucks are mostly used by farmers or people who own farmland, coffee or tea estates.

Also read: 10 DC Design cars & how they look in the REAL world: Maruti Swift to Mahindra XUV500