Telco launches Sumo+, Sumo EX+ versions with new features

New Delhi: Tata Engineering (Telco) has launched its upgraded new versions of its best-selling utility vehicle Sumo. The upgraded models badged Sumo+ and Sumo EX+ feature advances both under the hood and within the passenger cabin.

This combination of features — dual zone ACs, lumbar support for driver and co-driver and engine immobiliser features — is available for the first time for under Rs 6 lakh, says Telco vice-president (marketing) Rajiv Dube. “The two Sumo variants are expected to help drive sales in the personal segment.”

Basing its premise on the sales registered during the first six months, Telco plans to fix the sales target of its passenger vehicles at 1 lakh units, an impressive increase from the last fiscal’s 89,000 units considering the tight market conditions.

“During the last six months we sold nearly 47,000 units, including 35,000 Indica variants. We seem to be on track to achieving the five-figure mark this fiscal,” Dube is confident. A part of the sales is likely to be powered by the Indica variants as well as a new offering, the Indigo, whose launch would take place later this month and the sales might start around Diwali.

Most of the increase in sales during the current fiscal would take place in the domestic market. Though reluctant to discuss export figures, Dube asserts that he expects exports to hold on to the last year’s figure of 4,500 vehicles. “The real growth will start in the next fiscal. We are now seating products in overseas markets.”

Telco says it will launch four new passenger vehicles during the next five months, including the mid-size car Indigo and a top-end petrol engine version of the Safari, Telco’s sports utility vehicle.

“We will be launching a number of vehicles till March 2003 to cater to different market segments. The Indigo will be rolled out by this month end and the Safari with a new petrol engine by the end of this fiscal,” says Dube. Further, an estate version of the Indigo and a sporty variant of the Indica will be brought out by March 2003.

The company, nevertheless, has put on hold plans to roll out the luxury sedan Magna in view of the slow growth in this car segment, adds Dube. “The Safari will come fitted with a new 2000cc, 125 bhp petrol engine, and the Indigo will be powered by a 85bhp petrol and a 62bhp turbo diesel engine.”