Tata bets big on Sumo Gold

Tata Motors is upbeat over the launch of new Tata Sumo Gold. The Mumbai-based multinational auto major further expects that the new model would boost sales -- and is expecting to sell 18,000 units of it by the end of the current financial year.

The company is targeting rural, semi-urban market and taxi segment in the urban market with this new SUV.

Tata Motors' head (utility vehicles, product group) Ashesh Dhar said on Friday that the company initially launched the product in four markets -- Maharastra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. "We got overwhelming response from all these markets," he said.

Prior to the launch, the company -- South Asia's largest automobile company -- was selling 1,100 units of Sumo a month.

"Now we are selling 3,300 units per month. Considering the sales figure, we are hopeful about selling 18,000 units

of new Sumo Gold. The sales figure (including all Sumo Model combined) is likely to touch 24,000 units by the end of this fiscal," Dhar added.

The 1945-founded Tata Motors, with auto-manufacturing and assembly plants in Jamshedpur, Pantnagar, Lucknow, Sanand, Dharwad and Pune, is targeting rural, semi-urban market and the taxi segment in urban market, he informed, adding, "We have aggressive plans to launch across India by the end of this year."

Meanwhile, the company -- earlier called Telco (Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company) -- launched all new Tata Sumo Gold, the most powerful SUV in its category in Punjab and Chandigarh market. "The Tata Sumo Gold is a result of extensive consumer studies and field tests," Dhar said.

The new Tata Sumo Gold is being launched in 4 variants -- GX, EX, LX & CX -- along with a warranty of 3 years or 100,000 km, whichever is earlier. Its price will be available from Rs 5.35 lakhs onwards (ex-showroom, Chandigarh).