Manufacturers Still Thinking Big in New Delhi
January 09, 2008

By Nick Kurczewski

NEW DELHI , India -- With all the attention focused on tomorrow’s launch of Tata’s much-anticipated “1-Lakh” ($2,500) city car, it’s all too easy to forget all the other industry news and car launches taking place here at the New Delhi Auto Expo. 

Several companies choose to think large, and used the first press day to unveil a variety of sport-utility vehicles and crossover vehicles. Chief among them were General Motors with its Chevrolet Captiva and Tata with its Sumo Grande.

General Motors: Pricey Chevrolet Captiva

At General Motors the big news turned out to be a medium-size sport-utility, the Indian-market version of the Chevrolet Captiva. 

This is the same crossover vehicle that appeared at the 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show and is set to become the next-generation Saturn Vue later in 2008. Designed in South Korea, the Captiva is a handsome little crossover that, in India, will be powered by a 148-horsepower 2.0-liter inline-four cylinder engine. The engine’s emissions are Euro IV compliant, keeping it on par with contemporary sport-utes sold in Western markets.

A price of “17.74 lakhs” was met with polite applause from the crowd of journalists –- and, we’re guessing, more than a few strategically placed staff from GM’s PR department. 

Yes, we were just as confused as you are regarding that price. It turns out that 17.74 lakhs works out to about $45,000, a pretty steep price that had us triple-checking to make certain our lakh calculations were correct. Sales expectations for the Captiva are set at a modest 1,000 units for 2008. A nice finishing touch was a rousing Indian dance routine that capped off the press conference.

Make Mine a Sumo Grande

Even Tata Motors got in on the SUV act with the launch of the new Sumo Grande MUV (Multi-Activity Vehicle). About the best thing about this truck was its vibrant orange paint job and oddly charming top-hat-aping exterior lines. 

However, the interior is plain, nasty and stuffed full of brittle plastics and ghastly fake wood. Jagged edges on nearly every dashboard seam –- not to mention a few visible screws –- don’t bode well for the idea of a stripped-out $2,500 Tata.

The Sumo Grande goes on sale later this month, with a starting price of around $16,500. 

Nick Kurczewski is a Paris-based correspondent for AutoObserver covering the New Delhi Auto Expo.

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