This is just a render and Tata Motors has no plans to bring back the Sumo anytime soon
Tata Motors’ Sumo may not have been the favourite choice in its class but occupies a special place in India’s automotive history. Introduced in 1994 as a body-on-frame SUV based on the Tata Telcoline pickup truck, it was primarily focused on military and off-road use.
In fact, some of the Tata Sumo’s rare part-time four-wheel-drive versions are in safe custody with retired military personnel and major car collectors. At the time, the public received it only in rear-wheel-drive format.
The Tata Sumo might not make a comeback in the foreseeable future but unofficial ‘next-gen Sumo’ renders occasionally pop up on the internet. Now, Motor Wala on YouTube has made a video out of some basic Sumo renders and has caught the attention of many on social media.
The renders essentially combine a 2020MY Ford Explorer with a previous-gen Range Rover Evoque. Debadging, colour removal, addition of ‘Tata’ logos and licence plates reading ‘SUMO’, etc., seem to be the main jobs done here. To top it all, a rear quarter-view of the Landwind X7 (the Evoque’s notorious Chinese rip-off) has been added in the set.
2021 Tata Sumo Render Video
At present, Tata Motors has no official plan to reintroduce the Sumo. Still, considering the nation’s affinity towards the nameplate, chances of it returning to the market at some point in time cannot be ruled out entirely. At Auto Expo 2020, Tata Motors had revived the old Sierra as a concept. Hence, one can expect the Sumo to make an appearance in a similar fashion at some important event.
The Tata Sumo remained on the Indian market for 25 glorious years. It was discontinued in September 2019 as it failed to comply with AIS 145 and BNVSAP (Bharat New Vehicle Safety Assessment Programme) safety standards. In its lifecycle, the SUV went through a few updates and received nametags such as Spacio, Victa, Gold and Grande. In each avatar, the overall shape remained more or less the same (except for the Grande).
In the final format, it was powered by a BS4 3.0-litre diesel four-cylinder engine good for 85bhp and 250Nm of torque. This was paired to a 5-speed manual gearbox. The Sumo Grande (2008-2016) came with a 2.2-litre Dicor diesel mill that had an output of 120bhp and 250Nm. It was also mated to a 5-speed manual.
