Tata hopes new Sumo will revive sales

Tata Motors is betting on improved design of its latest launch""Tata Grande""for establishing a presence in the utility vehicle market, already crowded with a host of other players.

The company is eying women for the first time in the utility vehicle segment, by advertising features like height adjustable driver's seat and turning circle radius of 5.25 m, similar to small car.

The company on Wednesday launched the car in Kolkata.

In the eastern part of the country, the company has a market share of about 30 per cent in the utility vehicle segment.

Nationally, its market share in the segment in 20 per cent.

Speaking at a press conference in Kolkata on the occasion of the launch ceremony, S G Saksena, head""product group""utility vehicles passenger car business unit, Tata Motors, said, the older version of the model, Tata Sumo would continue to roll-out in the market, as it was one of th highest selling car of Tata Motors.

"Sumo is a strong product in our portfolio. This product is a further progression of Tata Sumo, which was launched about 14 years ago and with about 4 lakh units on roads at present. For Sumo Grande, we have taken into account features like seat height adjustment, especially for women drivers," he said.