Tata 207 DI - All hype and no hope. Review on Tata 207 DI

As a die hard sportz truck fanatic, no sooner did I know of the Tata's latest offering in the LCV space, than I booked a meeting with a sales guy at Prerna Motors in Bangalore. My intention was clear, ride this behemoth and cut through the hype that is created by tata zealots. The Prerna Motors campus is a chic upmarket building with two floors of sales departments. The LCV sales is on the second floor and that was where I was on a Saturday morning around 11am.

I was greeted by the sales rep who immediately offered me a nicely designed brochure for the 207. I was impressed with the imposing photo of a modified Tata 207 DI with wide profile A/T radials with an imposing bull bar arrangement with fog lights and a real adventurous family next to a rocky terrain. Round 1 score Tata 1, myself 0.

Immediately I was transported back from seventh heaven to mother earth when I was told that the brochure was not what I would get as standard accessory and that all the frills cam at a hefty cost of 80k to 100k rupees. It included a much missing a/c. The sales guy said they did offer a package with all the works done up and that it would cost additional 100k. I was stung bad but then I had not even got to the wheel. I quietly asked for a test ride. It was arranged in 20 minutes.

The first impression I had on seeing the vehicle emerge as I waited for it to be got from the garage was that it was BIG. It had great road presence and definitely a bully for auto rickshaws and small cars. I was hopeful. It passed the idiot's test for a sportz truck. I got into the drivers seat. The steering was very responsive and has the standard safari wheel plonked into it. The gears were free but did not have a good feel between shifts. The brake was pathetic and I was having to literally stand on the pedal to stop the vehicle and this on a brand new test vehicle done 980 kms. The engine grunt was good but a bit high on low revs. The clutch play was more but I still felt a small tinkering was not enough to set this beast in order. Overall refinement levels were pathetic and definitely it was a pain driving through Double road and Residency Road. In a nutshell I realized, it was not a city vehicle for truck fanatics like me. If you have a 70% highway usage and 20-30% on a need basis city run, this is a good vehicle. The torque is very high but it is not visible and horse power is too less for you to feel anything when you set this biggie moving.

Overall I think it is a 95% a pickup made for the commercial buyer who wants to take large amounts of cargo, not for pickup afficianados in the true blue american sense. Own this if you really have been driving trucks because that is what it feels.