|
 I
don't know about you but I hope to get out of Urbs Prima
in Indis by 45. Buy a patch of land somewhere in Garhwal
or Himachal (It's tough to legally buy land there, I
know), get a golden Labrador, start a cosy little bakery
and watch the snow melt on the mountains. But is that
a Tata TL 4x4 I see parked next to my little home? Will
an evolved version of this handsome pick-up truck be
the one that'll take me up and down looping mountain
roads?
I've got some 15 years to go, time enough to experiment
with different vehicles in my daydreams. But if you're
planning to climb out of the void of urban life soon,
I suppose you'd have heard about the enormous, hefty-bullbar-and-bulging-wheel-arches-endowed
TL 4x4.
An absolute misfit on Mumbai's clamorous, crammed roads,
the handsome, 15-feet long pick-up truck nearly whoops
with joy at the prospect of open stretches. And this
is where that 90 bhp 1948cc turbodiesel (it's the hardworking
Safari engine with that mild turbo) gets a chance to
breathe deep. As long as you keep the tacho in the right
place the power-steering-equipped TL rides forth on
a crisp ribbon of power, though the car's braking abilities
- discs at front and drums at rear - need a bit more
attention. The ride is stiff, as it needs to be for
a pick-up truck, and I reckon the 1850-kg TL, which
rides on tubeless 16-inch Goodyears, will be able to
behave itself around corners unless you are a maniacal
hustler.
The interiors, with acres of grey plastic and an aircon
as the only goodie, disappoint, more so because this
is supposed to be a lifestyle vehicle. I'll cycle miles
to meet the men who decided that the TL can go sans
a sound system. Where's the logic in that?
Speaking of logic, maybe, the tag could have been a
lot less heftier. The 2WD double cab is about Rs 6-ish
lakh, while the 4x4 version costs nearly Rs 8 lakh and
a lot of post-retirement kitties will be seriously stressed
by that.
Tata, of course, is not the only one with pick-ups in
it's range. Mahindra too makes them and the 2500 cc,
72 bhp Bolero Camper DX is a hardy customer. The price?
Around Rs 5.5 lakh. Like the Tata TL, the Bolero's low
on creature comforts, but at that price, it is incredibly
attractive. According to a couple of sweet little birdies,
the Scorpio pick-up, on sale in South Africa, could
also find its way here.
Tata
TL 4x4
1948 cc turbocharged intercooled diesel; 90 bhp;
19 kgm@2000-3000 rpm;
Rs 8 lakh (4x4 version) Quick notes: Rugged customer,
but too basic and priced a bit too high
|
