Capital Equipment News

CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS

AUGUST 2015

he compact Tata Super Ace one ton

cab-over pick-up, which was launched

in South Africa in 2012, has under-

gone a host of improvements and updates

with the introduction of the latest EX2 mod-

el. This is now a unique model in the local

light commercial vehicle market following

the withdrawal of the Daihatsu brand and

its similar Gran Max forward control pick-

up from South Africa last year. The Super

Ace EX2 has no fewer than 60 specification

changes compared to its predecessor.

“A number of these changes are skin deep,

but they all contribute to an ever better

product with markedly higher quality levels,”

says Kyri Michael, the new CEO of Accordian

Investments, the company in the Associat-

ed Motor Holdings division of the Imperial

Group responsible for Tata cars and light

commercials.

“Many of the changes and quality improve-

ments are the result of feedback from cus-

tomers and dealers in South Africa, indicating

the importance with which Tata Motors, the

largest motor company in India, rates local

market needs.

The Super Ace has the longest load bed of

one-ton pick-ups in SA at 2.63 m and the

drop side body has a deck height of only

60 cm which makes for ease of loading and

unloading. The load body, which is 1.5 m

wide, gives a total load area of 3.8 m

. It is

unimpeded by wheelwells as is the case with

conventional pick-ups. It has a turning circle

of only 10.2 m which provides easy manoeu-

vrability in congested traffic conditions.

These features make the Tata Super Ace ideal

for a host of urban applications from couriers

to nurseries, gardening services, plumbers,

building suppliers, handymen and furniture

stores. A number of different canopies and

a rack for carrying ladders and the like are

already available from Tata dealers to suit

various usage applications.

Among the technical changes in the Super

Ace EX2 are: a four-layer insulation package

to reduce the transmission of heat to the oc-

cupants in the cab, a change in the position

of the engine oil dipstick which has resulted

in an alteration to the seat design, an up-

dated cooling system with a larger radiator,

chrome-plated pads on the gearbox forks to

make gear shifting smoother, while a water

separator has been added to the fuel system

and the seat belt length has been increased

by 300 mm to suit the wider girths of some

South Africans.

There are also a number of cosmetic chang-

es, of which the most noticeable is change in

the colour of the interior from grey to black.

Other changes that differentiate the EX2

model are the incorporation of cup holders

and an oddments tray on top of the engine

cover, washable floor covering, a ‘Turbo’

mascot on the left hand door, a one-ton stick-

er on the tailgate, wheel covers on the LE

model, a chrome lip on the front grille of the

DLE variant and EX2 badging.

Both models are well equipped, with standard

power steering, remote central locking and

engine immobiliser, heater/demister, fabric

seat covering, adjustable bucket seats for the

driver and passenger, digital clock, lockable

glovebox, 12 Vdc power outlet, height-adjust-

able headlights, lockable fuel flap, rear pro-

tection bat, battery guard, collapsible steering

column, load sensitive brake equaliser and

side impact beams.

The more expensive DLE model adds air

conditioning, wheel covers, power windows,

fog lamps, remote adjustment for the exte-

rior rear-view mirrors, grab handles and co-

lour-coded bumpers.

The engine and transmission are all designed

in-house by Tata Motors. The four-cylinder

turbo intercooled diesel power unit of 1,4 l

develops 52 kW of power at 4 500 r/min and

peak torque is 135 Nm at 2 500 r/min. The

engine drives the rear axle through a five-

speed manual transmission.

Claimed fuel economy is 7,2l/100 km on the

combined cycle. Maximum gradeability is

39 % and the claimed top speed is 125 km/h.

The independent front suspension and leaf

sprung rear axle provide a comfortable ride.

Braking is by a disc/drum combination with a

valve to balance hydraulic pressure according

to the load.

“Now that we have the only compact one-ton

forward control pick-up in the local market,

we believe we can grow our market share

substantially, particularly with the raft of

improvements, competitive pricing and val-

ue-added benefits included in the retail price.

The new Super Ace EX2 offers SMME’s a

great product for their smaller businesses,”

concludes Kyri Michael.

TATA SUPER ACE EX2 CAB-OVER PICK-UP

undergoes improvements

TRANSPORT