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Sonalika Rhino: India's Lamborghini?
August 27, 2007
To test their claims, I headed to their factory in Amb, Himachal Pradesh to try out the latest iteration. Sonalika have set up a 24,000 unit a year capacity state-of-the-art plant to manufacture the Rhino, and from first impressions, the facility is right up there, among the best in the country. Really. It is completely dust-free, is superbly equipped and the paintshop is good enough for Tata Motors to despatch a 1,000 of their Ace mini-pickups a month to get painted.
But the right tools alone don't make for a great car, the way one uses them does too. Sonalika have spent most of their time addressing the needs of the moffusil populace of the country, but that didn't stop them from hiring Lotus Engineering to spruce up the MUV.
Yes, the same guys owned by Proton who also once owned Lamborghini and are acknowledged to be the best in the world for engineering vehicle dynamics. Lotus engineers spent six months sprucing up the overall vehicle dynamics, fine tuning every little bit along the way.
I got behind the wheel of one of the cars that had just rolled out of the assembly line, ready for a post-delivery inspection. It's not everyday that even auto journalists like us get to do the job of a company road-tester, and since there was an 800-metre test track at my disposal, what the heck. Twist the ignition key and then cover your ears.
On start-up the Rhino Rx is loud, but it would be. The HM-Avtec engine that featured in the initial lot has now been retired for a direct injection-turbocharged diesel, co-developed with MG Rover. MG Rover? Yes, the British firm may have gone bust now, but that was a temporary hiccup in ICML's ambitions. They continued with the same MG Rover engineers who had setup their own consultancies to ensure that there would be a new engine in the Rx.
So while the N (noise) has not been worked upon much, a lot of effort has gone behind reducing the V (vibration) of the motor. Around the track, the car picked up well, the 1994cc engine with its 100 horses at 4200 revs willingly responds to brushes with the accelerator pedal.
With 22 kgm of torque at 2400 rpm and four occupants inside, it pulled well, with just a little hesitation from the tight engine that had only eight km on the clock. Leaving the test track behind, I got on to the highway. And there's where the Rhino Rx came into its element.
The long-leggedness of the engine immediately had a box ticked off on the comparison list - it has got the better of the Qualis. Where the Toyota would fall out of the power band quickly, the Rhino's mid-range made it a joy around the hills. The gears could do without the last bit of notchiness, and the clutch could do with a little more travel, but remember, it was a brand new powertrain and would need to cover a few hundred km before it settles down.
Text: Rohin Nagrani
Also read: Porsche 911 Turbo: Magic on wheels
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