TATA SFC 407

On the inside, the Tata SFC 407 looks as basic as it can and reminds you of the fact that it is actually one of the most cost-effective trucks in terms of the moolah it asks. It lacks any level of modernity, which is understandable, considering the fact that it is actually almost a four-decade old design which has gone under negligible changes.

The four-spoke steering wheel looks quite huge for a vehicle of this size and has a large centre boss, which gives you a commanding view of the driver’s cockpit. The instrument console behind it has dated looking all analogue dials which are uniquely shaped in a squared manner and are in total encased in a rectangular unit, thus making the driver’s cockpit look very boring.

Speaking of rectangles, the entire dashboard has the rectangular theme carried over for AC vents and centre console, which looks very drab with its basic vertical layout. However, it does house a simple single DIN music system with radio functionality.

The Tata SFC 407 is one of the very few trucks in the world which have succeeded in breaking the monotony of trucks having a squared or rectangular design on the outside. It’s compact yet has a good road presence which is neither too striking nor too dull.

At the front, the Tata SFC 407 has a raked front windshield which is curved on the outer edges and has a raked front bonnet just like in passenger cars, which make it look much more aerodynamic than the conventional trucks we have come across so far till date.

The high placed front bonnet tapers down in a vertical manner towards the front fascia, which has a longitudinally stretched black casing, comprising of headlamp clusters on the outer edges and the trapezoidal front grille which has rounded lower edges.

The headlamps are rectangular in shape and are adjoined with amber coloured turn indicators on farther edges of this front fascia. The front bumper has a very simple design and lacks any kind of fog lamps or auxiliary lights.

The Tata SFC 407 has rugged mechanicals comprising of heavy-duty forged I beam reverse elliot type front axle and single reduction, hypoid gears, fully floating axle shafts for the rear axle. The semi-elliptical leaf springs at both the front as well as rear sound basic but do an extremely fine job in carrying heavy loads for its size. The Tata SFC 407 is equipped with vacuum-assisted dual-circuit hydraulic brakes which do a fine job in bringing it to a halt with good progression.

The Tata SFC 407 sources its power from an age-old 3.0-litre inline-four diesel engine, which has been serving this truck ever from past many years. This old warhorse is paired to a simple 5-speed manual gearbox and churns out a maximum power output of 75 PS and a peak torque output of 225 Nm.

While these figures sound very unenthusiastic on paper, in real-world though, it suffices enough to make this truck extremely tractable. The speed too is rated at a respectable at 105 kmph.

Given that it is a simple and built to a cost truck with no significant changes to it since last three decades, the Tata SFC 407 is devoid of many safety features of modern era and gets just manual central locking as the only noteworthy safety feature here.

The Tata SFC 407 might not be a modern package in a whole and is let down by dated cabin layout and powertrain. But when it comes to durability, there is no other compact truck which does its job with the sincerity levels of the Tata SFC 407. The different looking exterior design and tractable mechanicals make up for a good truck to start one’s commercial journey.