ICML Rhino S2 - Wild Wild Rhino

The Rhino from almost every angle resembles the Qualis. Dimension-wise it's almost as big as the Qualis except for being a bit wider and higher. However, it still looks better than the Qualis, thanks to the bigger 15-inch wheels, those lovely chromed headlights and the twin-pod clear lens tail lights. The overall look of the Rhino is very pleasing, if not out and out beautiful. ICML have in-house paint, press and body shops and the effort they have put in to make this machine speaks for itself. Keeping in mind that this is their first passenger vehicle, the overall fit and finish, especially the surface quality, is very good. Well, if you do look closely, you may find uneven body panels, but then at the price for which the Rhino retails, you couldn't have asked for more. Speaking to Ashish Tarte, AGM, R&D, just before writing this article, we were told that the company has been improving fit and finish significantly and the units now been produced are much better than the one we drove. Judging by the fact that the whole design has been done in-house, the end product does look very nice and promising.

Stepping inside, with the front seat pushed all the way back; there is enough room for the tallest of drivers. My 6-foot frame felt at home in the driver's seat, which did feel comfortable enough for the 3-hour drive I had ahead of me. You get a good view of the road ahead and the surroundings as well. The facia looks good with the aluminium inserts, but touch it and you realise the quality of the material used. The instrument console is fully loaded with a 160km/h speedometer, a tachometer (standard on the base model too and marked till 7000rpm!), fuel and temperature gauges and tell tale lights. The space in the middle and back rows is rather generous, provided the front seats aren't pushed all the way back. The best way to describe the interiors would be 'neat and clean'! At the back, three adults can sit comfortably but four would be a tight fit. These jump seats can be folded and tied up to liberate a decent amount of luggage space. In the higher spec variant, there are independent rear blowers too. The jack has been placed very cleverly under the middle row and the spare tyre finds itself placed below the floor, just like in the Qualis.

The Rhino was conceptualised and engineered in technical collaboration with the MG Rover Powertrain, UK, but the current mill is an Isuzu one. This 2000cc engine, which also does duty on the Ambassador has been turbo-charged and puts out 75PS with a torque rating of 152Nm. These figures do look good on paper for a vehicle weighing 1603kilos but the problem lies in the way the oil burner develops its max power and torque, which at 4200rpm and 2500rpm respectively is very high for a diesel. The fact is diesel engines are not designed to be revved to the limit to get the best from them. Moreover, the Rhino does disappoint to an extent. While driving on the NH-88, which goes to McLeodganj, the hilly roads, with their share of inclines did prove that the engine needed to be kept above 3500rpm to make serious

Very few will take the Rhino for a splash like this but if you do try it, you will come out, not with a shiny Rhino but surely with a wide smile on your face.

The cabin is airy and the versions now being rolled out of the plant have a better quality facia, however, the steering wheel does obstruct the view of the speedometer console

A 2-litre turbodiesel Isuzu does the honours here, but in the present versions the power seems all closetted in the higher reaches of the rev band. There is a lot of potential though to make the engine perform better progress. But before I could highlight this problem, the company engineer did mention that ICML is already working on this aspect. Nonetheless, on normal roads with the A/C on and three people on board, she pulled neatly and although I couldn't push her too much, company officials claim that the Rhino will do 120km/h with ease. NVH levels again need to be looked at. Maybe use of better insulating material at the right places would help to isolate the cabin from outside noise.

Source: Car India April 2006.