Tata Merlin - Safari replacement? *UPDATE* Uncovered Pics on Pg 90

[shortbread]

@ Parm,

Where did you get your info about the 'all new Safari' and that it is going to be influenced by LR design, let alone be a photoshopped picture of a Discovery!!

First of all, Land/Range Rovers are going through a design change themselves for the next generation. Range Rovers are going to follow the Evoque theme when the all new models (code L405) based on the next gen all aluminium platform coming out in late 2012. The Discovery will no longer share platform with the RR Sport.

Land Rovers are supposed to be getting more utilitarian with the next gen Discovery to be based on the 'Project Icon' platform. This will be also used on the all new Defender, the concept (DC100) will be revealed in less than two weeks at Frankfurt. But all this is still under discussion including the possibility of using India as a production site to bring the cost of the Land Rover range down.

Therefore the questions I have are:

1. How do you know an 'all new Safari' based on design 'Heavily influenced by LR' when Gaydon themselves are undergoing discussions about the future design direction of LR?!
2. It is highly unlikely that the so called 'all new Safari's' design is frozen if it is still 5 years away from launch (as per your comments) and even less likely to be a copy paste job of the present generation Discovery.
3. What platform is this 'all new Safari' to be based on?! I ask this because I hear strong rumors that the Project Icon platform will use India as a manufacturing base and Tata sharing this for their own products!! Albeit this project is still under discussions at Gaydon.
4. What are your sources, don't name them but at least reveal as to how you have confirmed their credibility, if such sources do exist?!!

As far as the Merlin is concerned, a simple facelift does not justify the camouflaged testing nor the time Tata has taken in developing this project. Simply because the sheet metal stays the same one cannot gauge the engineering overhaul that has gone into the product by simply looking at spy pics.

No offense but I do not find any substance behind your ramblings as to how the Merlin is primarily a cosmetic job; how the 'all new Safari' will mean the existing Safari will become obsolete; how can one expect discounts on the Safari now when you claim the all new one is 5 years away ?!!

I would love to be proven wrong with some concrete evidence. Regards.

[Bailee_Jatt_Boy]

Is it just me or is there any one else who thinks that this break in the body line is hideous!

Laziness of part of the design department, anyone?

[kaviprem]

^^ The above is discussed in and out and in all possible lengths for few pages before. The last pics in page 40 doesnt show this marked part. Hopefully, its taken care.

Prem.

[Parm]

Originally Posted by shortbread

@ Parm,

Where did you get your info about the 'all new Safari' and that it is going to be influenced by LR design, let alone be a photoshopped picture of a Discovery!!

all i can say is, keep watching this thread...it will be a long one!

[himanshugoswami]

SB, what you and Parm have said are actually the same things. Let me add my 2 cents here.

the all new Safari will definitey be based on a LR platform, or should we say, its the other way around?

The net Gen Freelander/LR3 and the ALL NEW Safari will share common underpinnings and teh development is already in an advanced stage. This commonality will extend to the engines as well, and what I can tell you with a fari degree of cetainly is that the new Safari will feature a 3.0 L V6 Dicor, that will be a LR engine, albiet in a different (lower) state of tune. It will also feature HDC.

The design is far from frozen, but to give some idea, the concept will be similar to what Suzuki/GM?fiat followed for their common cars- similar design with some tweaks for corporate identity, and independant branding.
The development is actually not too far from completion, but there is a long gap between engineering development and product roll out, so it is anybody's guess how many years will the all new Safari take.

[tushky]

Originally Posted by kaviprem

^^ The above is discussed in and out and in all possible lengths for few pages before. The last pics in page 40 doesnt show this marked part. Hopefully, its taken care.

Prem.

it is still there. and i think thats the final design.

[kaviprem]

^^ All I can say is you have good eyes Lets see the final product. I am also hoping that its changed or something.

Prem.

[mercedised]

Finally we have the interior pictures:

Tata Safari Merlin spied inside out - IAB Exclusive



SOURCE: Indian Autos Blog | Indian Automobile Blog | Auto News India | Car News India

Not impressive I must say!

[speedmiester]

The interiors are a big disappointment in the Merlin.
I am not sure whether that is an ACC unit. The headlight selector knob is added akin to many European cars. The instrument panel does look little dated and has nothing new with it.

[julupani]

I think the above test mule has been tested till it falls off, looking at the amount of scratches and dirt it has. I think it also has a a few pieces of the lower half of the dashboard missing. I see no glove box on the left, also some exposed locking holes near the headlight controls.

Also the colour schemes of different plastic pieces dont seem to be consistent, that is its got parts from what will eventually be different colour schemes in the final product. I can see black, beige, brown, fake wood, aluminium finishes in that one pic. One thing that tells me is like in the Aria, we can expect quite a few different combos of interior finishes. Also, the underlying quality of the parts looks much improved from the present Safari.

Though we are getting the first idea of what the new interiors will look like, but the picture is still far from complete. Tata have succeeded very well indeed in keeping the interiors a secret for this long.

Overall, the jury is still out there coming up with its verdict.

[Fortuner71]

Maybe this is the low end 4X2 variant. Iam sure there will be a high end 4X4 variant with a lot more features like the audio controls on the steering etc . Lets wait for the launch and not jump into conclusions as yet . Lets give TATA a chance to prove themselves, as they have been trying to with Aria and the updated Vista .

[harimakesh]

Dash Looks very un-inspiring, dull, and cheap (chinese) design especially the side a/c vents are 90's design.

If this is the final production dash design, Tata should be priced very well south of 10L .

[directinjection]

Originally Posted by himanshugoswami

This commonality will extend to the engines as well, and what I can tell you with a fari degree of cetainly is that the new Safari will feature a 3.0 L V6 Dicor, that will be a LR engine, albiet in a different (lower) state of tune. It will also feature HDC.

So they aren't going to use the new 3 litre, 4 cylinder unit developed for LCVs in collaboration with AVL? Earlier reports had suggested they'll use it on Safari as well. It should be a much cheaper option due to high localisation and production figures.

[himanshugoswami]

lets wait for the final design....one thing is for sure, the interiors are all new ....But per my infor the Merlin was to have integrated stereo- so this may be an early prototype.

[ashis89]

I have been gaga over the safari right since the day it was launched 13yrs ago. The ads by TATA just fueled my fire. The fire burns till date,yet it seems to run out of fuel. Sorry for my blabbering. The Safari was 'modern' vehicle at the time it was launched,may be a bit ahead of its time. There were QC and reliability issues some of which are yet to be addressed till date. Safari is no more modern as TM has failed to upgrade it significantly. I had great expectations from Merlin and sad say,I am disappointed. The interiors are cheap and the exterior has lost its CHARM,the same charm which it had managed to hold this 13 long years