[ebonho]

Just spoke to someone in the ARAI. Seems the launch will not be before March-April. Also seems like there is something that TATA is still working on with regard to the suspension of the SUV.

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by jkdas

If the handling. built quality, braking is improved, I will buy one again!

Mine has crossed 96k and each time I floor it, priceless!

I guess we all are used to the decade old design; many of us grew up seeing it. Some expected very aggressive design coz X500 design comes to your mind when you think big SUV.

Under the hood its the same old safari. They "may" have tweaked the suspension, but I seriously doubt there is any major change. I had taken a look under the car, and the only change seems to be the skid plates. They are much better quality now.

Originally Posted by jaysmokesleaves

The new 2011 & 2012 Landcruiser Prado , FJ cruiser and a few others still have the spare wheel mounted on the rear door. Its not about Macho-ism. Its about the additional utility they get from the extra 'FSI' which allows them to give an extra fuel tank which is necessary since the range on the single tank in most of these suv's isnt much to write home about. I could add pics but no point going OT. But its good to have better rear visibility on the Safari now.



What if the passenger wants to change a cd when the car is moving?
Its not for Tata to decide who will change the cd... in that case they might as well move the cd player to the passenger side and give driver controls on the steering. There can be no excuse for poor ergonomics when they take this long to re-develop a product.
I also notice the cup holders have been moved forward. What needs to be seen if these can be used ergonomically without having to stretch out.




+1 to both points.
I will however wait for them to sort out the new niggles for a year before I make my pitch.
Glad to see the 4wd low ratio gearbox has been retained.
I also hope that with this new iteration they have managed to improve quality of mechanical and electrical/electronic components and subsequent reliability.
I would have loved to have seen all disc brakes on all four wheels.
The reduced turning radius is a welcome change.
I also wish the backrest on the second row was adjustable.
17" rims are welcome.
The chocolate brown color looks nice too.

I also feel that TML is working on a new body for the Safari. The Storme is a temporary filler in between.
Considering that they have used the Aria mechanical underpinnings, they probably did not have enough time to come up with a new design body for the Safari.
I think we should see a totally new Safari with a new body(JLR inspired design) on frame(Aria) in about 12-18 months. And they will retain the existing Safari Storme and pitch the new one a notch higher.

I think the new platform we talk about is the X2. XUV kind of put water on Tata plans. They may have planned to slot the X2 platformed SUV above aria in the 15-17L range.

As for CD, now you can put CD in third gear. So no worries there

Originally Posted by gowda79

That you shall understand when you travel to the North where you will have to cross many hilly region and you will not find petrol bunks for kms.

Originally Posted by ebonho

I have been traveling on two wheels in the North (as well as most of India) extensively for close to 20 years now.

Is there any place in our country which does not have a functioning fuel pump for more than 365 kms?

Which means the current Safari on a single tank can do a round-trip of such a sector, without refueling at the turnaround point.

I think 65L is good enough, but 85L is better. On some circuits I do, I need to have 1000kms range. With 9kmpl average at that altitude, this requires 105L of fuel. With a 80 L tank, I just need to carry one jerrycan, instead of 2

Originally Posted by ebonho

Just spoke to someone in the ARAI. Seems the launch will not be before March-April. Also seems like there is something that TATA is still working on with regard to the suspension of the SUV.

I hope they have done something about the suspension. From what I saw, all changes appear purely cosmetic. It does not even get the dual mass flywheel engine.

According to the gents standing there(so take it with a pinch of salt), the safari StormE and the old safari will be sold side by side.

The StormE will have EX4x4, definitely, and may cost around 40K more.

The big thing which kind of got lost, is that Tata is going to start Tata customization, just like Mahindra. So that butch safari with winch and ARB bumpers, you can actually buy that. I, for one, would love an ARB bumper on the front.

[rrsteer]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Under the hood its the same old safari. They "may" have tweaked the suspension, but I seriously doubt there is any major change. I had taken a look under the car, and the only change seems to be the skid plates. They are much better quality now.


I think the new platform we talk about is the X2. XUV kind of put water on Tata plans. They may have planned to slot the X2 platformed SUV above aria in the 15-17L range.

As for CD, now you can put CD in third gear. So no worries there

If so, I don't understand why they took so long to launch this upgrade, and what were they testing on the road for so long?
If this Safari is just more of a cosmetic upgrade, I would really wish that Tata gets a proper stick in the back from the market.

[shortbread]

@ rrsteer,

But how do you know that the improvements are only cosmetic?!

No one in this forum has driven the Storme, so how does one measure the improvements vis a vis the existing Safari?!

Its confirmed that the Storme is based on the X2 chassis, one will have to wait for a proper review to understand how much of a progress this car has made.

[jaysmokesleaves]

If TATA really wants to make money then they should stop selling the existing Safari and then sell only the New Storme at a price that undercuts all versions of the Scorpio by 50k each.
There is no point pitching the Storme against the XUV. They rather kill the Scorpio with this one since the Sumo Grande is a DUD.

Then they should retain the existing discounted pricing of the Aria on all variants not just the base version and this should me marketed very well.

And whenever they launch a new suv in 12-18 months they should come up with a winning product in the 11-15 lakh category and kill em all with one stone while they launch a brand new Safari replacement in the 7-11 lakh category.
And they should get JLR suv's to sell in the 15 lakh category upwards.
That should be a sizable variety in the Tata stable from 7 lakh onwards in the suv segment. Its all about killer pricing and unbeatable value.

And all of the above wont work if they dont have good QC and reliable products.

[rrsteer]

Originally Posted by rrsteer

If so, I don't understand why they took so long to launch this upgrade, and what were they testing on the road for so long?
If this Safari is just more of a cosmetic upgrade, I would really wish that Tata gets a proper stick in the back from the market.

Originally Posted by shortbread

@ rrsteer,

But how do you know that the improvements are only cosmetic?!

No one in this forum has driven the Storme, so how does one measure the improvements vis a vis the existing Safari?!

Its confirmed that the Storme is based on the X2 chassis, one will have to wait for a proper review to understand how much of a progress this car has made.

Hi shortbread,

Please read my comment again and try to understand the context in which I wrote it.

Firstly, I quoted Tsk1979 who said the changes are most likely cosmetic. Secondly, after quoting Tsk1979 and since he also was not fully sure about the nature of the improvements, I started my statement with an 'IF' . Hope you now get what I was trying to say

[justwheels]

Well, Tata's are always up for surprises. They started off with surprises for the customer, now they surprise themselves (pun intended). I mean the new Safari "Storme" should be renamed to Safari "Chrome". I mean come on please, its an SUV for godsake. You cant just add oodles of chrome like this.
Nonetheless, my two cents:

+ves I see:

- Nice JLR type head lamps
- Nice rubber size
- Interiors look refurbished and of good quality
- They will still sell old Safari in tandem ( )

-ves I see:

- Back is boxy, not to my taste
- You cant think of getting customers switch from XUV 500.
- Less masculinity, too much talked Off, nothing delivered.

Wonder what were they testing all these years. Wonder if this is the "Merlin" or they still working on it and for the Expo, just launched a 'cosmetically' tweaked Safari.

I am rather disappointed. Its surely not that bad, but the predecessor had more teeth than this one.

[condor]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Just spoke to someone in the ARAI. Seems the launch will not be before March-April. Also seems like there is something that TATA is still working on with regard to the suspension of the SUV.

Got an SMS for the Storme today, from TML. It said the Storme will be launched later this year.

[amitg79]

That bonnet can double up as a helipad. Its just so.... barren and featureless.

[shibujp]

Originally Posted by GTO

Safari looks are now toned down. More "gentleman" than "dude in torn jeans + boots". Not everyone will like:
Attachment 864643

Viewed from the front three-quarter the Storme looks a bit boxy and Sumo-Grande like. The chrome strip on the bonnet lip looks out of place and so does the fact that it eats into the headlight.

The side look more "cleaned up" and refined. The design cues on the rear tail gate like the grey piece under the rear windshield prevent the tailgate from looking slab sided. However a certain portion of the "butch" look has been lost. The repositioning of the spare wheel will be a sigh of relief for Safari owned who have issues with the tail gate mounted wheels. Design wise I think the XUV has still got the drop on the Storme.

Drive on,
Shibu

[KkVaidya]

Originally Posted by justwheels

Wonder what were they testing all these years. Wonder if this is the "Merlin" or they still working on it and for the Expo, just launched a 'cosmetically' tweaked Safari.

Yes. This IS the 'Merlin' everyone was talking about. The hype was too much compared to the result.

[justwheels]

Where is the "Merlin" in this Storme. I have been a die hard admirer of the Tata's for their daring launches, but this looks like an outcome of a confused lot. Seems the XUV has made a big hole in the TML think tank. Their cars are becoming trucks (driving styles), and SUV becoming Car'ish. I once read a Safari review, it said " It's the nearest you can get to a truck". Now seems "this is the nearest you can get to a car (in a SUV)".

Price it at 6-7L and then you might outsell Scorpio, else you will sell more of old Safari. TML Listening.

[shaksboss]

Too much is being said about the absence of the rear mount wheel. I think tata has taken a safer bet here considering the noise created by the weight imbalances used to a constant grouse for existing safari owners. If they have really improved the handling and eliminated the constant niggles, they have a winner at the RIGHT PRICE. XUV attributes a lot to the launch price remember..!

[GunMo]

Originally Posted by mkaysaw

As soon as i saw the pictures of the interior, this is the first thing that came to my mind! Shocking to see that it could be such a straight design lift from Jaguar and nobody noticed!
It could just be that the design chief working for TATA was given an XK for the weekend and the new safari exterior is what he came up with...

Originally Posted by Palio_2005

I see many old safari users extremely disappointed. The front is no doubt inspired by LR and so is the interior and steering wheel...

Originally Posted by LDJ

Lotta people still glued onto the old butch design but I feel Tata has tried to get the Range Rover-ish kinda design here with this new design. It has that subtle yet elegant feel to it...

I quite fail to understand where the J and/or LR cues coming in!

Possibly the design team had big postures of XFs (I hope that's for interiors - right, mkaysaw?) and RR Sport in their studio with instructions to keep staring at them on every 15 minute interval. :LOL:

Originally Posted by ACM

Trust me the Interiors are actually much better than the current one in terms of the quality of materials and ergonomics as well.

The sad bit is that this is not really loaded with features (like the XUV) but interior quality is actually more or less what we would expect in the price point that it is now expected to come at and for an SUV type vehicle. (of course for the price.)

Could they have done better - hell yes - Climate controls, Integrated 2 Din Infortainment, steering mounted controls, MID, Auto lights, wipers etc.

But this is still the best safari ever, They should though have had a darker shade option for the interiors.

Yes this "Safari Storm" is the Merlin. Merlin was internal code name.

:-O if this the result of all their "research & development" these years, then god save TML. I sincerely hope this is just stop gap while they are polishing their REAL Merlin.

May be the best Safari still, if they are only competing within their brands. Time they look around and start moving forward - not backward!

[g_prajeesh]

I would always like to own a SUV which caters the real requirement with out any niggles so that I can take it with confidence to anywhere.

I don't want an MS office where it has a lot of futures and functions and all users uses only 20 % of that functions/ futures. Even in that 20 % futures it fails many time.

This is the way many VFM vehicles provide. I have to spend a lot of money to visit the service center. Many people including me are not aware of technical part of the vehicle and if they ask me to change this and that and pay for him. I rather prefer a vehicle which give me essential functions with out any problem and need not to visit service center frequently.

So if the existing safari's niggles are sorted out and it will give me the essential functions as a SUV, I prefer the Storme. I don't mind if the spare wheel went to underpin. Also people are cribbing about it with out doing actual road test and even the price is not yet disclosed.