[AVR]

Originally Posted by nirdayitantrik

I am reiterating this again, but 15" wheels on a tank is dastardly ridiculous. Who liked an elephant with the legs of a fox? Why this weird hybridization?

Just to be clear its not the overall diameter but the rim size. You can get 35"inch tyres to fit on that so that it's not a "fox"

Anyways, fanboys and detractors aside, The motorbeam site talks about a few interesting things:

1) ~290 NM torque from around 1200 rpm. That's an improvement (Basic chart reading skills from here
2) Claim of 1.5L km driving cycle without a timing drive breakdown
3) Black interiors!
4) Increased fuel capacity and better efficiency
5) A claimed 30% reduction in service costs over earlier model

Yes nothing from the above is gizmo-friendly but if its true, its a good value-add.

Critical omissions and issues:
1) Disc brakes at the rear
2) LX 4wd

Perhaps if we stop judging a vehicle on the basis of a 2-DIN system and non-critical bells and whistles, it's a decent job.

Hope the pricing is brought down a bit.

Cheers,
Adi

[gauravdgr8]

Something in the older and newer version snap is missing. There seems to be no difference on the EX over the VX.

They have tried to make the STORME more affordable in terms of service and upkeep with lower service intervals and lesser oil change on major parts.

STORME continues to look good. Who bothers about the lower sales.

[pjbiju]

One thing that I would have really liked to have in the face-lifted version is Automatic Climate Control. Sad that it is still not there. And a proper MID would have been good too.

For long tourers the increase in fuel tank capacity from 55 to 63 is good.

As per the leaked product guide, the basic service interval has been reduced to 10000 km or 6 months, whichever is earlier. I think this is not good. The current Storme has a basic service interval of 1 year.

[Bigzero]

I will be very interested to see the car in flesh, and do a test drive. I always prefer dark/black interiors, and the pics look good - the major issue for me is whether they have moved forward in fit and finish - both interiors and exteriors - which had been an issue earlier. If they have, that is a big plus!

Its a tempting proposition, though one has to wait till they declare the price. Will it maintain a VFM position? I hope so!

Other aspects like the ongoing issue about shock absorbers, rear seat configuration, etc could swing either way, but overall I do have a positive vibe about this - at least for the top-end. On LX I think they are strictly planning for the cost-conscious buyer who perhaps doesnt care much for safety etc.

Its still not clear what the VX version has over the EX, when it comes to safety features...

Edit - if the torque comes from a much lower RPM as we hear, does one require the sixth gear, considering that the existing 5-gear set up is reasonably tall?

Also - cruise control is something that should have been there ... I hope they have covered it in VX version... the brochure is a bit unclear there ( or have I missed it)

[nirdayitantrik]

Originally Posted by AVR

Just to be clear its not the overall diameter but the rim size. You can get 35"inch tyres to fit on that so that it's not a "fox"

Anyways, fanboys and detractors aside, The motorbeam site talks about a few interesting things:

if we stop judging a vehicle on the basis of a 2-DIN system and non-critical bells and whistles, it's a decent job.

Hope the pricing is brought down a bit.

Cheers,
Adi

I am aware about "beefier" tyres on a smaller rim. But it does look odd on a big vehicle. The rim/tyre combination must be in proper proportion. It is here that the compromise has been made. As for the fanboy/detractor comment, I could not comprehend whom you are trying to refer to, but it does seem a bit implicating and juvenile.

[advaitlele]

Disappointed.
This is a classic example and MBA case study on how to kill a flagship product, slow poison?

Whatever TML guys are thinking, it is
Good morning and get well soon.

PS : This is coming from a die hard Tata fan (I have owned Xeta for 7 years without any problem) and a person whose first crush during teens was a Safari with a dream to drive it one day. Some dreams don't come true ! :(

[AVR]

Originally Posted by nirdayitantrik

I am aware about "beefier" tyres on a smaller rim. But it does look odd on a big vehicle. The rim/tyre combination must be in proper proportion. It is here that the compromise has been made.

The tyre changes 235/75R15 vs 235/70R16 aren't very different in overall diameter so shouldn't be a significant impact. I still wouldn't term it as a deal-breaker or a compromise.

Originally Posted by nirdayitantrik

As for the fanboy/detractor comment, I could not comprehend whom you are trying to refer to, but it does seem a bit implicating and juvenile.

Wasn't aimed at you buddy. Just ended up pasting your quote above my post. Given that it's a Tata thread, you'll see both a lot
In any case, I don't want to be in the wrong books of a nirdayi tantrik

Cheers,
Adi

[ptushar]

Just saw the massive increase in pages and I thought. "Yay! Looks like its launched finally". Went on to read this and ended up feeling a bit sad.

In any case, does anyone have an idea on when is the official launch date?

[rajismine]

as per hyderabad, the new vehicle will be here in a week

[AviG]

More clarity on the Spec/Feature Comparisons here

[Strangerintown]

Originally Posted by AVR

Just to be clear its not the overall diameter but the rim size. You can get 35"inch tyres to fit on that so that it's not a "fox"

Yes, you can get beefier tyres. In any case, if I remember right, the TCIC Safari came with 15" wheel rims as well. However, higher profile tyres will impact handling, something the Safari can ill afford!

Originally Posted by pjbiju

For long tourers the increase in fuel tank capacity from 55 to 63 is good.

Agreed. That is a big plus. For me the reduction in tank capacity to 55 litres on the Storme was a deal breaker. For a vehicle that is primarily designed for long distance touring (realistically speaking! It is designed for 4WD action but that would be less than 1% of its real life use case), a limited range is a serious draw back.

Originally Posted by AVR

In any case, I don't want to be in the wrong books of a nirdayi tantrik
Cheers,
Adi

Haha!

[narayan]

Originally Posted by AVR

4) Increased fuel capacity and better efficiency
5) A claimed 30% reduction in service costs over earlier model

I wonder how they released additional space for the fuel tank. By any chance is the spare wheel a 13" or 12" wheel

Also keen to know how service costs are 30% down. Looks like the service intervals are now 10000kms or 6 months against the current 15000kms or 1 year. So with an reduced interval how have they achieved lower cost ?

[rrsteer]

Sometimes I read that folks from Tata rummage Team-Bhp. I wonder what they do it for? Perhaps, the travelogue section to get a break from the harsh realities of the marketplace.

Some of their product plans baffles me. I'd really like to talk to some of the decision makers from TML, to understand their constraints/psyche/decision making process. I bet it would be enlightening or funny or both.

[rajismine]

So here it comes: 2015 Tata Safari Facelift Starts At Rs. 9.99 Lakhs for the entry level LX variant (ex-showroom, Delhi).
BTW, looks like only LX will retain Black + Beige interiors and rest all are completely black
The Headlamps are now Projector with PES Ring. Any clue what this ring is? is it Angel eye like BMW? I doubt though

[durgesh]

I think Tata is planning to price Storme in the range of scorpio pricing. If Tata is able to price LX in the range of 8.99 - 9.49 Lakh, EX in the range of 9.99 -10.49 Lakh and VX in the range of 10. 49 - 11 .49 ex-showroom Mumbai, it will be a winner.

I guess Tata was waiting for Hexa to be launch ready to finally launch facelifted version of Storme, otherwise testing for more than one year for such facelift cannot be justified, especially in the light such minimal sale. Hexa may be priced in the range of 11-14 Lakh. It would be logical on the part of Tata to launch Hexa, within less than three months from launch of facelifted Storme.