[mayuresh]

Originally Posted by rrsteer

1) Those whose wallets are already stretched while buying a Safari LX. In which case XUV is a further Rs 2.8L-3L away, and they will be really straining their finances.

I was interested in GX w/o 4x4. Obviously in price-feature equation it does not stand in comparison with XUV at current level of prices.

Besides the factors you mentioned, what about other factors:

I have not had a chance to TD or closely see XUV. So a few questions.

1. Space. Particularly can you carry stuff like kids' bicycle along with other baggage on a trip? I think you can do that in a Safari.

2. Driver's seating height. Not sure about XUV vs Safari on this. (I'm not referring to vehicle's height. Rather the seating position of driver - more from point of view of getting a good road view.)

3. Did not get the ground clearance figure of XUV to the extent I searched. How does that compare? (I'm sure a few mms don't matter in the whole equation. Just curious.)

[souravdebiswas]

I was about to buy the Safari VX 4*4 until i saw the XUV. Anyway, the XUV bookings are off for the moment. Today I took a test drive of the Safari 4*4 VX. Somehow, after taking the earlier ride on the XUV, I feel the Safari may not be worthwhile to buy for me at this stage (though handling seems fine, but certain creature comforts are missing, which my wife will definetely object to when I am shelling out this much money).

I was looking for the Safari primarily for the reason to begin some off-roading activities. But then sense seems to be prevailing which tells me that may be I will try to do off-roading once or twice a year, so what about the rest of the days in the year? In that case buying a Safari with so many known problems does not make sense. Its probably better to buy the XUV with so much features and good road handling capabilities. Maybe I cannot do hardcore off-roading, but atleast this car (AWD version) can do minimal off-roading which I would like to do occassionally. Maybe the Safari is an excellent off-roader, but with the features of the latest XUV, I found the balance of convenience tilting towards the XUV.

Anyway, just thought I will let you know that currently Rama Motors in Delhi is offering the following price for the Safari VX 4*4

On Road Price - Rs. 14.75 lakh.
Discount (total) = 39000 (insurance) + 6000 (corp discount) + 10000 (additional discount).

Therefore total onroad price come to about Rs. 14.20 lakh.

And right now the only colors readily available on this VX version are the Pearl White and Black. Any other color would require a waiting of atleast about a month.

Anyway, I think I will defer my decision to buy the new car. Maybe I will wait until the XUV bookings are re-opened, or after the Merlin is launched.

Guys - Do you think this is a right decision or should I still go ahead with Safari? I am in a thoroughly confused situation.

-
Sourav

[ajay0612]

Originally Posted by souravdebiswas

Guys - Do you think this is a right decision or should I still go ahead with Safari? I am in a thoroughly confused situation.

In any case, XUV won't reach your home before next 6 months (booked capacity ). So it is better to at least wait for Merlin which is expected to have much better interiors and if priced similarly (to current Safari), will prove to be bang for the bucks. Wait atleast till new year January Auto Expo. It is better to wait for few months for a product which is likely to spend few years with you.
Current Safari is not worth so much money with its ancient interiors!

[ambujlal]

Looking at the new kid on the block, XUV, Tata should just drop all the "X" from their life, LX, EX, GX, VX or any other "X'es" and come up with Merlin features in all their Safari variants! And yes, just have 2 or 3 variants

The eternal Safari fan that I am, sigh!

[himavanth_m]

Originally Posted by souravdebiswas

I was looking for the Safari primarily for the reason to begin some off-roading activities. But then sense seems to be prevailing which tells me that may be I will try to do off-roading once or twice a year, so what about the rest of the days in the year? In that case buying a Safari with so many known problems does not make sense. Its probably better to buy the XUV with so much features and good road handling capabilities. Maybe I cannot do hardcore off-roading, but atleast this car (AWD version) can do minimal off-roading which I would like to do occassionally. Maybe the Safari is an excellent off-roader, but with the features of the latest XUV, I found the balance of convenience tilting towards the XUV.

Anyway, I think I will defer my decision to buy the new car. Maybe I will wait until the XUV bookings are re-opened, or after the Merlin is launched.

Guys - Do you think this is a right decision or should I still go ahead with Safari? I am in a thoroughly confused situation.

-
Sourav

I think its a good decision.
Safari is anyway not meant for offroading, but it will help when one is interested in going to some remote places without hassles and in comfort.

I however dont mean that safari is not capable for offroading, but just that the bills that will come to your home after offroad adventures will be high. If you want to do offroading, then check the 4x4 threads and buy a Jeep or Gypsy for the occasional fun off road adventures.

The XUV is a great value for money and I have not sat in one, but check the team-bhp review. It says good things about ride comfort and handling. And the AWD XUV will get you out of slush and some icy patches that you may encounter in those trips.
But in case you are planning to do Ladakh and Sikkim and other similar places, then the Safari 4x4 will come in Handy. For all other purposes, the xuv will do and in case of some heavy off roading, then buy a jeep.

Since you are already waiting, check out the Merlin as well. The more choices the better aint it

[manasmadaan]

well, i think its a very wise decision. At this point, XUV makes more sense than safari. You can wait for the bookings to reopen and then book it. It ll take another 4-5 months to get delivered and probably till then, merlin ll also be launched and you ll have the oppurtunity to look at that too.

Great times for customers in india

[4x4addict]

Originally Posted by mayuresh

In same boat here. I have a threefold confusion now:
3. The new kid XUV creates a much lauded option in same price range. Just makes the decision to buy Safari a little shaky, unless there is a specific reason to still go with Safari.

Originally Posted by mayuresh

I was interested in GX w/o 4x4. Obviously in price-feature equation it does not stand in comparison with XUV at current level of prices.

You are absolutely correct. With the XUV available, it doesn't make sense to go for 2WD Safari given what you get for the price. The only Safari that makes sense in the new market is the LX at 7.8 lakhs for someone who has a budget constraint.

Originally Posted by mayuresh

1. Space. Particularly can you carry stuff like kids' bicycle along with other baggage on a trip? I think you can do that in a Safari.

Both Safari & XUV are essentially 5 seaters that try to masquerade as 7 seaters. The third row for both can be used only for short distances and by kids. So with the third row folded away, you get a large boot for both SUVs. In my opinion, the Safari offers no advantage over the XUV for boot space.

Originally Posted by mayuresh

3. Did not get the ground clearance figure of XUV to the extent I searched. How does that compare? (I'm sure a few mms don't matter in the whole equation. Just curious.)

The ground clearance is about the same at 200 mm. Like you said in the larger scheme of things a few mm don't matter. Any thing above 200 is just fine for an SUV.

Originally Posted by souravdebiswas

Somehow, after taking the earlier ride on the XUV, I feel the Safari may not be worthwhile to buy for me at this stage (though handling seems fine, but certain creature comforts are missing, which my wife will definitely object to when I am shelling out this much money).

At slow speeds, you won't find an issue with Safari handling. At highway speeds, XUV will handle much better since has unibody construction offer car like handling. XUV makes most Indian and foreign SUVs under 20 lakhs look like stripped down jeeps.

Originally Posted by souravdebiswas

I was looking for the Safari primarily for the reason to begin some off-roading activities. But then sense seems to be prevailing which tells me that may be I will try to do off-roading once or twice a year, so what about the rest of the days in the year?

You cannot offroad in a Safari without damaging your vehicle and your wallet. Like most 4x4 SUVs, they are primarly meant for use in estate/forest roads etc, not off-roading.
The XUV AWD will meet your needs for this kind of mild off-roading. I have a scorpio 4WD and the few times, I took it off road resulted in damage to my running boards and bumpers. This was not even an offroad trip like the ones the jeepers go for. It was just a forest track that was not used for many years and partly washed away by rain.

Originally Posted by souravdebiswas

On Road Price - Rs. 14.75 lakh.
Discount (total) = 39000 (insurance) + 6000 (corp discount) + 10000 (additional discount).
Therefore total onroad price come to about Rs. 14.20 lakh.

At this price, the Safari makes absolutely no sense !

Originally Posted by souravdebiswas

Anyway, I think I will defer my decision to buy the new car. Maybe I will wait until the XUV bookings are re-opened, or after the Merlin is launched.

Merlin will be priced higher than the Safari as it will slot between Safari & Aria. So the question you need to ask your self is, if it is worth paying 16 lakhs on the road for a 10+ year old platform with improved interiors and worsened exterior looks.

Originally Posted by souravdebiswas

Guys - Do you think this is a right decision or should I still go ahead with Safari? I am in a thoroughly confused situation.
Sourav

Please book the XUV AWD and you will be a happy camper...
Tata needs to move Safari lower in price. GX with ABS should be sold in the same price bracket as Scorpio SLE with ABS with maybe a 25K to 50K premium over the scorpio. Anything beyond that is wishful thinking by Tata

[VeluM]

Originally Posted by 4x4addict

So the question you need to ask your self is, if it is worth paying 16 lakhs on the road for a 10+ year old platform with improved interiors and worsened exterior looks.

Please book the XUV AWD and you will be a happy camper...
Tata needs to move Safari lower in price. GX with ABS should be sold in the same price bracket as Scorpio SLE with ABS with maybe a 25K to 50K premium over the scorpio. Anything beyond that is wishful thinking by Tata

One small correction. The Merlin will apparently have the New Aria platform

All else I second

[lurker]

Mahindra's monocoque platform has taken it ahead in the SUV stakes, it suddenly seems out of reach for the Aria and Merlin ladder frames. But still, I would like to get a closer look at Force One SUV and Merlin through team-bhp reviews before making a clear decision as to who wins the round. In the end, Merlin may not be as far off from the 'revolutionary scale' as the XUV given all the work and effort that has gone into it. In fact it may well prove to be the more refined product.

[4x4addict]

Originally Posted by VeluM

One small correction. The Merlin will apparently have the New Aria platform

All else I second

We don't have any confirmed information yet. I am not sure if the wheelbase of Aria and Safari is identical. If now, how will you take the Safari body and plonk it on the Aria chasis? For body on Chasis vehicles, platform = chasis.

Originally Posted by lurker

In the end, Merlin may not be as far off from the 'revolutionary scale' as the XUV given all the work and effort that has gone into it. In fact it may well prove to be the more refined product.

Could be, but the real issue for Tata will be pricing. The Safari is overpriced for what it offers viz a viz the XUV500. Merlin is supposed to slot above the Safari hence more expensive than the Safari. Safari would need further price cuts to position the Merlin correctly. Tata need to really re-position their product portfolio. You have too many SUVs crowding the same over priced bracket. Sumo, Grande Mark-Infiniti, Old Safari, Merlin, Aria and the list goes on. All of them besides Sumo is priced above their realistic price that the Tata brand can command.

[Enigmatic]

Originally Posted by 4x4addict

You are absolutely correct. With the XUV available, it doesn't make sense to go for 2WD Safari given what you get for the price. The only Safari that makes sense in the new market is the LX at 7.8 lakhs for someone who has a budget constraint.

We are in the market for a Safari LX as well . As i had pointed out earlier we already have a accent and a wagon R for city commutes and a thar has been added in the family so it makes the safari 4X4 pop out of the question for off roading .

Why safari :- Because we want a vehicle which can tackel bad roads as every year twice or thrice we do a trip to our ancestral village in the hills . At the same time it should be comfortable and can be used as a daily commuter as well .
Why Safari LX:- Plainly because i find it to be a more VFM package and sits comfortably in the 8lakh OTR bracket.

As the merlin launch is just around the corner , will the present safari have anymore discounts ??
And will the merlin and safari sell side by side ??

[condor]

Originally Posted by 4x4addict

Both Safari & XUV are essentially 5 seaters that try to masquerade as 7 seaters.

It's not that they wanted to do that. But the seating capacity of 7 seats has more to do with CMVR & excise duties. Heck, even the Gateway & Tata Xenon & TL are sold as 11 seaters & not 5.

[kaks15]

Originally Posted by 4x4addict

Could be, but the real issue for Tata will be pricing. The Safari is overpriced for what it offers viz a viz the XUV500. Merlin is supposed to slot above the Safari hence more expensive than the Safari. Safari would need further price cuts to position the Merlin correctly. Tata need to really re-position their product portfolio. You have too many SUVs crowding the same over priced bracket. Sumo, Grande Mark-Infiniti, Old Safari, Merlin, Aria and the list goes on. All of them besides Sumo is priced above their realistic price that the Tata brand can command.

A simple logic says Merlin won't carry all the features Aria has, why pitch a product against your own product (Aria), And merlin is supposed to slot above safari hence it would most probably be in 10+ lakh zone and may be upto 13L, again assuming it ends where aria starts.

I don't see a way out of this situation, merlin without the features is no match for xuv, although it would be in the same price range as xuv, aria with all the features similar is priced above xuv !

Only way out i feel is phase out old safari, launch merlin at the unbeatable prices which are away from xuv by atleast 2-3L so that atleast safari merlin is a brand not affected by xuv. Somehow I know this won't happen

[heatednemz]

Hi,
not a regular poster on team-bhp, but I do frequent this site very often.
since I have taken so much from this website. Its only fair I give something back in return. Here is one more picture of the interior (this time with the TATA logo). I got them through a friend . I do not know the location or time of when this was clicked.

[kaviprem]

^^ Wow .. This is a clear interior pic. Looks very neat, the way controls are put out.
Btw, someone mentioned earlier [ex-insider] that it will have 2-DIN stereo. But, doesnt look like with the above pic. I would prefer to have a in-dash CD stereo instead of having a faceplate/headunit, etc ...
Still, this dash look and feel is very good. Looks like its a top end [assuming the passenger side marking on dash is the airbag].

Thanks heatednemz !