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Old 26th November 2010, 11:59   #31
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Great write-up Sid - a well-deserved tribute to a stalwart and pioneer in Indian SUV market. I am sure your article would have many a prospective Safari buyers running to the showrooms for a test-drive this weekend
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Old 26th November 2010, 12:38   #32
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 4x4addict
Whether it is right or wrong Mahindra has managed to earn the trust of the general public in this regards.
I see your point. There are guys in my office who are not auto-enthusiasts, but mention Tata to them and the first thing they mention is quality issues. Given that M&M's journey has been from the Jeep, I was wondering why this tag did not get to them too.

Could the frequent refreshes & accompanying ads of the Scorpio be a reason in making it a market favourite ? The Tata ads do seem to make a connect, as is evident from the rush that it seems to invoke among my colleagues (esp. the price of 7.75 lakhs), but this does not seem to translate into sales.

Last edited by GTO : 29th November 2010 at 08:57. Reason: Removing quoted post that has been deleted
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Old 27th November 2010, 12:07   #33
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CHAPTER 7.
THE RECONCILIATION.

The Safari chronicles by !xobile. Make your own road.-colour.jpg
12 shades of envy. the freedom of choice.
Shades that suit all personalities, from jazz to razmatazz to page 3 to page 25 from hippies to hippos to corporates to urban youth.

Its time to get back. Perhaps back to your childhood. Perhaps, time to bring back that feeling..the feeling of togetherness, freedom and emotion.

Well, perhaps its time to revisit the journey, again.
From the eyes of !xobile.




kids


pole


wild


road


a quick recap.


This is for those fools who don't think it takes little to reclaim your life.

Hey guys, did you know that the 2003 Tata safari Limited edition was the first car in India to feature a sony play station 2 along with sony 10 DVD changer, dual LCD screens and a car refrigerator-cum-warmer as standard equipment? Perfect to spoil your kids an your loved ones. Perhaps, another reason not to remain single.

Well, its a nice chilly weekend, isnt it?
!Xobile will be back soon with the final closing chapter.
So, its time to pack up and find out a way to make your own road.

The Safari chronicles by !xobile. Make your own road.-big_05_thumb1.jpg

Because, its time to RECLAIM YOUR LIFE.

Last edited by sidindica : 27th November 2010 at 12:10.
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Old 27th November 2010, 13:15   #34
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CHAPTER 8.
THE FINALE.


The Safari chronicles by !xobile. Make your own road.-003.jpg

This long illustrious journey titled "The safari chronicles by !xobile" has been a journey full of ups and downs. Love it or hate it, you just cannot ignore it. !Xobile is not for everyone. Nor is his safari. In fact, the safari is only for those who seek the pure snob appeal of a luxury sedan and the pleasure of owning a DON'T-CARE-WHERE-YOU-TAKE-ME-OFF-ROADER.

Perhaps, !xobile and the safari have one thing in common. Silent attitude. Yes, we are pricey up front, but like the best of everything, we are never able to go back. Those who go back are cowards..perhaps they are slaves who do not enjoy living life to the fullest.
No, !xobile and his safari don't shout out to everyone on the road, but there's something undefinable about them that separates them from the pack. So while !xobile's safari clearly slants towards the luxury side, it will continue to eat any car for lunch on a long winding road.

The Safari chronicles by !xobile. Make your own road.-019.jpg

!xobile is on the top of its class by itself.
And so his safari, the real big boss. The journey, luxury and ergonomics will astound you and you will hate it every time some one slams the door.

Perhaps, this long winding road to wisdom will continue to eternity, but for now, this seasoned chapter has to have an ending.
Another chapter, perhaps lost in the pages of history books.

2011. The future...
Maybe someday I'll hold somebody's hand
Maybe somewhere someone will understand
You know - I used to sing: "A tisket, a tasket, a green and yellow basket"
I'm all packed up and I'm on my way and I'm gonna fall in love
But at the moment it doesn't look good
At the moment it will never happen again
I don't think it will ever happen again.....

That eternal love story, 15 years on...will be taken over by the Tata Safari "Merlin".

The Safari chronicles by !xobile. Make your own road.-015.jpg

!Xobile has towering expectations from his new love. Will it create the same ripple effect that the original one caused in 1996?
Perhaps, only time will tell...well, for now, its time to say good bye....time for a total recall..time to say..

Just when did you start to settle?
For potted plants in the window sill.
For a glimpse of the horizon behind the window blinds.
For theme parks and flavoured popcorn.
Worse still, when did you mistake it for the real thing?
Its time to listen when your heart murmurs its discontent.
Its time to get out there and live.

The Safari chronicles by !xobile. Make your own road.-005.jpg

Time to RECLAIM YOUR LIFE.

--THE END--

Last edited by sidindica : 27th November 2010 at 13:18.
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Old 27th November 2010, 13:54   #35
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Incredible writeup sid. I always wished to own a Safari, but now after reading this fitting tribute, I just want to break out of my college and own one today. But I'll own one someday, somewhere for sure, maybe as soon as I start earning.

A big Thank You.
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Old 27th November 2010, 14:25   #36
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Quote:
Originally Posted by supremeBaleno View Post
I see your point. There are guys in my office who are not auto-enthusiasts, but mention Tata to them and the first thing they mention is quality issues. Given that M&M's journey has been from the Jeep, I was wondering why this tag did not get to them too.

Could the frequent refreshes & accompanying ads of the Scorpio be a reason in making it a market favourite ? The Tata ads do seem to make a connect, as is evident from the rush that it seems to invoke among my colleagues (esp. the price of 7.75 lakhs), but this does not seem to translate into sales.

I was talking of reality (sales figures), not perception. And if tbhp poll-stats reflected reality, Fiat would have displaced Maruti as market-leader years ago.

I dont want to start a debate here, Since we are against Fanboyism, lets avoid negative attacks on a well evolved product. Can we have the sales report, if anyone has here.

As per Prerna Motors, Safari sales have doubled this quarter and supposed to be the highest selling product in the SUV segment.

We find every reason to badmouth a product, but the actual sales figures should prove all, i understand T-BHP is a small clan to derive sales pattern, but it makes a big mark since most of us here are Auto Enthusiasts and we know best, and that has translated in ownership results

And Sid, Those ads are nostalgia. thanks for sharing them.

Last edited by PAVAN KADAM : 27th November 2010 at 14:27.
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Old 27th November 2010, 15:33   #37
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PAVAN KADAM View Post
I dont want to start a debate here, Since we are against Fanboyism, lets avoid negative attacks on a well evolved product. Can we have the sales report, if anyone has here.
Pavan Saab, please see post # 27.

For your sake, i will post the link again -
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...s-figures.html

Quote:
As per Prerna Motors, Safari sales have doubled this quarter and supposed to be the highest selling product in the SUV segment.

We find every reason to badmouth a product, but the actual sales figures should prove all, i understand T-BHP is a small clan to derive sales pattern, but it makes a big mark since most of us here are Auto Enthusiasts and we know best, and that has translated in ownership results
Innova - 4516
Scorpio - 4513
Safari - 1357

But i still maintain that safari is a great product & even after 12 long years, it still has great potential. if only Tata were to realize this...
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Old 27th November 2010, 16:16   #38
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PAVAN KADAM View Post
...And Sid, Those ads are nostalgia. thanks for sharing them.
Oh yes!

Thanks a ton, Sid!

Quote:
Originally Posted by raj_5004 View Post
...But i still maintain that safari is a great product & even after 12 long years, it still has great potential. if only Tata were to realize this...
Safari sales are not rocking any chart till now. But off late the sales, noticeable ones, are higher than previous periods. The sales figures from TATA will let us know the fact.

And Raj, well said. Somewhere along the line, with the Indica's, Indigo's and Nano's, Safari seems to have the back seat. But, after the 2.2, things have started coming back on track.

Hopefully, we see more focus on the Safari (Safari 18 and a, speculative, new gen based on Aria platform) might be just what needs to be done, especially when competition is heating up.
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Old 27th November 2010, 17:53   #39
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Last night was the first long drive I took her (my new Safari) out - drove 600kms to Nagercoil from Hosur. Needless to say, I am impressed no end.
It was raining throughout, but the high position gives excellent view and nothing forced her to slow down. I arrived at destination without feeling any fatigue, but terribly impressed at what this car can do. Suddenly, there are no limits - the only limits are human.

(at the cost of sounding a bully), And yes, we had many other cars for dinner.
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Old 27th November 2010, 19:19   #40
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Wonderful effort and a great and deserving gesture to our first true blood SUV in india.

awesome compilation, good work sid

And other guys, the Tata bashing can continue in other threads so please

Tata Safari ads have always been the best in the industry and caught the fancy of everyone, but the first one is missing in this thread so posting it now

Injoy

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Old 27th November 2010, 19:48   #41
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Quote:
Originally Posted by simply_sunny001 View Post
Wonderful effort and a great and deserving gesture to our first true blood SUV in india.

awesome compilation, good work sid

And other guys, the Tata bashing can continue in other threads so please

Tata Safari ads have always been the best in the industry and caught the fancy of everyone, but the first one is missing in this thread so posting it now

Injoy

YouTube - TATA SAFARI
Hey..Thats one real cool ad ! A great looking SUV ! I think the sales are not that great because of the "trust" factor itself. I dont think Scorpio had any of that million issues which TATA always had initially. So even after improving tremendously, the brand suffered the damage. Only people who have closely analysed the vehicle know how good this has become.

Its the same funda - first impression is the BEST impression. I believe once the Aria clears the dust over the reliability, Safari might pick up again. But then the All-new-safari can make a lot of difference once the trust is gained. And for that removing the "Safari" tag might help a lot as well!

OT: Is that Kim sharma in the ad? And it has such an awesome music as well.
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Old 27th November 2010, 20:27   #42
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@ Sid, great research and excellent presentation.

I think its sad to compare a Scorpio with a Safari. Scorpio is basically an MUV marketed as a SUV and Safari is just very different from that. An MUV starts off with practicality in mind and a SUV has a very different focus.

Scorpio is a good product but, no offence to any Scorpio owners, its not comparable to a Safari. A Scorpio is good at what its meant to do and a Safari is best at what it is built for. I've driven both the vehicles extensively and they are no way alike.

I also feel, its best for a Safari owner for sales of Safari not going like a Scorpio or an Innova. The best part of a Safari is its presence wherever you go. Why let that be diluted? ( Tata's surely would not hire me into their marketing dept) How many times have you looked twice at an Innova or a Scorpio where as a Safari at least would get a grin.

Just one advice for those who plan to get a Safari, make sure your needs match what the vehicle have to offer else the ownership experience would't be so pleasant. If you have compared Safari with a Scorpio, odds are that you are better off buying a Scorpio.
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Old 27th November 2010, 22:11   #43
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Quote:
Originally Posted by channelv View Post
I think its sad to compare a Scorpio with a Safari. Scorpio is basically an MUV marketed as a SUV and Safari is just very different from that. An MUV starts off with practicality in mind and a SUV has a very different focus.
Can you elaborate the complex logic buy which you have managed to classify a Scorpio as an MUV & Safari as an SUV?

Both are body on Frame vehicles with a full 4WD System with Low range? How does the Scorpio become an MUV?
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Old 28th November 2010, 09:13   #44
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IMO the Scorpio is a better car overall. But we must not forget that the new Safari 2.2 is way better than its previous generations. Given the money, I will prefer buying a Safari anyday without second thoughts. There are cult followers of the Safari and that in itself makes it a special vehicle, though Scorpio sells more as its a better package than the desi-Land Cruiser. So, let us stop the debate and appreciate sidindica's sincere efforts in this thread.

Peace.
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Old 28th November 2010, 12:23   #45
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 4x4addict View Post
Can you elaborate the complex logic buy which you have managed to classify a Scorpio as an MUV & Safari as an SUV?
It was not my "complex logic buy" to classify Scorpio as an MUV, Mahindra themself came out with this vehicle classified as an MUV. Its only when Xylo was put on its drawing board they decided to market Scorpio as an SUV.

Friends, I am no big fan of Safari but brought it cos my needs were satisfied. Safari was never a trouble-free product and still have fit and finish issues. I have driven Scorpio extensively and nowhere did I say its a bad product. But why Safari gets a cult status can never be explained but needs to be experienced.

Ownership experience of a Safari is like owning an Enfield, even with the small niggling issues people just love this vehicle. Let me repeat what was said before, just for the sake of those who might be interested in buying a Safari and whose curse I would't want on my head, If you have compared a Safari with a Scorpio, you are better off buying a Scorpio.
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