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-   -   Tata Safari Storme : Official Review (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/official-new-car-reviews/129728-tata-safari-storme-official-review-176.html)

Like @garyag79 mentioned, is there any definite timeline or news of the upgraded (160BHP) with other features? After much thoughts i have decided to book a Storme.

I am currently staying in Chennai and have plans to move back to Bangalore (6-12 month timeframe). Since so many months i was in a dilemma whether to purchase the truck in TN and then move to KA. But with the increasing menace of RTO officials harassing owners with vehicles from other states, i have decided to purchase in KA and drive in TN for the next 6-12 months. Cops in TN are quite good in this aspect. I do not want to spend miney in bribing crooks at RTO and change the registration later. There is no definite rule to return the pro-rata road tax and running after RTO officials in Chenai while doing a full-time job in Bangalore will be next to impossible.

i would say that go ahead and book the Storme. You never know with TATA or for that matter any manufacturer about when they change specs of present models, industry grapevine not withstanding.

+1 to Garyag79.

Remember - they have stopped the ICE on some models. I would be more worried about not getting ABS -esp if you are considering the lower model(s).

guys couple of things

the updated Storme will not come before March 2015- However, that will be a comprehensive update with a facelift, revamped interiors, 165 BHP engine (400 NM) and an auto tranny. which spec gets what will need to be seen. This info is from a TML person who is in the marketing dept.

In the immediate future, no change is expected in the storme unfortunately. I too am in the market for the storme, but am in no tearing rush so will probably wait for a year for the updated version.

Guys, when you renew your insurance & you take it from outside TML Insurance - then check with your TASS which insurance companies they have tied up with for Cashless facility.

Eg:
Insurance co., A would have cashless with one TASS, but not with another TASS.

That is definitely a thing of worry but...

this news has made me thinking again. But new engine and upgraded features mean increased price :Frustrati

Condor, what you say is true, but a way to bypass this is called Credit Card.
You usually get a 20-50 day credit on your card and insurance company will settle your claim by then! Hence cashless or not, doesn't actually matter.

I did this when I filed for claim with my zero dep SBI general insurance. Claim was processed in about 2 weeks.

ICE is now removed from all trims including VX (4x4 included). Also gone is the leather upholstery from VX. However, ABS still remains through all trims from LX.

I did a bit of comparison of specs and prices, and Now the ARIA Pure (Vs Storme LX) and Aria Pleasure (Vs Storme EX) make a good case. Although there is about 1L price difference still, the equipment list in the Pleasure especially is way better than the Storme. It comes with driver & front passenger airbag, a Harmann ICE, steering mounted controls too. And then - its a 7 seater :D

Hmm let me get this straight.
A 15 lakh "premium SUV" is launched. People complain that the Audio system and ICE in the car is good for 3 lakh rupee hatchbacks, but not in a 15 lakh+ premium SUV.
What does Tata do?
They remove the ICE itself?

No bamboo no flute? :Frustrati

I had the exact same issue during the first month of my Storme experience, got it corrected during the 1st service. The mechanic at the service centre (Dhingra Motors, Gurgaon) was able to identify the problem on the laptop scan (probably some loose connection) and was able to fix it clean. The problem hasn't resurfaced till date.

I did the exact same analysis when buying my Storme. In fact at that time there were a number of factory fresh unsold Arias going for as much as 2.5 to 3 lac rupee discounts from a couple of dealers in Pune. All of what you say is true, and was so even then. But at the end of the day the Aria is no SUV. And though beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, the looks are universally considered as not too inspiring either. The Aria ticks nearly all the equipment boxes. But as for the 7 seater bit, not as bad as in the XUV, but my kids felt claustrophobic in the 3rd row of the Aria too (though my youngest loved the pillar A/c vents and sitting in front of them on the deep window sill).

One great feature was the football stadium sized flat one level open area achieved by folding 2nd and 3rd rows - perfect for sleeping duty on overnighte drives. But since the roof is much lower than the Storme's, when sitting on the Aria floor in such a configuration, the kids did not get the same feeling of "space" as the Storme gave them when the 2nd row bench was folded away - even though the real estate floor-wise was significantly lesser than in the Aria.

Lastly the driving feel and seating position (the way your body sits and the position of the steering and the pedals) of thee Aria is just so different from the Storme. I also found the Storme peppier/revvier and lighter on the steering, and with a much tighter turning radius and more agile feel all around. So yes the Aria did tick a lot of "head" boxes, but the Storme ticked ALL the "heart" ones. :)

Absolutely. Infact, for my height (6'3") the Aria's driving position ends up being more or less of the same comfort level as that of my Vista. Its also lower than a conventional SUV(it has to be to give the car like feel obviously). Whats sad is, even in the Storme, my ostrich legs continuously push against the center console / dashboard. Whats painful is that in their showroom, the most spacious & comfortable driving position for my dimensions (except for central & door arm rests) ends up being in the SUMO! :Frustrati

I just did the comparison from a cost perspective. Given the equipment list & overall quality feel, the Aria does tick more boxes. Strategically in the bigger picture, TML is now practically attempting to sell the Storme with a single checkbox "Heart". Yes with its king-like driving & rear seat positions, commanding stance it is a really good SUV.

But as TSK said, no bamboo no flute approach is disappointing nonetheless. That cannot be ignored.

I suspect that the Storme is another experiment by Tata and we are the guinea pigs yet again. They got the mechanicals, driving experience and all else right and launched it to gauge customer feedback. The development costs covered getting the vehicle experience right and making a niggle free vehicle. Now that customers have given a thumbs up (at least those who bought it from their 'heart'), Tata is going ahead with adding the bells and whistles, to make it superior to all others. Therefore the rumours of the 160bhp and Auto tranny along with spruced up interiors. I think they want to try and emulate the Range Rover and make something thats class, in an evolutionary manner. So, contrary to what many may think as a half hearted attempt to upgrade the Safari, the Storme may actually be a middle step in the direction of creating something much superior.

Sharing a pic of my Princess sitting on the Beast.... (pic titled The Princess and The Beast)

Agree to the comparison between Aria and Storme. However as my recent experience goes with the showroom guys, after checking my intended usage and me complaining about lack of features in Storme vis-a-vis XUV, the sales rep didnt even bother to discuss the Aria. This inspite of the fact that he had to look for me inside the Aria after I had spent a good 5-7 minutes inside the display model while he was away calculating the on road Haryana prices.

Still i think until and unless they get the QA / Marketing and PR up and running, the upgraded Storme will again go the same cycle of initial euphoria followed by small niggles etc. And IMO post 4-7 months of initial launch the vehicle will get mass acceptance if it is worthy of the same. So assuming TATA launches it in March 2015, a buyer who would like his heart and mind to like the car will still wait till the end of the year to buy one.

Moderator's Note: Do not make back to back posts. Use the Multiquote option to respond to multiple people.

All the back to back posts have been merged.

Summers in Delhi have started with a vengeance. On a trip to gurgaon today morning I realised what a mistake I made putting art leather (feather touch) seat covers in my truck. When I got out my back was completely wet with sweat. Any way around this (apart from taking the seat covers off for summers)?
Also, the seats, Beige in color are getting dirty specifically the front ones due to being used. How should I clean them? Just water doesn't work!