[gowda79]

Originally Posted by Sommos

Sir, I am 6" tall. I felt that the range of adjustment of the steering is small. I personally feel that the seat could be slightly lower to widen the gap a little more.

Sommos I completely agree about the seating position, I am comfortable in old & new Safari but somewhat in the Storme I am not comfortable and the steering & seating position is too awkward and myself @ 6.4" would love to have more space while driving it.

Additional info - We (brother & myself) share 1,13,000kms on our Old Safari 2008 model and we both are 6.2' & 6.4' and never felt uncomfortable.

[madan80]

Just spoke to 2 dealers - both said that they expect the vehicle after the 15th of the month.
One of them also sent me the price list
Safari STORME LX 4x2 1,216,029
Safari STORME EX 4x2 -1,359,451
Safari STORME VX 4x2 - 1,571,000
Safari STORME VX 4x4 - 1,729,773

Why would I buy a storme 4x4 for 17L? I would much rather put in a few more and buy an Endy or a T-Fort!

At these price points - I will have to think really hard before putting down my money!

All prices are OTR Bangalore!

[g_prajeesh]

Originally Posted by madan80

Just spoke to 2 dealers - both said that they expect the vehicle after the 15th of the month.
One of them also sent me the price list
Safari STORME LX 4x2 1,216,029
Safari STORME EX 4x2 -1,359,451
Safari STORME VX 4x2 - 1,571,000
Safari STORME VX 4x4 - 1,729,773

Why would I buy a storme 4x4 for 17L? I would much rather put in a few more and buy an Endy or a T-Fort!

At these price points - I will have to think really hard before putting down my money!

All prices are OTR Bangalore!

But the Ex-Showroom Price for Endy or T-Fort starts from 23L. So On Road Price will be much hire. So basically the Tax rate in Bangalore is so high for such pathetic conditions of Road we have in Bangalore

[Sommos]

Originally Posted by madan80

Why would I buy a storme 4x4 for 17L? I would much rather put in a few more and buy an Endy or a T-Fort!

At these price points - I will have to think really hard before putting down my money!

All prices are OTR Bangalore!

The Ex-showroom price of the XUV500 is 14.50L (approx) in Bangalore.
I think it should be a better buy than the Storme, with all the extra gadgets.

[kaviprem]

Originally Posted by madan80

Just spoke to 2 dealers - both said that they expect the vehicle after the 15th of the month.
One of them also sent me the price list
Safari STORME LX 4x2 1,216,029
Safari STORME EX 4x2 -1,359,451
Safari STORME VX 4x2 - 1,571,000
Safari STORME VX 4x4 - 1,729,773

Why would I buy a storme 4x4 for 17L? I would much rather put in a few more and buy an Endy or a T-Fort!

At these price points - I will have to think really hard before putting down my money!

All prices are OTR Bangalore!

Madan, I understand where you are coming at, but, this looks like a instant reaction to Storme pricing
Endy, 3.0 4X4 is around 21L ex-showroom in Bangalore, so, will be around 24L OTR and Fortuner 4X4 is around 23+L ex-showroom.
So, I dont see a good comparison b/w these 3 vehicles.

Honestly, Safari has better capability and much much better comfort than Endy. To me, Safari is on-par with Fortuner in its capacity and of course, better in comfort barring the front facing 3rd row which again, doesnt serve great purpose on a UV and provides zero comfort.

Originally Posted by Sommos

The Ex-showroom price of the XUV500 is 14.50L (approx) in Bangalore.
I think it should be a better buy than the Storme, with all the extra gadgets.

True - comparing XUV and Storme, its for people who chose between mechanical capability and electronic gizmoz. Of course, looks play a big part too.

Prem.

[madan80]

Just to clarify folks - I am not dishing the Storme - I was just thinking out aloud- thats all!
That being said - the Storme is quite a decent package- esp if someone is upgrading from the existing dicor. Considering its got ABS on all the version (a first from Tata I guess).

About the t-fort & Endy - yes they are more expensive- but they still command a brand premium, an image that Tata has not been able to achieve.

[M35]

It is pathetic to read people justifying the price of 17.3L OTR for a 2013 launch by saying that it has a sofa and acres of space that one could sit comfortably in it.

When you spend 17.3L on a vehicle, by providing seating comfort and space in the first two rows they are no way offering you any sort of favour,they should have been there in the first place itself. Again when one speaks about space management what they have done with the third row. Its just simply a joke.

It is ridiculous to see a 2013 launch costing 17.3L OTR without the contemporary no nonsense equipments like Touch Screen multimedia interface ,cruise control and Auto Climate control. It gets more ridiculous when people call them just “electronic Gismos” just because they don’t have them in their vehicle.

When Toyota sells the overpriced and underequipped Fortuner in the name of T-reliability ,that doesn’t mean other vehicles should also be sold overpriced and underequipped The companies have every right to price [read overprice] its products but at the same time the general public do have their equal right to choose what is good for them.

[kaviprem]

Originally Posted by M35

It is pathetic to read people justifying the price of 17.3L OTR for a 2013 launch by saying that it has a sofa and acres of space that one could sit comfortably in it.

When you spend 17.3L on a vehicle, by providing seating comfort and space in the first two rows they are no way offering you any sort of favour,they should have been there in the first place itself. Again when one speaks about space management what they have done with the third row. Its just simply a joke.

It is ridiculous to see a 2013 launch costing 17.3L OTR without the contemporary no nonsense equipments like Touch Screen multimedia interface ,cruise control and Auto Climate control. It gets more ridiculous when people call them just “electronic Gismos” just because they don’t have them in their vehicle.

When Toyota sells the overpriced and underequipped Fortuner in the name of T-reliability ,that doesn’t mean other vehicles should also be sold overpriced and underequipped The companies have every right to price [read overprice] its products but at the same time the general public do have their equal right to choose what is good for them.

M35, If you got mine wrong, I am not saying 17.3 is a killer price for Storme. But, when compared to the market and people response to Fortuner for 10 lakhs more, there is nothing really wrong with Storme's pricing considering existing Safari's VX 4X4 pricing.

If you feel "pathetic" about people defending 17.3 for Storme, I dont have words to describe people buying Fortuner for 28L in Blore. These are our personal opinions. So, better be un-described for obvious reasons

When there are vehicles at the same or priced more than 17.3 without the right or similar level of comfort [XUV, Endy and Fortuner], I dont have any reservation in claiming Safari or Storme gives me a sofa like sitting for its cost.
To me, Safari or Storme is not a people mover. So, I dont need a front facing 3rd row. Again, its a personal choice. There are other vehicles for carrying 7/8 passengers, of course, with little comfort for the last row 2/3 people.

You have your strong comments about electronics. So, I dont want to get into a debate on it.

The last para [2 statements] - you are absolutely right - its personal opinion and lets keep it to ourselves.

Prem.

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by madan80

...
Safari STORME VX 4x4 - 1,729,773

Why would I buy a storme 4x4 for 17L? I would much rather put in a few more and buy an Endy or a T-Fort!...!

At this price, I will pick up a pre-worshipped Fortuner. I believe Fortuner still has some additional creature comforts, brand perception, reliability & road presence which is worth taking the plunge.

Or else a brand new Storme LX for ~12 odd lacs! It just doesnt look like making sense to go beyond that budget for a Storme.

[sachinayak]

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

At this price, I will pick up a pre-worshipped Fortuner.

A quick look at Carwale and you will observe that pre-owned Fortuners typically would cost even more than a brand new Storme VX 4x4.

While not completely irrelevant, I personally think OTR pricing is not the correct measure to judge a vehicle's pricing. If BLR road taxes are ridiculously high, why would you blame the car manufacturer. Ex-showroom pricing is what can be debated on. I remember somone's post on the Duster thread, asking what was Duster offering for the price it is commanding. What we expect is not value but "perceived value" and the Storme may not meet up to the "perceived value" specially having retained its exterior body shell.

The truth is that all expect Tata vehicles to be outright cheap, undercut the competition and but will spare no time in hitting back that they deliver poor quality.

Tata's have a public perception of producing "Cheap" cars and it will take a lot of effort for them to change it. Will be watching this space to see if they are succesful in doing so or they fade away into history.

[tsk1979]

I feel the value of a vehicle is something personal.
For a fan, whether its 2L on road or 20L on road is immaterial. Its always value for money. However, when looking objectively, the VX 4x4 is quite a cheap 4x4. All others are much more expensive(except the scorpio, which handles much worse and is quite cramped).
For a 2WD buyer, objectively there is nothing in the storme. There are other options in the market which are more reliable and offer similar performance and better reliability, often with more features.
However, when you bring in subjectivity, the only thing arguing over subjective things will get you is sore fingers

[amit_mechengg]

Originally Posted by g_prajeesh

Thanks for the info TSK. You said Xenon has the protection. Is it possible that we can get it done for storme ? I booked my VX 4x4 and I am looking for some kind of protection. Also could you please suggest must have things for the Safari as you owns previous generation Safari. As you suggested, I opted for the extra warranty.

If you just go to a good fabricator you can easily get the protective cover. Its so easy to cover it , i really dont know why people keep cribbling over that missing protection and allow the case to malfunction at all.

Long back we had added this cover in just 400rs on my relatives 4X4 safari.

[theMAG]

Got to test drive the Storme today at a private event. My feedback:

Positives:

1. Braking: one of the best I have experienced in any vehicle, and the best feature I liked about the Storme. The brakes hauled the 2-tonner down to a crawl from highway speeds without breaking a fuss.

2. Road presence: great road presence. Traffic would respectfully give right of way! The Storme also looks better in real than in photos. However, thats not to say it looks great, but more on that later.

3. Improved fit-finish: for a Tata product, the interiors and the overall car in general, is much higher quality than expected. I particularly liked the way the doors shut with a resolute thunk.

4. Vastly reduced NVH: Again, for a Tata product, the NVH reduction is impressive. When the horn was first used, it took a few moments to realize that that horn sound had come from our vehicle! Thats how muted the external sounds felt.

5. Steering: effortless and responsive steering. Easy to use in city as well (but for the vehicle's bulk).

6. AC: Very effective, even for the rear. The VX we drove was equipped with rear aircon and chilled the cabin in no time, despite the large greenhouse.


Negatives:

1. Engine: Personally, the biggest let-down and a surprising one at that, considering the known specifications. The engine was quite harsh and unrefined at RPMs that mattered. Interestingly, the engine in the Thar that I had with me over the past week felt much more refined in comparison. Considering the fact that both the Tata and Mahindra 2.2L engines are essentially the same unit, this difference in refinement between the two came off as a genuine surprise.

The other grouse I had with the engine is its rather small power band, roughly between 2200-3000 rpm. Below and above this range, there is practically no power to be had. The direct consequence would be a difficult city driveability, due to the turbo-lag before 2000 rpm.

2. Fit-finish: although greatly improved as mentioned above, its still not what one would expect from a Rs 10 lakh vehicle. The storage bin on top of the central console was on the flimsy side - amongst others, and wind noise was evident during highway cruising.

3. Aesthetics: for the regular customer, the Storme would probably come off just another minor face-lift. The Tata Motors officials present were unable to satisfactorily justify this point.

4. Safari and Storme will be sold side-by-side. Considering the above point, this might make it even harder for the Storme to clock the required numbers.


Summary:

The Storme is what the Safari should always have been, and nothing more than that really. Its a capable vehicle, and with some of the typical Tata issues addressed as above, I'm sure would make it a more liveable vehicle than the previous model. However, I'm not sure if the Storme has anything extra to swing the market in its favor today.

[methecupid]

Thanks Tanveer for an incredible write up. Am sure many of us have waited with baited breath to see if the Tata s arrived.

However, just hate to see the manufacturers in India giving bits and pieces of really good stuff but never the entire jigsaw puzzle. So my two cents on the effervescent and soon unfolding pseudo/perceived SUV segment.

1. The Storme obviously has a legacy. Period. The design cannot offend anyone, was actually the reason why it has been loved and reverred for 12 years now. Could they have given it new clothes? Sure. We do not fit into our decade old jeans, why should a car! The interiors are magical. Without being strikingly out of the world, it sure looks built to last. The soft touch plastics and leather are things that no other SUV in its segment boasts of. But if you drive around corners at more than 120kms, this doesn't seem to tend to your needs. So what does one do?

2. What one does is look at the Renault Duster. Its monocoque attributes serve it well for the inspired. Yes, it may seem underpowered with a 85ps 1.5lt engine, but it also weighs almost half of the Herculean Tata. For nothing has this been named the TB COTY...! The duster has evolved a niche, no frills, no nonsense, affordable pseudo SUV market in India all by itself. Wait a second. Did I just say no frills? So I will be paying close to 14 lakhs for no frills and just a high seating car which can't even off road?

3. No frills is adequately answered by XUV 5OO. This was and still is the talk of the town. The Mahindras are making the UV segment its trademark and how. The XUV has all going for itself - its designed futuristic. The interiors 'look' plush and I personally love the plum option. The engine pulls away effortlessly and the console with its waterfall design is straight out of cars of segments above. The steering and seating gives you total control of the beast and slot the gears, and this baby can chug along merry for miles. Oh, I spoke about slotting the gear, right? Only if you could manage the second gear without much trouble. It is embarassing not to be able to slot into second in a crowded intersection in Mumbai. Not to mention the 78bhp/tonne equation puts it lower than the seemingly underpowered Duster.

So what does one have to do to get the best one needs? Wait for the Ford EcoSport. Wait, that is not even an SUV. Drats.

[kartikk]

Originally Posted by theMAG

Engine: Personally, the biggest let-down and a surprising one at that, considering the known specifications. The engine was quite harsh and unrefined at RPMs that mattered. Interestingly, the engine in the Thar that I had with me over the past week felt much more refined in comparison. Considering the fact that both the Tata and Mahindra 2.2L engines are essentially the same unit, this difference in refinement between the two came off as a genuine surprise.

The other grouse I had with the engine is its rather small power band, roughly between 2200-3000 rpm. Below and above this range, there is practically no power to be had. The direct consequence would be a difficult city driveability, due to the turbo-lag before 2000 rpm.

Just a quick one, do you feel after driving the Storme an auto would do better justice ? I ask since there are posts of a Storme-auto with higher power delivery etc... doing the rounds. (Keeping everything else, the known known's and known unknown's of a Tata product constant)

Thanks