[inwester]

Originally Posted by souvikjana83

I have a question regarding Safari? Is Hydraulic Steering feel tiresome in heavy traffic driving? I test drove XUV700 and its electric steering felt very good to drive even in heavy traffic.

I was in India last week, and test drove both Safari and XUV 700 in their diesel automatic variants and found the steering of Safari to be unusable at low speeds. It's just too heavy for my taste and reminded me of the commercial vehicles we owned in the past. On the flip side the steering becomes super light during high speeds and doesn't inspire any confidence. The XUV steering is well sorted and overall it's a better car. I still like Safari for looks/design and if they fix the steering issue I might even buy it. But until then it's a major NO and deal breaker for me.

[souvikjana83]

Originally Posted by inwester

I was in India last week, and test drove both Safari and XUV 700 in their diesel automatic variants and found the steering of Safari to be unusable at low speeds. It's just too heavy for my taste and reminded me of the commercial vehicles we owned in the past. On the flip side the steering becomes super light during high speeds and doesn't inspire any confidence. The XUV steering is well sorted and overall it's a better car. I still like Safari for looks/design and if they fix the steering issue I might even buy it. But until then it's a major NO and deal breaker for me.

Yeah even I felt the same that I don't want to drive this is Hyderabad traffic for sure. Hope Tata introduce Electric steering in the upcoming petrol Harrier/Safari. I was looking for a petrol 5 str automatic SUV due to my low running so waiting for the Petrol Harrier. I wanted to book XUV700 5 STR Petrol AX5 Automatic, but found out MG Hector Sharp to be more VFM than XUV700. Hence went ahead and booked the Hector Sharp CVT for now. Best part is the booking is 100% Refundable.

[Aiel]

I completed the PDI for my Kaziranga XZA+ yesterday and plan to take delivery on Monday evening/Tuesday morning.

I have asked them to add the following accessories: black side step, scruff plates (available only for the front), seat back storage, and 3D mats.

I had checked with them about the front parking sensors and they told that due to some issues/complaints about it, Tata is no longer offering it as an accessory.

[Tavinder]

Originally Posted by Aiel

I completed the PDI for my Kaziranga XZA+ yesterday and plan to take delivery on Monday evening/Tuesday morning.

I have asked them to add the following accessories: black side step, scruff plates (available only for the front), seat back storage, and 3D mats.

I had checked with them about the front parking sensors and they told that due to some issues/complaints about it, Tata is no longer offering it as an accessory.

Congrats on your new purchase - is it Harrier or Safari Kaziranga? For my KZR Harrier I recently (this week) got the front parking sensors installed from TaMo dealership only - they are very much available.

[Aiel]

Originally Posted by Tavinder

Congrats on your new purchase - is it Harrier or Safari Kaziranga? For my KZR Harrier I recently (this week) got the front parking sensors installed from TaMo dealership only - they are very much available.

It is the Safari. Thanks for the information. I will follow up with them once more.

[sswaroop]

Originally Posted by Aiel

I had checked with them about the front parking sensors and they told that due to some issues/complaints about it, Tata is no longer offering it as an accessory.

It was a very shabby solution being offered as an official accessory. There was a separate switch that was installed near the A-pillar next to the mirror control assembly. It wasn't integrated into the console in anyway. May be that's why they have stopped it.

[msk_kapoor]

Originally Posted by souvikjana83

Yeah even I felt the same that I don't want to drive this is Hyderabad traffic for sure. Hope Tata introduce Electric steering in the upcoming petrol Harrier/Safari. I was looking for a petrol 5 str automatic SUV due to my low running so waiting for the Petrol Harrier. I wanted to book XUV700 5 STR Petrol AX5 Automatic, but found out MG Hector Sharp to be more VFM than XUV700. Hence went ahead and booked the Hector Sharp CVT for now. Best part is the booking is 100% Refundable.

I would recommend to try any vehicle from new lot. I have a 2022 March vehicle and i dont see these issues. Its not light as electric steering but its not so hard either at low speed. I can confortably turn with single hand during reverse and parking situations. On high speeds it does have the needed weight and not so light as you are referring to. Not sure whether they have tuned this differently in new batches.

I feel the same confidence as i do from my Linea in my Safari and that is pretty great for me and loving my driving dynamics of Safari.

[Torque_Cruiser]

Originally Posted by Aiel

I had checked with them about the front parking sensors and they told that due to some issues/complaints about it, Tata is no longer offering it as an accessory.

I would recommend against taking them. I got it installed and have rarely used it as they are quite irritating. Never had any issues parking the car without them.

[msk_kapoor]

Originally Posted by Torque_Cruiser

I would recommend against taking them. I got it installed and have rarely used it as they are quite irritating. Never had any issues parking the car without them.

I agree I also haven't faced any issues in parking given the fact that we can see all edges of bonnet.

But if there is any good front camera then it will be good I think to see the obstacles which otherwise get obstructed by the high bonnet.

[ashish2135]

Completed 15k kms recently with a lot of highway runs in the past few months. My parents also travelled for the first time during a 700km drive last weekend. They found the car to be extremely spacious and comfortable, specially over 6 lane National Highways.

I have noticed a slight drop in the mileage though, maybe due to my heavy right foot. Saw some errors during my previous drives but they would disappear after a couple of minutes. I have finally made peace with the left pull and I have accepted that it is part of the package. This peace agreement was after I took the Safari to a friend’s place for a wheel alignment but without much success.

I also bought three jars of DEF before my last highway run and topped it up myself. The cost was Rs. 620 per jar and it comes with a pipe to help with the filling. I have kept one jar as spare at my home. Otherwise it has been a hassle free ownership experience. The car is solid and meant for highway runs.

Some pictures from Odisha

[narsingh]

Thanks for sharing the lovely pics, dear ashish2135. I own a Nov '21 Safari XZA+. Driven about 8000 km so far, with a few long trips. I agree completely with your viewpoint, to ignore the minor hiccups and enjoy the great driving experience that the new Safari offers. Super value for money.

If only TATA can improve the customer experience at their Workshops, the Harrier-Safari twins can beat the competition hands down.

[Safari_Beast]

Originally Posted by inwester

I was in India last week, and test drove both Safari and XUV 700 in their diesel automatic variants and found the steering of Safari to be unusable at low speeds. It's just too heavy for my taste and reminded me of the commercial vehicles we owned in the past. On the flip side the steering becomes super light during high speeds and doesn't inspire any confidence. The XUV steering is well sorted and overall it's a better car. I still like Safari for looks/design and if they fix the steering issue I might even buy it. But until then it's a major NO and deal breaker for me.

Please take a test drive of Toyota Innova Crysta and Fortuner then compare Safari steering with commercial vehicles. I am owner of both safari and ecosport plus my in-laws have Innova crysta , i have driven all vehicles extensively. Safari steering is not that heavy as what team bhp states , regarding comparison to commercial vehicle is over exaggeration. I agree with steering with becoming light during driving but its no way hard as what people states.

[bednbath]

I have few questions as a prospective safari owner:

1. Is it advisable to get the car now or wait for a face-lift, as it has been reported by many auto forums to be in works and may be launched by end of this year or beginning of next year with features like 360 degree camera, petrol engine, better infotainment screen and some existing bugs shall be rectified.

2. What's the impact of addition of more ethanol by the Government of India in diesel for cars which are being delivered now?

[Poitive]

Steering : HPS vs EPS
(HPS currently on a Tata Harrier+Safari, Nissan Kicks and EPS on most others)

I write this because I repeatedly see the Hydraulic Power Steering being misunderstood (especially for the Tata Twins), and judged mainly based on how heavy it felt, and others being light.

In a nutshell: Choose the steering based on what you expect of it and or your driving. As a general guide: if convenience is paramount, an EPS is likely to suit. If you are interested in getting more out of the car and know what it's contact with th surface (the typres) is going through, then an HPS is likely to be a lot better. Much of course would depend on the steering design of the specific car in question.

When the car is moved away from a straight line (turned) at low speeds, the tyres face a lot more resistance than they would when it is at a higher speed. When at a very high speed, the part of the tyre which is in touch with the road is changing very rapidly and it faces minimal resistance while being turned.

Now with the above in mind, to design steerings, there are two approaches:
1. To compensate the driver's errors of the steering inputs by making the steering weight change, even if it does not reflect what the tyres are experiencing, or
2. To give a more realistic feel of what the tyres are going through to the driver, and let the dirver take his (or her) call on how to drive.

Though there can be exceptions, in consumer cars the EPS is laregly focused on the first. To make driving easier at low speeds, taking away from the actual resistance the tyres are feeling and by becoming heavier at higher speeds - to compensate for driver errors. (There is much more to EPS, but it would become a long topic, so avoiding). In a sense, EPS is more synthetic. The synthetic can be controlled a lot to give the heaviness desired at different speeds, but in the consumer cars is typically made for convenience and to compensate for the inexperience of drivers.

The HPS is typically more about giving a truer picture of what the actual friction levels are (with some adjustments - else, it would be a non-power steering ). It can also give a much better sense of what the road surface is like (this is also connected to suspension design, but another topic). Someone who wants to extract more from one's driving experience can do well with an HPS. It might be more tiring for some, but can be an enthuaist's delight; a delight by connecting the driver to his (or her) machine - to make them work closer to unison while moving on the road.

With time, the EPS synthetic simulation is becoming better, yet it will not connect you to the actual road feel like an HPS (or better still, a non-powered) steering can. The difference can be felt on bad roads (the Harrier is very good in this communication) and also on tight turns (an example in this post about the NIssan Kicks drive)

Besides the steering itself, what one would also feel is how the suspension behaves under what situations. That, and weight distribution in a car also play a big role in how a car steers.

Some more details about testing steerings in this post in the Guide for Test Driving New Cars.

Originally Posted by souvikjana83

I have a question regarding Safari? Is Hydraulic Steering feel tiresome in heavy traffic driving? I test drove XUV700 and its electric steering felt very good to drive even in heavy traffic.

Mate, if ease is what you're looking at, EPS in most of the current cars might suit better. If connecting with the car is a priority - from a steering perspective most EPS in the SUVs in this price segment are lousy. Also bear in mind that we tend to adapt a bit over time. What feels too light now, might not feel so later; and what feels too hard now, might feel less so over time.

[Edit: If you drive a lot on the hills, the HPS could be a boon, providing better feel of the tyres, and how hard is acceptable to turn on bends - touched in the Kicks review linked above. That said, if you are an easy going driver, and do not push the car anywhere near it's capacity, you might appreciate the convenience of an EPS considering the number of bends. In tight or near-accident situations, the feedback of the HPS might be a saver.]

Originally Posted by Prowler

Hydraulic steering gives you the right mixture of stability and ease of use. Electric steering on the other hand may seem comparatively effortless but it can be unnerving at highway speeds as a mere flick of your finger can change the course of direction.

Mate, it really would depend on the specific car and how the steering is designed. HPS would typically become lighter with speed too. An EPS has more synthetic control over whether or not to make it heavy. Overall, I personally connect with HPS a lot better.

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

WagonR single handedly gave EPS a bad name but Swift fixed that in the early 2000s...

Mate, the stability difference between the two goes well beyond the steering. It has a lot to do with wieght distribution and track width. The weight of the Swift is distrubuted closer to the centre than the WagonR; the Swift has a much lower Centre of Gravity (losely indicated by their heights) - a comparison of their height to width ratios would be telling. To top that, the Swift is a lot wider than the WagonR. All make it more stable. The steering ratio too would have some role, and the suspension design a big one - can't recollect their suspension feel (been too long), but the Swift is made as a sportier car than the family-oriented WagonR.

[Kosfactor]

Originally Posted by Poitive

I write this because I repeatedly see the Hydraulic Power Steering being misunderstood (especially for the Tata Twins), and judged mainly based on how heavy it felt, and others being light.

This vehicle's steering is a work in progress item( like almost every other item on that car) , one day it will get an EPS and that will solve most of its problems with the steering. One day it will get a better rear suspension too, better engine, better actual ground clearance , better infotainment etc etc.

While my young at heart relatives were having a ball of a time poking their head out through the sunroof , I was having several $&#& in my mind driving this up the hill roads down south.

The torque steer on this is at a level I have not encountered in ANY vehicle - a function of its suspension geometry that is also responsible for it's inconsistent steering (EPS can fix all those problems) . This is not the most powerful FWD vehicle I have driven , so that's not my inexperience speaking.