[bluevolt]

I am a fan of Tata Safari. The Dicor 2.2 is my father's official vehicle and always wished that someday I will own one.

Although this grown up Harrier doesn't matches the charisma of earlier gen, it is still great to see the brand to be back.

I bought Seltos last year as there was no news on Safari and it was my best bet. How I wish they launched it last year. Surely Safari would have been in my parking lot.

We keep our cars for long so no point of considering it now. Never mind, may be the next or next to next gen! This all from emotional point of view.

Now coming to practicality, I wish Tata come up with a powerful turbo petrol engine for its SUVs. Diesel is a big No for people like me who keep cars for long especially in Delhi.

[subramaniamj]

Thanks a lot, Aditya for the fantastic review as usual.

One thing which I feel which has been missed is the 4WD option, which could have put Safari in a very good position which the Fortuner, Alturas and Endeavour are able to achieve, at a lower, affordable price.

I like that even for the XZ variant, they're offering all features except sunroof, which they've kept as a premium option, so the price difference with Harrier could be completely justified - provided the ride comfort and other aspects do stay on par with it.

A few questions since I'm seriously considering purchasing this, as I said in one of my previous post
- How is the overall stability? Same as Harrier (or better). I heard conflicting comments in different reviews
- Noise levels?

One huge negative is the white seats which would be very hard to maintain. Not sure if the Safari offers side airbags which would make the addition of seat covers impossible.

[CARDEEP]

Thanks for the quick & precise review

To me, the Safari I drove 12 years has arrived in modern avtar, it seems. Yes it didn't had the 4-wheel drive then, & would tower over everything else on road. Over years I have changed, maybe lesser than the automotive world, but, I'm now coming to terms to Defender that's not a Ladder Frame SUV, yet is supremely capable.

Coming to this vehicle, the sleek front doesn't gel with the flatter rear end, the infotainment display could have been bezel-less, the interiors could be in a better (darker) shade of grey, there could be more exterior colours on platter, boot could have been bogger etc. On the other hand, I can definitely live without a 4WD/AWD, the middle seat is as good as the name goes & the 3rd row seems better than most. I'm amazed at the clever arrangement for the panaromic sunroof as the roof is claimed to be stepped in other variants.

The engine & ride combo is acceptable to me. Overall it seems a good vehicle, & clever pricing can add to the value & brand.

PS : I'm in a serious quandary as to whether sell my Aspire Diesel in foreseeable future to buy this, or just wait for automotive technology to evolve for a clearer picture on the EVs/ Electrics/ FuelCells. I prefer do the latter, as I seem to be enjoying the reasonably fast Aspire, plus the NCR Diesel ageing isn't encouraging either.

[yesyeswe]

Fantastic review as always, the safari looks drool worthy can't wait to see it on the roads. Recently drove an automatic vehicle for the first time and i was in love, coming from the super long clutch travel of volkswagen polo, not using the clutch in traffic was a different kind of feeling altogether, now i can't even imagine how easy it must be to drive safari without the trouble of using clutch and shifting gears.

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by Aditya

With the seatbacks folded forward, you get 750 liters of cargo room. In case of the 7-seater, boot space can be expanded further by tumbling the bench seats forward to 1,658 liters:

Great review Aditya. I had a question you might have good off hand perspective on.

In the captain chair version:

1. With the last row folded (and if needed one middle row seat pushed forward, is it easy to put our typical roadies into the rear? Without removing front wheel as such? I know the Hexa wasn’t very luggage friendly - not a patch on what the Innova can do. Curious if the Safari is any better at this.

2. Would it have enough height to fit the bike standing (vertical) with the front tyre / front fork put in between the middle row seats? (either with / without front tyre removed - both work).

I am conscious of the white upholstery and that can be worked around.

My GT in flat bed mode easily swallows a road bike whole with plenty space to spare for other luggage too. With 60% seat folded and both tyres removed it can take the bike AND a WHOLE lot of luggage. Curious how the Safari would fare without removing the wheels.

Thanks,

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by Axe77

Great review Aditya.

Thanks,

EDIT: On a side note, having seen a few video reviews, the 7 seat version actually seems more appealing, both in terms of its flexibility of use, access to third row, as well as overall comfort. Also glad to see a properly executed full flip down seat on the kerb side.

[vigneshkumar31]

I'm in the market . I'm looking to swap my first batch Safari Storme EX with the new Safari. Here's my take.

The review of the new Safari and the responses of prospective buyers is a good indicator of the following pros and cons.

PROS

+Safari name - Main attention grabber.

+Good looks - Main crowd puller.

+6/7 Seater - Main difference and advantage over sibling Harrier. Helps those looking for a three row family SUV in this price bracket. This segment was almost dead and with the advent of premium CSUVs, left a gaping hole (Darien Gap) all the way north till D2 7seater premium SUVs (MuX onwards).

+ Panaromic sunroof. Tick.

+ Superb engine committed, married and mated with a good AT box. Happy highway cruiser. Happy customer.

+Good packaging of seating and space for occupants with a compromise of luggage space behind third row. This luggage space after three rows up was never great in the XUV and not even in the Endeavour for all the additional length.Only small bags can be accommodated anyway. I've already remarked in my Definitive D2 thread about the way different companies choose to measure luggage space. Tata in the brochure itself has given the ISO standards according to which their measurement has been done. Which is a good detail I appreciate as the American method significantly overestimates the luggage space volume. I will comment on this or consider if it's really laughable vis a vis competition only after seeing it in flesh.

+Mild softroad videos shot from good low angles that capture modest capabilities and amplify articulation, with slow motion jumps thrown in reminiscent of the older one Combined with the 14 ESP and terrain response modes will add to the ' SUV ' cred and does give some bragging rights. Though this is a lower GC Safari with a fake plastic bash plate in the lower lip, it ticks the boxes for most of the 'paying market' who really are looking for just a highway cruiser.

CONS

- Niggles - Tata. Grow up. Please. You really don't make taxis anymore.

- White interiors. Gives the airy feel and looks luxurious but would be a nightmare for our dusty and tropical weather. Lack of ventilated seats means we expect the driver to sweat mark his territory firmly on the seat after continued usage.

- Ground clearance - The only Safari brochure till date without specs of ground clearance mentioned in the brochure. Laden ground clearance while being the new offical way to legally state GC, I think unladen numbers are what we commonfolk still visualise numbers with. I'm interested to know the unladen ground clearance. But brushing either of these numbers out of the brochure is strongly indicative of something they are not very proud of to associate with a land rover derived Safari brochure.

- Fuel Tank capacity- As stated by many , probably one of the smaller ones out there regardless of segment. While I think this is a negative and a genuine observational complaint I feel it never would break the deal for someone otherwise sold on this Safari.

- Lack of AWD. Heresy. Will not waste any further effort on this point. Beyond just a wasted opportunity. Blasphemy.

- Lack of 360 or atleast a front camera at this price. Simple equipment, huge impact and usability for this high bonnet long car.

- Chrome - Too much. I do not like the 'on the face' bling on the face of the car. But bling has always sold cars in our market so this must be just personal taste for a few of us.

IMHO Verdict
The new Safari seems to tick most of the right boxes and offers a good family tourer for the highways. It has just enough oomph and bells and whistles to pass off under radar of creature comfort seekers. Presently for the next few months atleast, its the only real player in this segment and would enjoy first mover advantage sales. The prospective customers are mostly those who are upgrading from a hatch or sedan to the SUV segment and for this customer base the Safari is a great package with stunning SUV looks, good engine gearbox combo and the bragging rights and satisfaction of finally owning a childhood dream - Safari.

The new Safari is for the new Safari buyer.

What about existing Safari owners looking to update their Safari garage with a new one. Like, myself? Well the original pull for the Storme against the better specced XUV was always for the unique traits that the Safari was known for and that was exactly the traits, few of us brought it home for. The discerning Safari buyer wouldn't have cross shopped an XUV ever, and on the other end, the discerning XUV buyer would have not even considered the utiliarian Safari. These were two different subsegments of automobiles within nearly same price segment.

That line between the two has been blurred today and the Safari and XUV actually are 'identical' in that automobile sense (@ebonho?) Today while we understand that the Safari has evolved, Safari owners like myself are having a little hard time warming up to this idea. That's all. But don't worry about us. We have always been a small minority. We re the proverbial 1percent. AWD would have been the best loyalty bonus Tata could have given us.


Regardless, it is still an honest attempt from Tata and Im personally willing to give this a fair shot it deserves and will take a long hard test drive and start praying for AWD. The Safari has evolved and with it, the Safari owner has also grown older and has family with kids he has to listen to now. But this time I'll wait for V2.

Pricing will determine its fate because if we ve learnt anything from History, the XUV is a serious disruptor.

[swarnava.ch]

A very desirable car in itself. Loved the review. The details and comparison points captured will give clarity to perspective owners.

For what the car is offering, its good enough. A prospective harrier owner (or similar segment ) with a bigger purse will happily jump and upgrade.

But the question to ask ourselves, what if I compare this to other 7 seater cars - Hector+, Marazzo, XUV500 (2021 version impending) ?

Another point, I am happy that the electronic drive modes (ESP tweaking) has made this from a regular FWD car to a bit more capable car. This is a welcome move. This works well from my experience in my Hexa. Yes its not 4*4 but its better than regular FWD / RWD for sure.

Will a Hexa owner upgrade to this ?
I will detail the last question out as part of my own ownership thread for my Hexa as I have to look for an upgrade in next few months.

If I am allowed to put forward a conspiracy theory forward:
I guess the Design department didn’t get enough time to create sufficient design difference between front look of harrier and Safari. So during the next yearly update, there will be sufficient new changes coming to the front to distinguish this car from harrier.

Another point in my mind is, when XUV500 was available pre BS4, there were hardly 10% sales of the AWD version or perhaps far less. Now that the new one is around the corner, once launched, Future Safari updates will likely follow the response to the new 2021 XUV, so the AWD is not a given at this point in my mind but a possibility none the less. Dont hold your breath for the same.

[vibbs]

Great Great Review!

I am a fan of Safari Brand and I am glad they kept it alive. However there will always be some who will feel this injustice to Safari. I dont mind and as I wrote before, a great move.

The car also looks very desirable. Great road presence and as mentioned in the review, great looking from all angles. The captain seat option is cool, but one look at the arm rest and I am certain, I will never opt for this version. They should have made it wider than it is!! Also due to the non existent boot space with all rows down, I think the bench seat version makes more sense if you have 5 or 6 people to transport.

Space is never an issue with Tata and glad to see that third row has decent space on offer. I am unpleasantly surprised however to read about the ride not being as plush. However it wont be a deal breaker if I was in the market now since the review mentions it as acceptable. I also think that for a full size SUV the transmission and engine partnership does the job decently. I am fine with it not being the fastest transmission around as long as it does the job smoothly; and from the looks of it, that seems the case.

Some small irritants aside (like excessive light coloured interiors, excessive chrome on the outside and things like exposed USB sockets near cup holders), I think this is a great car to take on the Safari Moniker.

If I were in India and looking out for an SUV in 20 lakhs thereabouts, I would consider the new Safari very closely.

[pavi]

Great products from TATA one after another in a quick succession. I liked the rear quarter view of the new TATA SAFARI (with respect) minus the fake stepped roof design, it reminds me of the LandRover Discovery. Pic below taken from official review itself.



Source: taken from google

[Aditya]

Originally Posted by Axe77

1. With the last row folded (and if needed one middle row seat pushed forward, is it easy to put our typical roadies into the rear? Without removing front wheel as such? I know the Hexa wasn’t very luggage friendly - not a patch on what the Innova can do. Curious if the Safari is any better at this.

This could get tight. I am not sure the bay is long enough.

2. Would it have enough height to fit the bike standing (vertical) with the front tyre / front fork put in between the middle row seats? (either with / without front tyre removed - both work).

This shouldn't be a problem. The roof appears sufficiently high.

[chinmaypillay]

Originally Posted by pavi

Great products from TATA one after another in a quick succession. I liked the rear quarter view of the new TATA SAFARI (with respect) minus the fake stepped roof design, it reminds me of the LandRover Discovery. Pic below taken from official review itself.
Attachment 2116897

Attachment 2116900
Source: taken from google

My thoughts exactly, we can be happy that is a baby version of a premium product

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by Aditya

This could get tight. I am not sure the bay is long enough.


This shouldn't be a problem. The roof appears sufficiently high.

I transport my cycles in my Storme regularly to and from the mechanic.

Even with the middle bench flipped forward, a bike will not -

1) Stand upright (the saddle will not clear the middle doors or tailgate without tilting the bike). I ride a 54. 180 cm tall. 33.5 inch inseam.

2) The bike will not fit straight with the front wheel. I lean it on one side (non drive) diagonally, with the front end towards the left middle row door and the backend towards the right corner of the tailgate. With the saddle resting on the backrest if the left jumpseat. And a cloth or newspaper under the left lower side of the handlebar and brifters.

3) You can twist the front end so that the wheel is parallel and flush against the folded over middle row bench. Gives an easier fit, though not essential.

4) Been driving for 6 months with a jammed tailgate. Got my bikes in and out through the left middle door. In such a case you have to remove the front wheel.

5) My CAAD was transported from Bangalore to Pune in the back of a Storme, by a family with tons of luggage. With both the wheels off, and the bike flipped over on to the saddle and handlebar, it fits straight across the width of the SUV along the edge of the tailgate.

Hope that helps.

Cheers, Doc

[CoffeeBeans]

Dealers here in Pune have started taking pre-booking for amount of 5k. I was able to book XZA variant, with SA mentioning expected delivery by mid-feb.

[kadanaJ]

Originally Posted by Aditya

In addition to the switchable engine remaps mentioned in the engine post, the Safari gets a Land Rover-esque terrain response system with two selectable modes (apart from the normal driving mode). Wet Mode is designed for driving in the rain by providing better traction and handling. If you should hit a rough patch on your holiday outings, Tata has you covered there too, with the Rough Road Mode which optimizes the vehicle's behavior on broken roads. Braking performance is also tuned to support rough road surfaces. This is all software trickery that can work well. We didn't get an opportunity to test either of these and their verdict will depend on the most reliable reports of them all = Team-BHP Ownership Reviews.

How exactly does the terrain response work in the Safari?
Does the software adjust the tuning of the suspension i.e. makes it firmer or softer depending on the mode you select? Or does it only affect the power delivery to the wheels?