[jumper_]

Originally Posted by nainan

Finally got a test drive of the Safari both manual and auto. While a lot has been said on this thread I will add a couple of my observations.

• The manual gearbox is much better than the one that I drove on the Harrier 1.0 and has lost most of the rubbery feel of the earlier Tata gearboxes. The gear shifts are not Hyundai slick or precise but its overall much improved
• The MT clutch is long travel though light and the dead pedal is quite close to it and within the arc of the clutch pedal. Moreover for my size 11 feet it could only accomodate the edge of my foot. Hence I ended up mostly not using it
• The knee foul up is still there and I did try to adjust the height and the position of the seat but combined with the long clutch travel its not an easy position
• The bench is indeed the better middle row option and has oodles of space
• It somehow feels smaller than the Safari and Hexa maybe because of the smaller glass area but the road view is still commanding
• The 2nd gear has a tendency to stall when you slow for a hump in city mode. The annoying thing is parking brake engages as soon as this happens and to disengage it you need to press on the brake pedal. This was annoying
• The auto on the other hand was a breeze to drive on the Bangalore roads
• Doing U-turns well I liked the Storme much better but this is not as bad a the original Safari
• The body roll is more than the Harrier but much better than the Hexa or the Safari however well contained
• While it takes bumps and potholes in its stride the suspension is a tad more stiff than I would have liked
• I had myself, wife and 2 people from the showroom but there was not bottom scraping so GC felt adequate

It does have the presence and earns respect on the road. So it eventually comes down to price. I don't think given the very similar kit between the Safari and the Harrier given the Harrier XZA + is 20,25,500 ex-showroom logically the Safari should be price about 21-21.5 lakhs.

What a pro review! All point mentioned are very relevant and really helpful. It is such a boon for those who wish to book without a test drive owing to COVID. Thanks!

[damodar]

Originally Posted by nainan

• The knee foul up is still there and I did try to adjust the height and the position of the seat but combined with the long clutch travel its not an easy position.
• The 2nd gear has a tendency to stall when you slow for a hump in city mode.

As I found out in my test drive of the Harrier manual finding the right driving position does take some time. The steering has a telescopic adjustment with good travel, lowering the seat and pulling out to the steering to the maximum worked for me.
As regards the 2nd gear stalling i remember seeing a sticker in one the youtube reviews mentioning not to drive below 10kph in 2nd gear. Was the vehicle stalling above this speed?

[TorqueIndia]

Came across this roof luggage box from Ajanta , which is a universal type with application on wide range of cars and SUVs . Any user reviews on these ? And cost ?

https://www.ajantain.com/roof_box_-_cargo_box



Came across on it after this Landrover accessories video .

https://youtu.be/zhZl0j3SPYA

[nainan]

Originally Posted by damodar

As I found out in my test drive of the Harrier manual finding the right driving position does take some time. The steering has a telescopic adjustment with good travel, lowering the seat and pulling out to the steering to the maximum worked for me.
As regards the 2nd gear stalling i remember seeing a sticker in one the Youtube reviews mentioning not to drive below 10kph in 2nd gear. Was the vehicle stalling above this speed?

It indeed was a large hump and I am not sure of the speed could have well been around 10-15 kmph. The more annoying routine was to restart the engine step on the brake and release the handbrake everytime.

[Venkatesh]

Launch and Price announcement of the new Safari on 22nd February, 11AM



Launch Event Link

https://youtu.be/YuMrUjLA3OE

[Reinhard]

Originally Posted by Venkatesh

Launch and Price announcement of the new Safari on 22nd February, 11AM

"I always wanted to quit on a Monday morning". The one line I always remember when I see a Safari of any generation.

That connection aside - why on earth would one want to time a launch and price release on a busy Monday? That too at 11AM, when things often are well on the boil. Wouldn't it have been better to align it over a weekend to ensure more viewership? Or am I missing some logic? Great that N. Chandra the man at the helm of the group is participating, along side Mr. Butschek, who'll probably be around for just one more unveil - that of the HBX if it comes before the change of guard.

[GTO]

^ The Kiger's embargo ends on Monday morning too. Not a good call by both of them to fight for eyeballs, as both cars are highly anticipated. They should have kept their embargo / launch events a day apart. These dates are anyway common knowledge among the PR & media industry & there is ample opportunity to change things in case of a clash.

[karan561]

Likes;

- Exterior Looks (Great Street Presence)
- Engine & Gearbox Combo (2L FCA Diesel + Hyundai 6 Speed A/T)
- Interior Space & White Seats (Beautiful White Interiors & An Usable 3rd Row)
- Build Quality, Features & Safety Kit (Modern Platform which feels solid, feature packed with goodies & safety systems)

Dislikes;

- No 4x4/AWD Option (Unfortunate Miss)
- Ladder Frame Chassis Gone (The Enthusiasts will miss this)
- Design Team hasn’t emphasised on creating Safari’s own identity (Example - Front Design, Alloy Wheel Design is same as Harrier’s)
- Rear Camera Quality & No 360 Deg. Camera (This problem was reported during my Harrier review too, but no corrective action yet. Seems same supplier has been promised more volumes)

Video;

https://youtu.be/5xccie-dZXg

Exteriors;

Tata Motors played a masterstroke by announcing that the 7 seater Harrier will be called the ALL NEW SAFARI that very moment itself this product transformed into another variant of the Harrier into something iconic & touched the heart strings of all the Safari loyalist owners & sort of guaranteed its success.

Front;

The front is very similar as we've seen in the Harrier with the sly DRL's & the split headlamp cluster.



The only major difference is the new chrome grille with the arrow pattern which has been designed for this All New Safari.



Side;

This is where the identity of the Safari starts taking shape;



The overall increase in dimensions are very visible from the side. Flared wheel arches adding to the muscularity.



The roof rails & especially the D pillar is extremely well designed, really complimenting the funky rear quarter glass.

Rear;

The Tailgate is much more Upstanding v/s the Harrier's and we get new tail lamps too.



^ Overall the rear upright stance does remind me of the previous Safari Storme.

Interiors;



3rd Row;

Starting off with the 3rd Row as this is where all the change has been concentrated on in the development of this all new SAFARI. The Space in the 3rd Row is very acceptable with decent knee room.



- I really like this design of the blower vents at the rear as they pop out in a very unique way.
- Blower Control & USB charging ports are available
- Seat back is not adjustable but it's set at a comfortable angle (23 Deg.).
- Both sides get cupholders & good amounts of storage.
- Overall the seat for 3rd row standards is pretty well engineered.

The 2 negatives for the 3rd Row are that the headroom is not that great & the tailgate/glass is too close to the headrests.

Middle Row;

It is interesting to note that the Safari's wheel base remains same compared to the Harrier's & even with the addition of the 3rd Row seats behind, the Leg room remains strong for the Middle Row.

Boss Mode does enhance Legroom, kneeroom extensively;



- Seats are placed at a good height providing a good view ahead.
- The Middle row seats (both) are equipped with Child Seat attachments.
- Large Sunroof in the middle row contributing to the airiness of the cabin.

Front Row;

The design of the dashboard is the same as the Harrier's just the wood treatment IIRC in the Harrier was different, the one in this Safari is much more darker & Ash coloured;



- The other major change is that the fancy Hand brake is now gone and replaced with an Electronic Handbrake Switch with the very useful Auto-Hold feature;



To sum up the Interior, yes overall thanks to the Oyster White Seats & Plastics the Interior of the Safari not only feels Airy but also more premium, exclusive & expensive compared to the Harrier.

Engine Performance;



Safari as a brand is more than 20 years old. Back in the late 90s when the Safari was 1st introduced the Diesel engine it had was actually derived from the Peugeot group that was very old tech & though it had a turbocharger but it had indirect injection.
Then when the update was given in the 2000s the DICOR engines were developed with the help of Mercedes' Commercial Diesel engines. This technology introduced direct injection for Safari.
After which finally the VARICOR engines were introduced in the Safari Storme which were not only modern but also powerful enough.

This Gen. All New Safari gets the most powerful engine for the Safari brand till date i.e. 2L (168 HP & 350 NM) Multijet Turbo engine from the FCA stable. However do note the Storme’s Varicor 400 remains the Torquiest Safari.
The power delivery of this motor is very good & it never is lacking horsepower nor the torque in most of the rpm range but yes it doesn't like to be red lined & in my honest opinion there's no need.
We do have to note that the Safari has gained weight over the Harrier & is about 100 Kgs (Not sure of the exact figure) heavier than the Harrier, hence the acceleration numbers may not be as quick as that of the Harrier's.

Gearbox;



- The Safari is available in both manual & automatic variants but the I reviewed was the Hyundai sourced 6 Speed A/T Transmission (A6F36).

- Overall smoothness is as good as it was in the Harrier's and i think it's a good choice to pick this box over the 9 speed ZF of the Jeep Compass' as that too is compatible with the engine but i say its a good thing because have heard stories that the 9 Speed A/T in the Compass is not the best & sometimes confused. Also at low speed it lifts from 2nd gear.
- All of this is never going on in this engine gearbox combination of the All New Safari.

Suspension/Ride Quality;



- The Suspension is an independent setup up front & Some of the front Suspension is carried over from the D8 LR Discovery Sport whereas the rear, is developed by Lotus Engineering UK.

- Overall the ride quality remains a strong selling point for the Safari & even with the larger 18" rims have 235/60 R18 tyres (Bridgestone Ecopia EP 850) which is a healthy profile to aid comfort.

- The added length and more weight has also sort of settled things in favour of the Ride Quality for the Safari.

Steering & Handling;



- The steering is an hydraulic unit and i really personally as an enthusiast always applaud Automotive manufacturers who still use Hydraulic Power Steering Units. I dont mind them being slightly heavy in traffic or during parking because they really reward you at higher speeds. Hence a big thumbs up for TATA Motors there.

- The Suspension though comfort oriented does offer good support in making the Harrier handle well & suited for long distance touring abilities.

- The brakes are also upgraded and now we get Rear Discs (Additional stopping power is always welcome with Additional weight) which do add to the Handling capabilities of the Safari.

Miscellaneous Points;

- All New Safari is based on the Harrier platform. To elaborate things this is nothing but the D8 Architecture from the LandRover stable and Tata Motors internally call it the OmegaArc platform.
- This Platform is also likely to support Electric Powertrains in the future. A Safari EV in the future is likely.
- The Suspension settings feel tweaked/reworked for the Safari.
- Tata Safari was internally codenamed the Q502.
- This Royale Blue Exterior & Oyster White Interior Combo looks really good in flesh.
- Not only the Safari feels visually larger than the Harrier but dimensionally too it really is by adding 63 mm in length & 80 mm in height over the Harrier.
- However the Rear Booth Space with all seats up is very less.
- A lot of reviewers have said that the armrest of the 2nd row are too thin. Its true but any wider would have hampered the walk-in entry to the last row or made the middle row chair seat passenger uncomfortable with a tight fit. Hence the current setup was practically the best option.
- Externally Tata Motors should have explored body side cladding for the side, nonetheless it may come in the form of some optional accessory, you never know.
- Loved the JBL Sound System. But noticed its too loud for lower volumes too, Interesting.
- The Fuel Economy for this A/T variant is rated @ 14.08 km/l by ARAI
- I think Tata Motors should develop the the AWD variant soon to do more justice to the SAFARI brand & launch it by the time the next gen XUV500 launches (Which is rumoured to have AWD at launch)

Final Thoughts;

The pricing will be announced tomorrow i.e. 22nd Feb. 2021 & i believe Tata Motors will price it sensibly. To conclude things i think TATA Motors have a sales winner on their hands as its having the best of the Harrier, A Land Rover Platform, A Jeep Engine, A Hyundai gearbox but most importantly the SAFARI logo.

[VRJ]

Thank you for the detailed review Karan! I watched your video on YouTube in the morning. My father was asking me why I was watching an 18 minute video review of the Safari when I booked a Thar and was wondering if I changed my mind. I was like it’s a BHP’ians channel, I’ll watch it even if he makes a review of a boat of the coast of New Zealand, lol. Great job! Congratulations on the M340i booking. Eagerly waiting for your ownership thread!!

Went for a test drive yesterday. A good friend of mine is planning on taking one and is waiting for the price reveal.

I agree regarding the suspension, great job by Tata motors. It’s a lot better than the Fortuner. The Safari absorbs the bumps and you don’t feel them much, however, the Fortuner’s suspension hits you back. It was raining during our drive and the highway was empty. The car didn’t feel nervous at 100kmph on a wet surface. Good high speed stability. It somehow felt smoother and better insulated than the Harrier as you mentioned. The power delivery, the stability, the NVH and the interior fit and finish felt better to me than the Harrier. One thing about the audio system, why is it soo loud even when it is set at 7? It surprised me. The audio quality was good, not the crispiest, but the general public wouldn’t complain. Special mention to the lumbar support adjustment on the driver seat. None of my cars have it, so this was the first I was experiencing one. Blessing to anyone spending good amount of time driving everyday. Wish it was there on the passenger side as well. Really like the auto hold function. Makes life easier in stop and go traffic. The only downside for me personally are the headlights appearance and the white interiors. The test drive car and the display car already had smudges. I know I said the Safari has nothing over the Harrier thats worth the premium, but Tata somehow has made the Safari a Harrier V 3.0. It just felt better. My pick would be a 5 seater Safari with a humongous boot. If priced right, Tata has a winner here. Can’t come any close to the numbers posted by the Korean twins (unfortunately), but the Safari will do decent numbers (if Tata doesn’t get greedy).





Cheers!

[VKumar]

Came across a video over the YouTube, although the video content is something that shall be condemned, but a few observations of mine:

1) The engine is actually revving very cleanly and even enthusiastically till 4200-4300 rpm, after that the growth slows down.

- It shows a very strong and progressive mid range, particularly a wider torque band where you can have fun all the way from 1700 to 4000 rpm

2) This guy is doing insane speeds, and he is foolish enough to do it with one hand on wheel and camera in another. In fact, he left the wheel at an unimaginable speed to shift from fifth to sixth cog, and even click to sports mode button,

- It talks about the sorted dynamics and stability of the vehicle, especially the high speed straight line stability - you need to feel very confident behind the wheel to do something like this.

3) Camera is not vehicle body mounted, it is in the hand of the driver and the car is flying on the peripheral expressway. Neither the surface is perfect, nor it is absolutely plain, there are minor undulations and multiple expansion joints too.

- Camera still looks stable in his hand, that can be considered a sign of a decent high speed ride and lesser shock being transmitted to the cabin. Also coming out alive after all this, means the vehicle has got the dynamics, good enough to keep it hugging the road when needed. In fact, the front end grip looks phenomenal with the way this stupid exercise has been implemented

[Krisna84]

Hi BHPian's. Thanks for accepting me to this group & it's my first post.

It was around the 2nd week of Feb we decided to add a family car to our garage. Currently we own a Merc E250cdi & Volvo V40CC T4.

Prime Criteria
1. 6/ 7 seater
2. Comfortable middle row
3. Safety is paramount
4. Better GC compared to Merc & volvo
5.service centre located within 50kms radius
6. Budget around 25L

Booked my TD @ Chima Tata Madurai. Both TD & display vehicles were 6 seater AT. So didn't get to see the 7 seater Avatar.

Lovable bits

On the outside the Car felt proportional ,Loved the sharp creases & boot design. The designers @ Tata have done a commendable job

Moving on to the interiors,
- liked the well appointed cabin
- Practical cabin layout
- tons of leg room in the middle row
- the captain seat felt comfortable
- 3rd row had adequate knee room
- the terrain response modes available

I like physical switches in the dash & safari didn't disappoint

Things to improve
1. Certain bits of plastic on the doors didn't seem premium enough
2. Quality of rear cam could have been better
3. Lack of front parking sensors
4. Infotainment system
5. Steering felt slightly disconnected ( may be because I was not used to driving an Suv)

The TD experience
We put the car through its paces
Tried a bit of off roading too. The ride was well planted. The car felt sturdy .overall satisfactory & we ended up booking the XZ MT variant

The big miss
Only their top end XZ+ variant comes with captain seats. It also has Sun roof hence a roof rail cannot be attached.
If only TATA could introduce a variant with captain seats without sunroof it would be more practical.

Now waiting with my fingers crossed for the price reveal.

[karan561]

Originally Posted by VRJ

Thank you for the detailed review Karan! I watched your video on YouTube in the morning. My father was asking me why I was watching an 18 minute video review of the Safari when I booked a Thar and was wondering if I changed my mind. I was like it’s a BHP’ians channel, I’ll watch it even if he makes a review of a boat of the coast of New Zealand, lol. Great job!

Thanks for such love & support

Congratulations on the M340i booking. Eagerly waiting for your ownership thread!!

Thanks, me too eagerly waiting for the same

Went for a test drive yesterday. A good friend of mine is planning on taking one and is waiting for the price reveal.
I agree regarding the suspension, great job by Tata motors. It’s a lot better than the Fortuner. The Safari absorbs the bumps and you don’t feel them much, however, the Fortuner’s suspension hits you back. It was raining during our drive and the highway was empty. The car didn’t feel nervous at 100kmph on a wet surface. Good high speed stability. It somehow felt smoother and better insulated than the Harrier as you mentioned. The power delivery, the stability, the NVH and the interior fit and finish felt better to me than the Harrier. One thing about the audio system, why is it soo loud even when it is set at 7? It surprised me. The audio quality was good, not the crispiest, but the general public wouldn’t complain. Special mention to the lumbar support adjustment on the driver seat. None of my cars have it, so this was the first I was experiencing one. Blessing to anyone spending good amount of time driving everyday. Wish it was there on the passenger side as well. Really like the auto hold function. Makes life easier in stop and go traffic. The only downside for me personally are the headlights appearance and the white interiors. The test drive car and the display car already had smudges.

Great, thanks for sharing your TD experience. We share similar thoughts. Glad to know.

I know I said the Safari has nothing over the Harrier thats worth the premium, but Tata somehow has made the Safari a Harrier V 3.0. It just felt better.

Well put up.

[BoneCollector]

Introductory prices -

A new variant called Adventure Persona is also being launched. It has a unique Misty Blue colour with dark interiors.

[Tojo_GotBhp]

Tata Safari 2021 price revealed:


So, that's a 70K premium over the Harrier.

[Venkatesh]

Some pictures of New Safari Adventure Edition - special paint shades, blacked out details on the exterior and interior and a different shade for the seats too.