[Seek]

Ok, so reposting my buying experience and initial ownership report with a more detailed review of the beast!

So without much Ado I'll first get around the review and then you can go through the buying experience. I'll keep this thread updated with experiences as the mileage adds on.

What Did I need?
We are a family of 5. 2 Adults, 2 Kids and 1 Dog (Kruger). Kruger needed a room of his own and so an SUV was the only choice. We do all our holidays driving and while Kruger doesn't always accompany us, we have a lot of baggage right from folding chairs and tables to Portable gas stoves, rucksacks, sleeping bags and the likes. I have clocked over 100,000 Kms on my honda city ZX taking it on long journeys like Chennai-Mumbai, Multiple Chennai-hyderabad trips, multiple trips to Bandipur, mudumalai and through pretty harsh terrain (for the car). So decision within the family was unanimous for once - something that has space, is comfortable for long drives, can fit kruger for short journeys and bad roads isn't a problem. Also, has to be not more than 12 L OTR (but the heart is allowed to take over the mind isnt it? )

What did I buy?
A TANK! The Safari storme EX running a 2.2 VARICOR engine churning out 150 bhp power and 320 MN Torque

Why did I buy this and not something else?
There isn't any another vehicle in the below price bracket that even comes close to the storme, at least not convincing to the heart. I checked out the following and here are my pros and cons to justify:

1. Renault Duster: Was fully sold out on picking this. But after test driving the storme I changed my mind on this.

Pros:
*Compact Mini-SUV with good road presence and drivers view
*No frills: Yes that's a pro for me, I actually am not a fan of too much gadgetry so its basic interiors were something I liked
*Excellent handling : Took it on a test drive where I did a few sharp U Turns and some chicane like obstacle courses that Chennai traffic police blesses us on OMR with. It handled them beautifully, just like a car
* Always available with some discount or offer to the tune of Rs 80k-1L

Cons:
*None really. For what I was looking for it was just perfect

2. XUV500. I drove this after the storme and so anything i say about it is unfair because my heart was already stolen

Pros:
*Handling, Car like
*More features than any other mini-SUV in almost all variants
*Good numbers being sold by Mahindra so something must be right that I couldnt see!

Cons:
*Didnt give a feel of owning an SUV, not even as much as the duster

Others I considered as a passing evaluation:
Scorpio : Closest to the storme in terms of driver's view. But I didn't like the interiors at all and felt the space too cramped even at the cockpit side and didn't even test drive it
Thar: Was actually more than keen for the jeep but then the "family car" requirement put it out of the equation. Will certainly buy a Jeep one day.

How much did I pay for it?
Nothing. My company paid for it. But they will take it from my salary every month leaving little else for me after that. Cost them 13.3 OTR Chennai. Breakup:
1. Ex-Showroom: Rs 11.7L
2. Tax, Registration and Handling : Rs 1.85 L
3. Insurance (Future Generali Corporate Arrangement): Rs 38 K
4. Discounts: 45K Cash Discount + 20 K Exchange bonus

Price List at Chennai


Actually Not that I didn't pay anything. I paid for the extended warranty and some accessories (inclusive of fitting):
1. Extended warranty : Rs 7.1 K (4th year warranty)
2. Seat covers: Rs 12 K
3. Reverse Camera + sensor : Rs 7.5 K

How is it from Outside?
AWESOME! And I'll tell you why:
1. The Bulk has been so well distributed across the front to the back that at no point, not from any angle does it look out of proportion
2. Its got 16 inch wheels (with Bridgestone rubber) that suit it perfectly. 15 inchers on the LX certainly make it look disproportionate to an extent

16 Inch Steel Wheels in EX (Alloys on VX)


3. The front section especially the grill and head lamps make it stand out and that's why my son remarked "When I saw you driving towards us, I thought it was a range rover coming"



4. ORVMs are like large TV Screens that give you a full view of whats behind you



5. The rear (not as great looking as the dicor) is something i feel you will like more the more you look at it. I love the tail lamp cluster and the Storme badging along with the Tata insignia in chrome. Adds some beauty to an otherwise flat rear!



6. The paint finish is excellent. Feels so thick on the body that I know the coat will last a lifetime
7. The doors are as solid as a tanks hood. They close with such a thud and need an effort that fits this vehicle. If you think you will close it like a sedan, you are mistaken. Build those forearams and biceps if you drive or are a regular passenger (note that I'm 55kgs light and I don't have either of those physical attributes but its still fun to close the doors)!

I'm so in love with the looks that I keep turning back as I leave it any parking and admire it all the way.

What could have been better outside?
1. Panel gaps are evident but largely they are closely knitted and dont stand out unlike some of the older pictures I have seen. But these can be improved upon


How is it from the Inside?
ROOMY!
1. Lots and lots of space. Someone congratulated me on buying a 2BHK on wheels and I think thats exactly what it is. Was able to take 6 Adults (incl me driving) and 6 Kids on a drive with ease! Rear passengers can sit with their legs folded, stretched or crossed.
2. The Interiors are fairly basic by today's standards but like i said I am a fan of no-frills. Like the following specifically:

*USB and AUX ports concealed in a nice cavity


*Illuminated key hole


*Space to keep stuff in the doors


*Enough information in the MID cluster. Door open, seat belt warning, Tacho, Speedo and other essential readings. Simple and no nonsense


*Well integrated music system. Honestly I am not a fan of music and usually keep it shut. Love to hear the music from the engine itself. The bluetooth pairing is the only feature I used on it and it worked first time right, so no problem at all.


3. Apart from being a 2BHK on wheels, its also a refrigerator on wheels. The AC cools the cabin very well and the roof AC (if needed) makes it freeze all around. Have checked in 33 degs afternoons at chennai. But bring the summer on and I'm sure this is not a problem area for the storme.

What could have been better inside?
*Power windows operation: One touch down, but not one touch up! atleast drivers side considering so many toll plazas all around us these days
*Placement of the fuel lid opener - I havent made the mistake of opening it while lowering the windows but I surely will. Just a matter of time.



*Quality of the plastic cover on the lamps inside the cabin. Really cheap variety.



*3rd row seating : I know everyone talks about this, but honestly if thisnt a primary requirement its ok, but if you need a 7 seater, you will be disappointed. Its a 5 seater + 2 Kids or a Dog seater (upto 12 year old are considered kids)!

*Quality of plastics on the indicator stalks, viper stalks need a lot of improvement. With such a sturdy vehicle, the flimsy stalks give a feeling the will break away of you use them a little harshly.

How does it feel to drive?
LIKE A KING!
1. The driver's view of the road is unparalleled. High enough to curse the bus drivers easily and wide enough for autos and bikes to give way. Moving over from a sedan as low as the honda city where my neighbors on the road were auto drivers and even cursing motorbikes meant looking up, to seeing tempo travelers, buses, mini vans and others as neighbors is a whole new world!
2. The engine is extremely torquey and you get off to a solid start with hardly any input from the pedal. I haven't stalled even once and mind you this is my first SUV. I haven't run at high speed yet considering running-in period but the way the engine purrs at 80, its as if its not even quarter exhausted.
3. No turbo lag whatsoever. Press the pedal and the beast responds!
4. 3rd gear driveability is great and keeps you well placed in mild traffic or a short clear patch. Saves you from too much up or down shifting.
5. Brilliant clutch setup. After 5 days of driving the storme I ended up finding my honda city's clutch as a hard button under the foot to press. The storme has a long deep clutch but very very soft and takes no effort in any kind of traffic. Most of my return drives from work have been in bumper to bumper traffic and caused me no stress.
6. Gear shifting is easy. First gear throw is a bit long and for short people its a slight issue. My wife felt it on a short ride but then was ok.
7. Steering is no different from my honda city and I am serious about this. I thought moving over to an SUV would mean muscling the vehicle around, but not with the storme. I have done almost all turns and lanes with the storme that I did with the Honda city barring one U turn alone.
8. Loves to open up on straight roads and hates potholes
9. Lights are very powerful and coupled with a higher driver view, makes visibility longer and brighter
10. Horn doesn't fit a kings chariot but not sure what could have been better here. Only a brass ding dong bell would have been fit!

What could have been better with the driveability?
1. Even though its all 4 disc brakes, the braking ability isnt great, you need to keep fair distance keeping the size and speed in mind else you will find yourself diving around with hard braking. Drive it like a tank and not like a car.
2. Fair amount of sideways body roll if you go over a really bumpy road. Advance warning to passengers is the best you can do in case of this even occurring
3. Safety : My only sore point about the purchase. Spending 13 L + and not getting Airbags. Why tata, why?
4. Noise handling inside the cabin. Haven't gone beyond 80 but at 80 itself I get to hear whooshes and hisses. So 100+ is going to be a noisy place. Need to experience it and comment further
5. General noises from the drive train. Have driven just 200 Kms so far but some noises have come and gone and others are still there. Noticeable click on disengaging the clutch, a scratching sound on lowering the rpm. But none sound serious and so will wait till the first servicing to them checked.

Summary of Initial Impression (Cheatsheet):

Good:
* Solid Build - This hits you first thing. My other car is a honda city and I get the feeling that entire car probably weighs as much as one door of the storme.
* Excellent view of the road - Its like the front row of a movie theatre. Just that its high enough to make innovas look like santros
* Easy to drive - Hardly any different than driving my city. Clutch is amazingly light and steering very easy to handle. Drove back in bumper to bumper traffic with absolute ease.
* Infotainment system - simple, non nonsense style. got my phone paired up in the first attempt and used most of the features without having to open the user manual
* AC - The cabin was cooled in no time after starting up. Yes it was evening but my older son was freezing and looking for ways to shut the rear vents in 15 minutes
* Looks to die for - Cant stop admiring the frontal view. been going down my apartment for no reason but to just admire it and come back up.
* Dealer experience - Never let the frustrations of the car lease policy overtake his desire to sell the vehicle to me. Never made me a useless follow-up call. I gave all the staff i interacted with gifts during delivery (thanks to the team bhp pdi checklist).
* Spare tyre mechanism - My first experience with an SUV and with the mechanism that lowers and pulls the tyre up. very cool.

Bad
* Niggles: 5 minutes into the drive I realised there is a bit of "sound" while accelerating that is out of place. Comes in low speeds (upto 40 kph) and while prodding around in traffic. NOt there in higher speeds or while revving in idle. The sound used to come in my santro from the driveshaft after 12 years and here is a similar sound from day 1. I didnt pick this sound up during the PDI and subsequent "puja drive" i did one of the days. And there is another one coing while releasing the clutch 2 times out of 10. Have read about this on other forums too but need to reconfirm if it is something out of place.
* Ergonomics : maybe its my size (not so large), but i can't find a place to rest my right elbow while driving. Used to conveniently perch it on the drivers window sill in the city but thats a mile away in the storme
*Safety: No Airbags in an OTR price 13L+ Vehicle. They should have given airbag in the EX variant

All in All, i am very happy with the purchase and the experience. Tip for any folks waiting on the periphery, go ahead and tame the beast. You will not be disappointed.

Continuing this thread with the detailed buying experience and other updates. Thanks for reading.

Buying Experience and Welcoming the Beast
All started in July 2013 when I was joining a new job and someone told me a car lease was mandatory at the new workplace. With a (then) 12 yr old santro, and 6 yr old City in the garage, I needed only the slightest excuse to start looking at a new ride. I was already bitten by the SUV/Mini-SUV bug and was bowled over by the duster.

Made multiple visits to the renault showroom, multiple test drives and by the time I joined and settled into my new job a couple of months later, reality dawned that the car lease was not mandatory after all. Out goes the half-excuse and with all the financial liabilites of a typical indian middle class IT employee looming ahead, I let the dream of owning an SUV/Mini-SUV quietly sleep. But what struck me during this time was the ride, road presence of the duster and the 'i can go anywhere on this' kind of a feeling.

Fastforward July 2015 - My second tryst with the car lease policy! A colleague at work was looking at replacing his 1yr old duster (switching jobs and terminating the car lease). It gave me an option to pick up a 1 yr old top of the line duster with just 5000 Kms at the odo for 8L! Hopes rose and then died as quickly after realising the lease cannot be transferred between employees! But remember my colleague was looking at replacing his duster and so I joined him to help find a suitable replacement. His choice was simple - not a sedan and something bigger than the duster. Without any hesitation I told him lets go checkout the storme. Here starts the umpteen journeys to the showroom (concorde motors, velachery, chennai)! For my colleague it was just one of the 2 visits since he didnt want to take chances with questionable TASS and reliability and eventually opted for a top line XUV 500. For me it was the beginning of an adventure.

Over the next 6 months, I made about 10 visits to the showroom, each time admiring the beast stationed in a prime corner of the showroom as if it was my first visit! That is the kind of emotion the storme evokes from you. The ride and road presence of the duster felt puny in front of the storme and childhood memories of being in the bridge of a ship (dad is from the Indian Navy) came rushing by. By Nov 2015 my mind was made up that it is time to take the plunge and get storme'd.



Enter the third and the most eventful episode with the dreaded car lease policy at work. I inquired about the prcing for the EX in end-nov and was told the 40 k discount that was running earlier in the month is still available. I was happy. Inquired about disposing off my 14 year old DL registered santro and they said they can pick it and offer a 20K exchange bonus. I was happier! A little negotiation later the deal was struck at 42 K cash discount + 20 K exchange bonus + floor mats and mud flaps. Next day got a quote for my rusty old santro, a grand 12 K (yes, INR!). I couldn't debate much considering re-registration in TN would cost more than the value of the car itself. I immediately locked the whole deal and shot off a mail to my car lease desk at work requesting the process to tame the beast commence. What came back instead were the historic rains in chennai and with every foot of water that rose over my santro, the dream of the storme appeared to drown or at least the sweetness of the deal seemed dampening. After 5 days of deluge, I recovered the santro.



Spent 5 k to get it running just enough so that the earlier agreed sale at 12 k goes through and it did!



Just to also make sure the guys at the car lease desk in office didn't think i was washed away, I got back to work and reminded them of the task at hand. A million approvals and proforma invoice revisions later, it was all set. It was time to book! Somewhere along, i was also bitten by the auspicious date bug. Checked the best date & time and sent the booking confirmation to the dealer to go ahead at precisely the correct time.

But doesn't look like i chose the right date or time because just as I said book, I got a sorry call from the dealer (honestly, one of the rare calls from the Dealer during this journey!), that the Urban bronze colour I have opted is not in stock and guess what, production for the year has also closed and so I cant get the colour at this year ending price. Jan 2016 prices will vary. To add insult to injury he tells me something that reminds me of henry ford - you can have any colour as long as it is pearl white! Pearl white was the only colour available. I did a fake deliberation with my heart and mind, looked at google images - clean and muddy stormes - and said I am ok with the pearl white. Such is the attraction of the storme that some mildly important things don't matter once you are set on it.

I gave my go ahead (this time didnt check for the auspicious date) and in the next couple of days, I had the alloted vehicle's VIN on my phone. A quick check based on the TBHP VIN thread confirmed it was a Nov 2015 manufactured vehicle and another box was now ticked. All that left now was for my company to process the payment and the PDI / Delivery. I went off to the forests for an end of year vacation and did enough to follow-up on the pending payment. Got a confirmation from the dealer that vehicle has arrived at the yard in chennai from pune on the 29th dec and a confirmation from my office that the payment will be released by 1st week of jan. Wow, things moved well when i didn't check for the auspicious date. I quickly finalised the seat covers that I had been shown earlier and also the reverse sensor/camera setup that I had been contemplating on. Life couldn't have felt better. Checked for auspicious dates for delivery this time and found 10th Jan to be perfect. And that is when in true bollywood style the twists started (or was it the auspicious date jinx!). Got back to work after vacation and got to know that the payment isnt yet cleared. There were still a few approvals pending (after I had already got a million of them earlier)! Pushed and prodded folks around and got those approvals also secured while keeping the dealer at bay. He was after all holding this vehicle against a zero booking amount and a couple of other customers willing to pay / finance for it. Got a date of 8th Jan from my finance department as the date they will make the payment. I went over on 9th Jan and completed my PDI. Got a helping hand from a crazy friend of mine and together we spent over an hour ticking off everything on the PDI checklist (I took the TAI PDI checklist). The Concorde sales manager and other personnel were patient enough to first move the storme over to a nice shady shed inspite of multiple cars waiting for delivery / polishing etc. They were amazed to see the 6 page bound checklist in my hand and asked me if i was actually going to check each of the items. I said Yes.















PDI done successfully but come 11th Jan there was still no payment. Some more internal issues and "fixed payment cycles" reasoning and now the date was moved over by a week to 18th. Come 18th and a pleasant suprise awaited me. While I was away in yelagiri over the long pongal weekend (15-17), the company had processed the payment. Took another agonising 7 days to get another 3 signatures for the form 20 including some drama such as waiting on the side of a main road to get the final signature! eventually come 25th Jan and I got delivery of the beast with the heart beating at about 1000bpm!

So here it is:















Accessories
As Mentioned earlier I went in for bare bone accessories. Here is a note on each one:

* Seat covers (Rs 12 K) : Went for what the dealer was selling as seat covers by Tata. No Brannd but fit and finish is great. Pretty comfortable too, no complaints

* Reverse sensor and camera (Rs 7.5 K) : Very useful accessory. Display Placement was debated (center of the dash vs left corner of the dash between me and the dealer). Finally its in the left corner and pretty convenient. The sensor does go haywire if the obstacle is a short ledge like in my office parking but 90% of the time it is accurate. Display helps to see behind the vehicle. Kids in my apartment carelessly leave cycles all over the place.

* 3M CR70 Sun film all around (Rs 26 K, Gulp!) : Certainly a very effective sunfilm and keeps the beast cool. I have done comparisons with cars running other sun films in my office parking and find it to be noticeably cooler. BUT - the next day after putting these on, i was caught by the cops and fined and reality about the sunfilm rule hit me. So now in a dilema on what to do. The route where the checking happens is something I don't do often so can avoid the second time fine. Or do I just go and remove it, or remove only the windshield one. Either ways, serious money would be wasted. But the film and its application was done very well by the guys at 3 M OMR.

* 3M Underbody anti corrosion treatment (Rs 5k) : Again, a good job done and I guess this is a must have in the humid chennai weather

* 3M Mats : went for the ones that are Rs 125 per sq ft for approx 22 Sq ft front and middle sections. Moved the dealer provided mats (useless ones) to the back section. The mats are good. Add a bit of soft feel inside the cabin and trap all the dust and mud.

The dealer gave me a cheap set of mats and mud-flaps "free". Nothing much to write about them. Am all kitted up now!

500 Km Update
Been driving mostly just to work and back which is a 26 Km daily round trip on OMR. Traffic conditions are bumper to bumper for 50% of the journey and clear roads for the rest, both in the morning and evenings.

Likes
* Cant wait to go to work everyday because i get to ride the beast!
* As easy as a car to navigate through bumper to bumper traffic, no surprises so far barring one emergency braking situation which went off smoothly. No tiredness at all
* Have an almost 270 degree view of what is around me
* 3rd gear acceleration is fantastic
* not sure if its the 3 M sun film on the front windshield or the ride height but the glare from oncoming traffic is sharply reduced in the storme compared to my honda city
* AC effectiveness. Have been managing on blower speed 1 and ECO Mode so far very comfortably in the mornings (9.30 AM). Same setting in the evening (8 PM), makes the cabin colder than I like.


Dislikes
* The first gear at times needs a re-slotting. I've kind of mastered it now and slot it with a heavy push.
* Occasional swish-swoosh wind noises at 60-80 kph. Many times i have rechecked if any of the windows were down. Its that kind of wind noise.

Tata had messed up my number plate. Gave me a 4688 instead of 4638 (and then patched it up via pressing and some paint removal to make the 8 look like 3). Wasnt a bad job but obviously not acceptable and I had asked for new plates. Collected the replacement plates today, so now I have a backup set with me.

[doxinboy]

Congrats man, absolutely amazing writeup, the beast deserves the emotion. For me, no other animal evokes the kind of emotion thebeast does. There is something inherently magicial that can't be put on paper. Wishing you happy miles ahead man!

[mayank0782]

Congratulations seek!!!! Virtually nothing can replace the desire to own a Storme. Personally for me, Pearl White is the best color Storme or even the Safari Dicor can be had with.

Wish you lots of happy miles with the beast !!

Could you please share the pictures showing reverse camera fitment and how does the display stack up inside the cabin?

Do you plan to get any alloys ? Or any cosmetic mods ? Which seat covers have you chosen?

Sorry for too many questions but really interested to see some more pics.

[KK_HakunaMatata]

Hi Seek,

Congratulations on your acquisition of the beast and nice write up.

Almost I read your write up twice, so much is my love for Safari. You got it right, even am bitten by Safari bug from more than 10 years but still have not been able to realise the dream due to various factors.

Now you made me think again . Have a niggle and trouble free ownership. Also come up with a timely update on your beast.

Regards,
KK

[Seek]

Originally Posted by doxinboy

Congrats man, absolutely amazing writeup, the beast deserves the emotion. For me, no other animal evokes the kind of emotion thebeast does. There is something inherently magicial that can't be put on paper. Wishing you happy miles ahead man!

Thank you!

Originally Posted by mayank0782

Congratulations seek!!!! Virtually nothing can replace the desire to own a Storme. Personally for me, Pearl White is the best color Storme or even the Safari Dicor can be had with.

Wish you lots of happy miles with the beast !!

Could you please share the pictures showing reverse camera fitment and how does the display stack up inside the cabin?

Do you plan to get any alloys ? Or any cosmetic mods ? Which seat covers have you chosen?

Sorry for too many questions but really interested to see some more pics.

Thank you and no problems with the questions. Keep them coming and I will try and answer what I can. My original colour choice was urban bronze, love that colour. Somehow have started liking pearl white too. Looks like a colour that will last long without fading.

I initially had a plan to get alloys (matte black) but I couldn't get a good exchange deal and then realised the steel rims don't look bad at all. so sticking to these. The quotes I had from the dealer were 27K and 34 K for two variants but no models in black. But I cant't agree more with the other Team-BHPians who advised me to keep the truck stock. It really doesn't need any cosmetic mods.

I went in only for seat covers and reverse camera+sensor and a reverse horn (purchased from outside and the dealer fit it for me). I Couldn't test the sound before buying and it is something that is fit enough only for a nano! Need to live with it

Pictures attached.

Seat covers: Went for what the dealer was offering as "Original Tata accessory" so that I could get a hassle free delivery. Cost me Rs 12,000 and look fine. They are actually pitch black and the pictures aren't reflecting the true colour.





Reverse Sensors and Display. Display unit is on the left corner of the dash. Had a big debate with the dealer to decide the location and kind of agree now that it is the best place. Also wasn't sure how black sensors would look on the white bumper but love the contrasting look now. Note that painting the sensors white is ruled out since it will interfere with the sensing ability



Display Off



Display On



Free floor mats: Pretty useless (as expected). Will scout for something better aftermarket.

Originally Posted by KK_HakunaMatata

Hi Seek,

Congratulations on your acquisition of the beast and nice write up.

Almost I read your write up twice, so much is my love for Safari. You got it right, even am bitten by Safari bug from more than 10 years but still have not been able to realise the dream due to various factors.

Now you made me think again . Have a niggle and trouble free ownership. Also come up with a timely update on your beast.

Regards,
KK

Thank you! I hope your dream comes true one day

[mayank0782]

Originally Posted by Seek

Reverse Sensors and Display. Display unit is on the left corner of the dash. Had a big debate with the dealer to decide the location and kind of agree now that it is the best place. Also wasn't sure how black sensors would look on the white bumper but love the contrasting look now. Note that painting the sensors white is ruled out since it will interfere with the sensing ability

Well the seat covers look elegant. The reverse cam fitment looks neat. Is the center one the camera and the rest 4 sensors ?
You might have to get used to the positioning of the display unit though. Is it relocatable ?

[Seek]

Originally Posted by mayank0782

Well the seat covers look elegant. The reverse cam fitment looks neat. Is the center one the camera and the rest 4 sensors ?
You might have to get used to the positioning of the display unit though. Is it relocatable ?

Yes, the center one is the camera and the rest 4 are sensors. It is relocatable and I'll test it in this position for sometime. so far its been ok.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Initial Ownership Section. Thanks for sharing!

[GKMahajan]

Dear Seek,

I am impressed!
I am most impressed by your diligence in using the full PDI list.
Keep us updated. I am interested in buying a SUV. As and when auto will be available, this will be in my short-list.

Girish Mahajan

[madhu33]

Congrats Man. Very good write up.
I bought Xuv W8 on 29/11/2015.
STORME was the choice of my heart. Loved every bit about it .
(Love it even more in Varicor 400 Avatar)
Ultimately i went with my mind (residential parking width and not yet ready to drive/manage a ladder on frame just yet)

Using an Xuv for 3000 kms now over last ~70 days let me tell you Storme is Superior to XUV on many aspects.

You are missing on enjoying that amazing sound quality set up from Harman .
In my previous car(Manza)i had spent close to 60K on Audio setup.
The Storme's factory setup sounded as good as that setup on my previous car.
So this also should be on the +ves section.
Start liking music for the sake of it. (trust me)

[Seek]

Originally Posted by GKMahajan

Dear Seek,

I am impressed!
I am most impressed by your diligence in using the full PDI list.
Keep us updated. I am interested in buying a SUV. As and when auto will be available, this will be in my short-list.

Girish Mahajan

Thanks GKMahajan. Yes, the PDI was something I wanted to be double careful about and so went the full distance. And even then I missed out on something that happened post the PDI. A broken roof rail! Wasn't there during PDI for sure but noticed it the second day after taking delivery. It's a long story about trying to find out how it could have happened. Anyways, customer service agreed to replace the roof rails for me. The parts are on the way and they will come home and fit it. Kudos to the first experience with Tata customer service!

Originally Posted by madhu33

Congrats Man. Very good write up.
I bought Xuv W8 on 29/11/2015.
STORME was the choice of my heart. Loved every bit about it .
(Love it even more in Varicor 400 Avatar)
Ultimately i went with my mind (residential parking width and not yet ready to drive/manage a ladder on frame just yet)

Using an Xuv for 3000 kms now over last ~70 days let me tell you Storme is Superior to XUV on many aspects.

You are missing on enjoying that amazing sound quality set up from Harman .
In my previous car(Manza)i had spent close to 60K on Audio setup.
The Storme's factory setup sounded as good as that setup on my previous car.
So this also should be on the +ves section.
Start liking music for the sake of it. (trust me)

Thanks for reading! I know the system sounds good because my wife plays it at the slightest opportunity she gets! And you know what - I had a similar dilemma about the parking and what I did is I never once tried to measure if the storme will fit. Couldn't afford to see the dream break for this reason luckily it fits into my parking (height was the concern though, not width in my case).

[BipB]

Seek,

Congrats! Nice to see one more pearl white storme on the forum. I do have one since last 7 months. Clean it well or you will see a lot of black specs (tar & smoke/soot) on it. Last week I had to spend a couple of hours with Tar remover! End result is anyway a shiny beast, worth every penny spent on it.

Get some alloys for the beast. Mine is Ex version, but I got the OE alloys as an offer from the dealer, though not that good looking!

You are right on the rear, dicor had a different charm. Being an ex dicor owner it took some time for me to get used to storme’s elegance! Storme looks way better in the rear three quarter view. Check this shot!

[ISO]

Congrats!

If i'm not wrong, this is first ownership thread on updated safari.

During my test drive SA told me that silver color has least demand. Is it true?

How the wiring of camera is routed from rear bumper to the dash? I mean wires are hidden or not?

[Seek]

Originally Posted by BipB

Seek,

Congrats! Nice to see one more pearl white storme on the forum. I do have one since last 7 months. Clean it well or you will see a lot of black specs (tar & smoke/soot) on it. Last week I had to spend a couple of hours with Tar remover! End result is anyway a shiny beast, worth every penny spent on it.

Get some alloys for the beast. Mine is Ex version, but I got the OE alloys as an offer from the dealer, though not that good looking!

You are right on the rear, dicor had a different charm. Being an ex dicor owner it took some time for me to get used to storme’s elegance! Storme looks way better in the rear three quarter view. Check this shot!

Beautiful picture! The decals remind of the Qualis but looking very good on the storme. I was tempted to go for explorer decals but decided against them at the last minute. Love the stock look too. The alloys are looking great. These were one of 2 design shown to me by the dealer. Supposedly they are OEM and don't void warranty etc.

I haven't handed the beast over to my daily car cleaner and am doing the rituals myself everyday. Does take some effort to keep it sparkling clean!

Originally Posted by ISO

Congrats!

If i'm not wrong, this is first ownership thread on updated safari.

During my test drive SA told me that silver color has least demand. Is it true?

How the wiring of camera is routed from rear bumper to the dash? I mean wires are hidden or not?

Thanks. Not sure about silver. I didn't inquire about that colour. But I have never seen a silver storme, so you may be right. I was keen on urban bronze which I think looks the best. But during booking I was told the only colour available (and 2015 production had stopped by then) was pearl white. So had no choice really and couldn't take chances with the 2016 prices, which incidentally have gone up.

The wiring is all concealed, the only protrusion is a small 2 inch fold near the display unit where the wiring comes out from behind the dash. I'll try and put up a picture.

[BipB]

Originally Posted by Seek

Beautiful picture! The decals remind of the Qualis but looking very good on the storme. I was tempted to go for explorer decals but decided against them at the last minute. Love the stock look too. The alloys are looking great. These were one of 2 design shown to me by the dealer. Supposedly they are OEM and don't void warranty etc.
I haven't handed the beast over to my daily car cleaner and am doing the rituals myself everyday. Does take some effort to keep it sparkling clean!.

Seek, those decals are of Toyota LC. A DIY job!On the reverse cam, I was searching for the same model that you have installed. But my dealer had a more expensive version. The mirror type which was available in Dicor earlier. I was of the impression that I can live without a reverse cam, until I missed a scooty parked right behind the storme! Luckily some one alerted me. Do you have some work in progress pictures for this installation? I would like to see if it can be done as a DIY job.