The Black Beauty - My 2010 Tata Safari GX 4X4

Bose · 27th March 2010, 15:52

Has been a long wait. Over a decade of wishing, a year of research and 2 months of counting every passing day. The TATA SAFARI 4wd has finally arrived and I got to see/feel/drive the vehicle at the Tata Motors Sarjapur stockyard.
I am a Honda City person. Have been driving one for the last 6 years. Took the car to places where I felt sorry for it. Learnt to hate and curse every speed-breaker that came my way. The wish of driving something where I won't feel so sensitive about the road or the number of adults sitting inside the car has been there with me for quite a while. So we<wife and I> finally decided to give the Honda a break -We said we will use the Honda only within the city and have a more tough one for our escapades. A well deserved break after the flawless run it has given us for all these years without a single glitch.
So I started searching for something exactly opposite. We wanted to have something which can be serviced easily across the country so it had to be between Mahindra and Tata. Of course the pricing was also a big factor since we wanted this for occasional use. First choice was a Bolero. The Stinger to be specific. Figured out that it will not be a 4wd and the plastic costs 2 lakhs. Then to CRDE Storm .. wife vetoed it out. So finally landed between Scorpio and Safari.
Safari appealed to us for multiple reasons. It was the first real SUV that we got to see in India; has been a cult vehicle all along; more space; suspension felt great; Mahindra really did not want to sell us a 4wd; roof AC evnts; we already had a city car AND I really like the Safari ads. The one that appealed to be most as a teenager was the TATA Estate/Sierra ad where this guy comes back from office and the car goes and rough itself up on its own.
So I went ahead and booked the GX 4wd on 6th Feb 2010. Concorde motors, Hosur Road.

I was told that I can expect the car in a month.

And the wait starts..

I get a call a week later that the dual tone I had ordered in out of production so I changed to a full black.
I got one more call on 3rd week of Feb and Concorde said that the 4wd is causing more delays and I will only get my car on March end.
Meanwhile Mr. Finance Minister changed the excise duty and the prices went up. To add to that it was also announced Karnataka road tax is increasing by 1%. So I set myself a target of getting the car registered before 31st March.
Got a contact in TML from the showroom but even he was helpless. Gave me the option of taking a 2009 model. I was confused ...
Finally one of my friends said that he has a real good friend in the Pune plant and he will try to see what can be done. I got a call 3 days later <this is 2nd week of March> that he has pulled a few strings and my Safari is ready. Sure enough TML called me within 48 hours and said that the car is in the Pune yard and I will get it in 10 days. This was 15th March. I was on cloud nine.
I had the Chassis number in an SMS <this great resourceful friend of mine> and I started counting days. All this while I have been behind the sales guy checking for updates. The Sales guy <Pravith> is a nice patient fellow. I almost drove him crazy ... I think he is as happy as I am that the car is here.

Got a call 2 days ago that the truck is near Bangalore and I can expect to see my car either Friday or Saturday. The transport guy took some more time so there I was 12 noon today at the yard seeing the black beauty for the first time -

And Lo Behold!

my dual tone is here. I called up home and said that finally we did manage to get what we wanted.

Did my basic tests - forward, reverse, 4H, 4L, turning radius, AC, lights.
Found that the turning radius on the left was less than the right. TML looked at it and said they will adjust.

Everything inside looked usual.

Car will be registered on Monday and I plan to drive to my daughter's school on 31st. Surprise for her on the day summer vacation starts.

More to come once I get the car .....

lsp · 27th March 2010, 19:53

Bose
Let me be the first one to congratulate you on owning the beast. Very soon you will be able to reclaim your life.

Turning Radius different on different sides - Wow!! I am sure I haven't heard this before. Maybe we should add this to the PDI checklist if it's not already there.

Waiting for a detailed report and more pics. Don't forget to capture your daughter's reaction to the pleasant surprise awaiting for her.

PS: Maybe it's just me, but the pics in post 1 don't seem to be loading.

kaviprem · 27th March 2010, 21:42

Bose - Congrats man !!! Finally, you got it and here you are with your own thread

And yes - all of the pics are missing for some reasons.

Take your time to get the vehicle out safe and make a write up with good pics.

Safe motoring !
Prem.

Bose · 28th March 2010, 08:15

Thanks Lalit, Prem. Realized that I should have uploaded in a different manner. So here's one more try

First Sighting -

The Black Beauty - My 2010 Tata Safari GX 4X4-dsc04487_bhp.jpg

Checking the turning radius

The Black Beauty - My 2010 Tata Safari GX 4X4-dsc04484_bhp.jpg

The TATA interiors

The Black Beauty - My 2010 Tata Safari GX 4X4-dsc04488_bhp.jpg

Simhi · 28th March 2010, 11:12

Congrats Bose. Safari was always one of my dream cars and a lot of credit should be given to their ads with the tag "Reclaim your life". Please do post more pictures and your initial driving experiences

gowda79 · 28th March 2010, 11:37

Bose congrats on The New Safari GX 4x4 enjoy your ride and i am sure that this summer vacation your family will reclaim your life and daughter will love this summer vacation.

Enjoy The King and drive safe

Bose · 28th March 2010, 17:53

Thanks for all the wishes.
TeamBHP has been the most resourceful source of information when it came to the SAFARI. A big factor towards the SAFARI decision has been the excellent threads from proud owners.
Will update on the delivery experience on 1st April.

mjothi · 28th March 2010, 18:35

Congrats Bose.

Btw, is the color of the fabrics in seat and steering wheel cover is standard? Seems to be new.

Looks more of fancy

kaviprem · 28th March 2010, 19:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by mjothi

Congrats Bose.

Btw, is the color of the fabrics in seat and steering wheel cover is standard? Seems to be new.

Looks more of fancy

I think, you need to catch up a bit more with Safari 2010

Yes, that comes default as part of 2010 MFL (Minor Face-Lift).

Prem.

dkamath · 29th March 2010, 09:51

Congrats Bose, on your new purchase!

Perhaps i need to catch up too, on the Safari 2010 models. Seems like the dash is grey in colour, with beige pillars that your Safari has got. Also, the accelerator pedal now looks like one, unlike in the older 2.2's (and possibly the 3.0's as well), where it's made entirely of plastic, with a convex contact surface. Do you see the drive-by-wire sensor mounted at the hinge of this pedal?

Cheers.

HappyWheels · 29th March 2010, 10:25

Bose,

Congrats on getting your vehicle on hand!

This was one of the colors that I was pinning for, till it was shot down due to an existing blackie at home!

Looks like the pedals are placed at a more reasonable gap than the earlier 2.2's. Apart from that, same interiors (except, also for the blue tint speedo panel). And for personal preference, I think the older light shade to be better.

Prabith also had a tough time when dealing with me; to add to the confusion, at that time he was a newbie at Concord!

So, which location is the first long drive going to be?

EDIT:
PS: You might need to read the rules once. More than 2 smilies are a big no-no.

kaviprem · 29th March 2010, 10:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by HappyWheels

...
Looks like the pedals are placed at a more reasonable gap than the earlier 2.2's. Apart from that, same interiors (except, also for the blue tint speedo panel). And for personal preference, I think the older light shade to be better.
...

HW, I didnt notice the "closer" pedals in pre-2010 Safari models. But, yes, this is more comfortable while switching b/w Accelerator & Break pedals in city condition.

Initially, I too thought of the old Odometer was looking decent and the new "Blue" based is too jazzy... But, now, I dont feel that anymore and that really makes it interesting to drive during nights

The earlier style looks boring to me [No offence please, just my personal opinion].

Prem.

recshenoy · 29th March 2010, 11:26

congrats bose on Safari. Looks muscular,look at a Punto winking at Safari in first photo

How much was the OTR? There is no dead pedal in safari?

HappyWheels · 29th March 2010, 11:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by kaviprem

...Initially, I too thought of the old Odometer was looking decent and the new "Blue" based is too jazzy...

+1 here; I love the "blue" look!

kaviprem · 29th March 2010, 13:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by recshenoy

congrats bose on Safari. Looks muscular,look at a Punto winking at Safari in first photo

How much was the OTR? There is no dead pedal in safari?

Punto winking - Nice/Close observation

Dead pedal - No, its a real miss while we cruise on highways. I missed it very hard while in Bangalore - Mysore highway !

Prem.

27th March 2010, 15:52	#1
Bose BHPian Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Bangalore Posts: 44 Thanked: Once	The Black Beauty - My 2010 Tata Safari GX 4X4 Has been a long wait. Over a decade of wishing, a year of research and 2 months of counting every passing day. The TATA SAFARI 4wd has finally arrived and I got to see/feel/drive the vehicle at the Tata Motors Sarjapur stockyard. I am a Honda City person. Have been driving one for the last 6 years. Took the car to places where I felt sorry for it. Learnt to hate and curse every speed-breaker that came my way. The wish of driving something where I won't feel so sensitive about the road or the number of adults sitting inside the car has been there with me for quite a while. So we<wife and I> finally decided to give the Honda a break -We said we will use the Honda only within the city and have a more tough one for our escapades. A well deserved break after the flawless run it has given us for all these years without a single glitch. So I started searching for something exactly opposite. We wanted to have something which can be serviced easily across the country so it had to be between Mahindra and Tata. Of course the pricing was also a big factor since we wanted this for occasional use. First choice was a Bolero. The Stinger to be specific. Figured out that it will not be a 4wd and the plastic costs 2 lakhs. Then to CRDE Storm .. wife vetoed it out. So finally landed between Scorpio and Safari. Safari appealed to us for multiple reasons. It was the first real SUV that we got to see in India; has been a cult vehicle all along; more space; suspension felt great; Mahindra really did not want to sell us a 4wd; roof AC evnts; we already had a city car AND I really like the Safari ads. The one that appealed to be most as a teenager was the TATA Estate/Sierra ad where this guy comes back from office and the car goes and rough itself up on its own. So I went ahead and booked the GX 4wd on 6th Feb 2010. Concorde motors, Hosur Road. I was told that I can expect the car in a month. And the wait starts.. I get a call a week later that the dual tone I had ordered in out of production so I changed to a full black. I got one more call on 3rd week of Feb and Concorde said that the 4wd is causing more delays and I will only get my car on March end. Meanwhile Mr. Finance Minister changed the excise duty and the prices went up. To add to that it was also announced Karnataka road tax is increasing by 1%. So I set myself a target of getting the car registered before 31st March. Got a contact in TML from the showroom but even he was helpless. Gave me the option of taking a 2009 model. I was confused ... Finally one of my friends said that he has a real good friend in the Pune plant and he will try to see what can be done. I got a call 3 days later <this is 2nd week of March> that he has pulled a few strings and my Safari is ready. Sure enough TML called me within 48 hours and said that the car is in the Pune yard and I will get it in 10 days. This was 15th March. I was on cloud nine. I had the Chassis number in an SMS <this great resourceful friend of mine> and I started counting days. All this while I have been behind the sales guy checking for updates. The Sales guy <Pravith> is a nice patient fellow. I almost drove him crazy ... I think he is as happy as I am that the car is here. Got a call 2 days ago that the truck is near Bangalore and I can expect to see my car either Friday or Saturday. The transport guy took some more time so there I was 12 noon today at the yard seeing the black beauty for the first time - And Lo Behold!my dual tone is here. I called up home and said that finally we did manage to get what we wanted. Did my basic tests - forward, reverse, 4H, 4L, turning radius, AC, lights. Found that the turning radius on the left was less than the right. TML looked at it and said they will adjust. Everything inside looked usual. Car will be registered on Monday and I plan to drive to my daughter's school on 31st. Surprise for her on the day summer vacation starts. More to come once I get the car ..... Last edited by Eddy : 29th March 2010 at 14:25. Reason: Not more than 2 smilies allowed per post
	() Thanks

27th March 2010, 19:53	#2
lsp BHPian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: New Delhi Posts: 381 Thanked: 188 Times	Bose Let me be the first one to congratulate you on owning the beast. Very soon you will be able to reclaim your life. Turning Radius different on different sides - Wow!! I am sure I haven't heard this before. Maybe we should add this to the PDI checklist if it's not already there. Waiting for a detailed report and more pics. Don't forget to capture your daughter's reaction to the pleasant surprise awaiting for her. PS: Maybe it's just me, but the pics in post 1 don't seem to be loading. Last edited by lsp : 27th March 2010 at 19:55.
	() Thanks

27th March 2010, 21:42	#3
kaviprem BHPian Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Trichy Posts: 950 Thanked: 832 Times View My Garage	Bose - Congrats man !!! Finally, you got it and here you are with your own thread And yes - all of the pics are missing for some reasons. Take your time to get the vehicle out safe and make a write up with good pics. Safe motoring ! Prem.
	() Thanks

28th March 2010, 08:15	#4
Bose BHPian Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Bangalore Posts: 44 Thanked: Once	Thanks Lalit, Prem. Realized that I should have uploaded in a different manner. So here's one more try First Sighting - Checking the turning radius The TATA interiors
	() Thanks

28th March 2010, 11:12	#5
Simhi BHPian Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Pune Posts: 627 Thanked: 1,302 Times	Congrats Bose. Safari was always one of my dream cars and a lot of credit should be given to their ads with the tag "Reclaim your life". Please do post more pictures and your initial driving experiences
	() Thanks

28th March 2010, 11:37	#6
gowda79 Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 1,478 Thanked: 194 Times View My Garage	Bose congrats on The New Safari GX 4x4 enjoy your ride and i am sure that this summer vacation your family will reclaim your life and daughter will love this summer vacation. Enjoy The King and drive safe
	() Thanks

28th March 2010, 17:53	#7
Bose BHPian Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Bangalore Posts: 44 Thanked: Once	Thanks for all the wishes. TeamBHP has been the most resourceful source of information when it came to the SAFARI. A big factor towards the SAFARI decision has been the excellent threads from proud owners. Will update on the delivery experience on 1st April.
	() Thanks

28th March 2010, 18:35	#8
mjothi Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 3,287 Thanked: 231 Times View My Garage	Congrats Bose. Btw, is the color of the fabrics in seat and steering wheel cover is standard? Seems to be new. Looks more of fancy
	() Thanks

29th March 2010, 09:51	#10
dkamath BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 577 Thanked: 155 Times	Congrats Bose, on your new purchase! Perhaps i need to catch up too, on the Safari 2010 models. Seems like the dash is grey in colour, with beige pillars that your Safari has got. Also, the accelerator pedal now looks like one, unlike in the older 2.2's (and possibly the 3.0's as well), where it's made entirely of plastic, with a convex contact surface. Do you see the drive-by-wire sensor mounted at the hinge of this pedal? Cheers.
	() Thanks

29th March 2010, 10:25	#11
HappyWheels Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 4,106 Thanked: 537 Times	Bose, Congrats on getting your vehicle on hand! This was one of the colors that I was pinning for, till it was shot down due to an existing blackie at home! Looks like the pedals are placed at a more reasonable gap than the earlier 2.2's. Apart from that, same interiors (except, also for the blue tint speedo panel). And for personal preference, I think the older light shade to be better. Prabith also had a tough time when dealing with me; to add to the confusion, at that time he was a newbie at Concord! So, which location is the first long drive going to be? EDIT: PS: You might need to read the rules once. More than 2 smilies are a big no-no. Last edited by HappyWheels : 29th March 2010 at 10:26.
	() Thanks

29th March 2010, 11:26	#13
recshenoy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Mangalore / Bangalore Posts: 1,128 Thanked: 254 Times	congrats bose on Safari. Looks muscular,look at a Punto winking at Safari in first photo How much was the OTR? There is no dead pedal in safari?
	() Thanks

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