[sgmitr13]

Hello Folks!

First of all, thanks for this awesome forum containing wealth of info.

I still remember about 3 months back at Concorde Motors, while I was drooling at Linea and waiting for a sales guy to honor me with details, I slowly drifted towards the huge beast. I gave a very cheap look at that (fit and finishes) and continued to fix my eyes on the Linea.

It all changed one fine day, when Mahindra folks came to our apt for a road show, I don't need a yellow board MUVs, but couldn't understand the pricing of Scorpio above the Xylo. Although the exterior of the Scorpio is impressive, its interiors especially the AC and rear seating comfortness is huge drawback.

Then I compared all of its competitions and google took me to team-bhp.
Read pages after pages for about several nights and few days. Wanted to post question to safari owners and tried to register, that's when I realized that I am already a member and all I need is to reset the password. Registered in 2004 and still a newbie! OK, questions were answered and thanks to all of you guys from this thread -> http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...0-variant.html.

Took test drives from Prerana and Concorde, but finally went with KHT since they doled out extra cash discounts. Thanks to Anuj and HW for their suggestions.

Paid advance on the 21st Sep for a GX 4x4 Pearl White, waited for about 10 days for the vehicle to arrive. But had to wait for another 10 days for the loan (SBI) to be cleared. And finally I rolled out the car on the 18th Oct.

Fantastic experience so far, family loves it.
Wife claims to have a clear visibility from the rear, father claims the comfort is good that one can fall asleep in the front seat. Kids appreciates all those extra spaces.

Good, Bad and the Ugly -
1) My observation with the steering wheel play in the TD is not present in my new car. Which is good.

2) When the car arrived to Bangalore, it was taken to SVC center the very next day. It was 1st Oct and the Odo reading was 69 kms. But at the time of delivery on the 18th Oct it had 177 kms. Delivery folks claim that the car was taken to 3 different RTOs, as it is normal to take one of the cars. I gave my piece of mind and escalating it. Sales guy assured me that the car is safe at the svc center and they don't use it for TDs.

3) AC flow control knob (right most) does not switch to Front only position. It is stuck at Front and Foot well pos.

Took the car last weekend to Chennai to quickly complete the 1K kms for service. Found 3 new issues -

4) After about 200+ kms, noticed a loose bolt kind of sound from the left door near the hinge. It is heard when opening or closing the door or when the road is uneven. It is like the sound of loose change or loose bolt with washer in it.

5) After about 600 kms and when in Chennai on an uneven road, the ABS light came ON. It didn't go for another 20 kms. I had to restart (like Windows OS) twice to get rid of the problem. Called the road assistance and they politely told me they cannot attend if the car is in drivable condition.

6) Also noticed while braking, the pedal jumps or vibrates with the sound kut-kut-kut ... Gave me some nervous moment.

7) After about 800 kms on my way back to Bangalore, noticed another strange noise from the front passenger side foot well area. This is like 'Klang'.
Said to myself all-iz-well, and hope these are those few niggles which you all claimed ;-)

8) The headlamp is OK. The high beam is as good as not having it, it is only to irritate the car ahead of me. The light scatters and its not on the road.

9) The gear knob is slippery. I am used to the all leather Palio's. Will adjust to it soon.

10) I was wondering where is that turbo sound that some of you claimed to be addictive. I was cruising around 80-90 kmph but didn't hear anything special. Please enlighten me.

11) And what is Turbo Lag, how do I notice it?

12) This quieter trip, I achieved a mileage of 14.5 kmpl. I think it is due to 80-90 kmph speed or just around 2000 rpm.

Accessories:

Audio:
Just OK for me. For the kind of music (Bhajans and Radios) that I hear, it is enough. I was given Alpine HU, and it came with a iPod cable, which is of no use - it is hard to control an iPod from the HU and when gear position is at 1 - 3 - 5.

SunFilm:
Opted for RE35 on the sides and RE70 for the rear and it costed Rs.4600 at AutoPlanet Koramangala. I had my doubts on RE's mirror finish, but after pasting it has a cool look. Goes very well with Pearl White. But RE35 is still not enough for the Chennai weather.
RE35 has enough night visibility and should be an excellent choice. The next best one would be from VKool, which is way out of my budget.

Nudge gaurd:
so many options but I have plenty of time to select. Not done yet.
The hiker extreme model appears to be blocking the radiator intake.
I liked the one with half size and made for Innova.

Horn:
Will soon go for Roots windtone.

Headlamp:
Autoplanet quoted Rs.1600 for Philips 90/100 (not the extreme ones)
including the relay and wiring and fittings.


Prem, I didn't bother you on the 18th Oct, as I took the delivery at 10:30 AM. Thanks for your help anyways.

Regret that the Concorde at Dairy Circle wont accept Safari for service, waiting on KHT or Concorde E'City to give me an apt. Quite a distance for me :(

Pics are here at -> http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...lease-159.html

[himanshugoswami]

the vibration in the brake pedal is the ABS kicking in- BUT, you should be feeling it only if you brake hard. under normal braking, it should not be apparent at all- so given the fact that your ABS light also came on, pls get the brakes checked- there seems to be some gremlin with the ABS.

[HappyWheels]

sgmitr13:

Congrats on the buy! Wishing you many KM's of safe and comfortable drives!

Bad that they took your vehicle to the RTO's! I think the 10 extra days for SBI to clear the loan was the killer! For me, my vehicle was with me when they did the registration. For these dealers, they register so many vehicles with the RTO, the RTO chaps do not physically check any vehicle, just the paper works.

For the boot sound, mention this in the first service. I didn't have any issues or sounds but the door was not properly closed. The SA noticed it and had it fixed. But I did have issue with the over greasing they did within the locks which caused the cabin light to remain off even when door was open.

ABS - same issue faced on my very first long drive, within just 15kms from my home. Took vehicle on Nice road and ABS came on. Gave few strong pumping to the brakes, restarted and it ran fine. Been running great for the last 23k kms!

The kut-kut-kut sound is your ABS working. Maybe you braked on a slippery surface.

Headlamps - get it properly aligned. And, unless you have really good eyes, they are highly insufficient for our highway traffic. The 55/60w is a danger on our roads! I would recommend changing them to at least 90/100w.

Turbo sound will be evident when you reach 1100rpm and will be very evident around 1400rpm. You will not hear it in loud environments.

Turbo lag has been well addressed with the latest ECU updates; no wonder you are not noticing it.

Great mileage; as I always keep mentioning, driving at 80-90kmph / keeping the rpm at around 2000 will give the best driving comfort and mileage. But then, after sometime you will get bored since you practically are doing a manual cruise control.

EDIT:

Please do post photos over here also; new ones. Ownership thread without photos looks pale. :(

[anujmishra]

Congratulation sgmitr13 for your Safari GX 4X4. Whatever issues you observed can be rectified easily. I suggest make list of issue and take print out and hand it over to SA during first service.

IMHO OEM Hella horn are quite effective. Try to feel that while windows rolled down. Also price quoted for 90/100 setup is quite steep. Almost double. This should not cost you more than 700 - 800 Rupees. I have put Philips extreme power in my Safari and quite happy with it.

You have achieved very good FE. Wish you happy lakhs of mile munching in you beast.

[neoonwheels]

Congrats on the Beast. I wonder how this beast manages to look so good throughout its production years. Whenever I see one, I feel like reclaiming my life

[HappyWheels]

Originally Posted by sgmitr13

...
Horn:
Will soon go for Roots windtone.

Headlamp:
Autoplanet quoted Rs.1600 for Philips 90/100 (not the extreme ones)
including the relay and wiring and fittings.
...

Originally Posted by anujmishra

...
IMHO OEM Hella horn are quite effective. Try to feel that while windows rolled down. Also price quoted for 90/100 setup is quite steep. Almost double. This should not cost you more than 700 - 800 Rupees...

The horn is powerful enough, but then, we in India can always do with more powerful horns!

And missed out the pricing for the light upgrade. Too high a quote! The bulbs are ~130rs a unit, so 260rs for 2. Relay (which comes with all the wiring) from Roots / Bosch is around 700rs to 800rs max! So what, ~600rs for labor?

If you are inclined, it is actually a DIY. And please, do not let them cut any of the original wiring or make holes in the back cover of your headlamp; the alteration can be done without doing either one of it. And also, if wiring cut or hole made to the cover, the warranty goes out the window.

[adimicra]

many many congrats on your new acquisition.
IMO, it is the best looking SUV in the 10L bracket.
Can you post some snaps of your white beauty with the sunfilms? Particularly interested in the side profile.

Wish you many happy miles

[yogeshnaik]

Hi sgmitr13,
Congratulations on your Safari! You have made a good choice over this SUV. Can you please put more details on your purchase regarding the place of your purchase (KHT location), price and the freebies you got? My friend is still hunting for a best price over a new Safari. Also we are eager to see some pictures of your beast!
Happy motoring.

[dadu]

Congrats SG, I do not know where exactly youa re staying, but you can also try at Concorde Mysore road and

NOW their Stockyard at CARMELARAM, Sarjapura road is also taking vehicles for Servicing.

[nkrishnap]

Congrats on the Safari. The GX variant with 4x4 variant makes good sense among the variants line up.

Enjoy many more happy miles with the beast.

[sachinj12]

Congrats on the beast man.

BTW, a review is not complete without pics!!

[Klub Class]

Congratulations on your Tata Safari.

Wishing you a happy and safe motoring. Always wear seat-belt

Originally Posted by sachinj12

BTW, a review is not complete without pics!!

+1 to you

Amith

[kaviprem]

Congratulations Mahesh. Welcome to the Safari club
Almost all these niggles should be addressed quickly and you will start enjoying both the Safari & its niggles very soon

Btw, Kut-kut-kut should be the ABS being functional and as it was pointed out by few others, it should have come only while panic braking and I assume you wouldnt have done panic braking so early.

Enjoy the ride and have a safe motoring.
Prem.

[sgmitr13]

Thanks for all your wishes.

I will certainly post photos after I get it from the service.
I will also post replies to all queries soon.

[sgmitr13]

I find a couple of things missing which is not as per the Safari pamphlet or User Manual:

13) Glove box lamp - None found in there. Only reading lamp on the roof helps!

14) Accordingly to the manual, the turn indicators should have 2 positions up and 2 down. The first position is for lane change assist, and the 2nd position is for complete Turn. I don't find it in GX.

15) ORVM - awesome, a massive improvement (for me) from dumb plane Palio mirrors.

16) 3 POS Lumbar support - I find only 2 positions. Will have to try harder next time to find the 3rd pos.

17) Arm Rest - try keeping a coffee cup (while stationary), it appears slightly tilted.

18) Engine Immobilizer - Watch out new owners, if you find a LOCK symbol on the dash, it means you have to unlock your car with your remote. Had to read the manual for few minutes to understand. This reminded me the Airforce One scene, when Mr. President tries to understand from a Compaq manual.

19) Dead Pedal - I miss it terribly. It has a great use, wonder why such simple ideas are not implemented.

20) Spare wheel - Do people lock their spare wheels, there is a provision for that, but I find it bit too much for me to do. Wife gives me a look "enough da ..."

21) Remote Fuel flap openner - Will not operate with ignition key off. This should be always powered, saves me a trip back to the console.

22) Side door pockets - Innova has plenty of bottle holders, even Fiesta has. Why not Safari?

23) Puddle light is very helpful.

24) Follow-me-home light - Would like TML to sense a third press of the button to turn off the lights. Helps in parking lots without getting attention from the courteous attendants.