31st October 2010, 20:06
| #1 |
| BHPian | Initial ownership report of my Silver Knight! Hi Folks, Let, me introduce myself briefly. I am a petrolhead from Pune whose religion is Motorsports, god is Valentino Rossi, who hasn’t slept on the last day of every month in past 7-8 years without reading the ‘Autocar India’ of next month. I have been following Team–Bhp since past couple of years, but, haven’t done any posting so far. This forum has strongly influenced all of my car purchases and also the car accessories. But since past few weeks, I have been feeling this strong sense of guilt for being very selfish in using all the info on this forum, but not making any contribution to the same. So, let me make some amends now by posting some reviews/experiences of a few amazing beauties that I own! And I have got a big reason to start! I have bought myself a Silver Knight! So, here follows the initial review! Why I bought it? Basically, I was looking for a comfortable family car/MUV with 5+ seats as my parents always used to complain about ride quality of all my previous /present cars whenever we went to our native place/outstation trips. Back seat of my previous car, Swift Zxi always reminded my mom of her bullock cart days in her own words! Although, she likes the ride quality of my Palio, any hatchback is cramped with three people in the back over long distances, and with the 12” sub in the boot (which is an absolute necessity for me), luggage space is also not enough for her. My vRS is not suitable for broken village roads in our native place. So, although all my cars kept me smiling, none of them could keep my parents happy. So, I needed another vehicle to fulfil their requirements. Also, my occupation and hobbies call for occasional visits to off-road/no road conditions for which a comfy SUV/MUV seemed to be the only logical solution. So, the search started for a car within the budget of 25L which will be used for next five years with the focus on comfort, space, decent off road abilities and preferably diesel engine. The Choices:
A few months passed. One fine day we had to visit some remote place with hardly any roads. We found that none of my/my partner’s vehicles can go there. So, one of my partner brought a Safari from his relatives. I had never travelled in a Safari for a considerable distance before this occasion. There were only four of us in the car. So, I sat on the left middle row seat with one leg folded and over the other, arm rest down. And I say to myself, ‘I am a petrolhead who has TDed almost every car this side of 50L. Do I remember sitting like this in any other car? I sit like this only in my living room on my sofa when I am watching TV!’ Supporting everywhere was just superb with almost faultless ergonomics. I checked what the status at the front seat is only to find out it’s the same there with still acres of legroom to play with. Wow! This is amazing! So, we pass through Chandani chowk towards Pirangut. There arrives the Toll naka, we slow down, but, the attendant doesn’t even bother to look at us, forget making any signal to stop! He just focuses on the car behind and lets us through without collecting the toll! Whoa! This car must have got some intimidating presence and image (our car was also carrying a VIP No. plate)! I have passed thru this Naka a number of times in my vRS( which also has a VIP no.) before but never got treated like this! So, we continue our journey towards mulshi. I notice that engine noise is quite low than what I expected inside, at least at the back seat. Nice for a Tata! By now the rear A/C has started to chill me, so decreased the blower speed. Wow! Car has so much glass area and still I am doing this! Great! Then we leave the highway and start travelling on a village road which leads us to our destination. Now, on the last part of the route, we are travelling on the twisting broken earthen road with 6-8” size loose rocks/rubble on the road, we are climbing on a hill with almost 15-20 degrees incline, and I am not feeling a thing! Though the soft suspension is moving considerably, there is not a single jerk inside! On one of the steep inclines, car gives some burning smell (from clutch), but, we reach at the top quite effortlessly! And this is 2WD! Wonder what the 4WD can do! So, what followed this drive is extensive search about Safari on Team-Bhp. After watching Bhpians and their Safaris doing some awesome stuff, I got totally hooked on to the Safari Mania! Arranged a Safari (this time a 3.0 Dicor) for outstation trip to Akluj, came back and headed straight to the Tata showroom, came out booking my Silver Knight! Booking Process and Delivery experience: Booked the car from Pandit Auto in July, as my previous experience with them with my Palio was good. I always liked the looks of a black Safari, but, ordered my car in arctic silver as I wanted it to be easy to maintain and this colour also grew on me after watching pics of the fellow bhpian Suman’s car. I selected the GX variant as ABS is a must have feature for me and value addition in VX over GX is not justified for additional 1.4 L. Booking process was smooth, sales person was polite and prompt in his service though not very knowledgeable (they tend to make random statements about the product without studying the technical details). Since arctic silver GX 4x4 is a made to order variant, I was given a delivery period of one month which I accepted as I didn’t want my car in any other configuration. One fine morning in August I got a phone call from Pandit that my vehicle has arrived. So, went to the showroom, completed the remaining formalities, wanted to do the PDI myself with the Team Bhp checklist, but, finally didn’t do it. Sales guy convinced me that I can do the PDI if I want but no need for it. Got the car a day before my birthday, so this turned out to be a kind of self gift! Initial Ownership Experience: Buying a Tata product for the first time in my life, I was mentally prepared for some small issues regarding fit /finish, reliability and off course they did come! Incidentally, first service was due and so took the car to the workshop with prior appointment. Here is the detailed report about it. First Service: I reached the workshop at 10:30 as per the scheduled appointment. Service advisor inspected my vehicle and was ready to take my vehicle. Me: there are few minor issues with the car. Firstly, the hydraulic arm on tail gate has got detached. Advisor: No problem sir. It will be done under warranty. Me: Ok. Then, doors sometime don’t open when unlocked individually, not centrally. Advisor: (Locks and unlocks the doors which function properly this time) Sir, there isn’t any problem. It is working fine. Me: Am I lying to you? Please still get them checked. Next, reverse parking sensors are not working properly. They have got a mind of their own and give false beeps and distances. Advisor: (Tries reversing in the parking lot). No Sir, it is working fine. Me: Try one more time. Advisor: (Reverses immediately with overconfidence to prove me wrong, comes back and Bang! He has hit the gate behind as he depends too much on the sensors. Now, he has started sweating!) Ohhh! Sir, I am really sorry! Will get the damages repaired at my own cost! (So, the flaw accepted in a hard way!) Me: Engine sort of takes the pause and gives some jerks at 1400-1700 RPM before continuing to accelerate smoothly. I understand the turbo lag but, this is something different. (Now, we head out for the TD) Advisor: Sir, this is normal as this is a high torque machine and Blah! Blah! Blah! Me: Tell me what the torque figure of the car is. Advisor: Sir, it is about 130bhp. Me: I asked you the Torque figure which you are putting blame to, not the bhp. Advisor: (Hesitates) Sir, I don’t know the exact figure. Me: Let me tell you. It is 32kgm. Now, listen to me. Don’t give me your nonsense answers. I myself am an engineer who knows much more about cars than you do. So, speak only if you have something that can contribute to understand and solve the problems. Also, there is one more problem. There is some krrrrrr… noise from the steering column when we are at 1400-1800 rpm. Advisor: (Keeps on driving above 2000rpm and refuses to accept the noise) Sir, you should not drive below 2000 rpm! (Now, he wants to teach me how to drive!) Me: Now, stop the car. I will drive and show you how the krrrrrr.. noise comes. So, I drive the car and show him the noise from steering column for which he has no option but to accept. When we reach back to the workshop I get out of the car only to find out that he is knocking on the passenger window from the inside asking me to open the passenger side door from the outside! Now, he has to accept the problem with the door lock also! So, I leave the car with the workshop and come back to pick it up in the evening. The car is delivered within time. The problems with the door locks, steering column noise are solved. They say that parking sensor problem is also solved, but, I am not fully satisfied nor with the pause/jerks that engine gives before turbo comes into the action. I need Bhpians’ opinions on the same. Apart from the poor levels of knowledge and attitudes of the service staff, I would like to say that I am totally bowled over by this Tata product. So, here is my overall evaluation of the car on various aspects: A. Looks: Amazing, muscular and I find them to be Timeless. This full size SUV has a huge presence and makes other soft-roaders look quite small and commands respect from every road user. B. Space, seat comfort and ride quality: In my opinion, luxury starts with space. I don’t like to call a car luxurious if you don’t have enough room to move your legs in it. Power this and power that comes only after space. And, the space and seating comfort of Safari is unmatched by any other car this side of Rs. 50 Lakhs. Ride though is not flat, is soft and we don’t feel any jerk inside even on worst surfaces. C. Handling: Car even handles pretty good for an SUV, taking sweeping turns on highways at 100 kph comfortably. And to my surprise, steering feedback is much better than what I was expecting and also has very little play in it. D. Braking and Safety: I have found even braking to be adequate. Although, we have to maintain a safe distance from the vehicles ahead. E. Fuel efficiency: Till now it is close to 10-11 kpl for mixed driving cycle. F. Off Road Ability: Although, I am not an off road enthusiast, car manages rough roads and no roads situations very comfortably which is enough for me. 4L mode is just amazing, car manages to climb 30 degree climb in soft soil as if it is nothing. G. City experience: After driving it for a considerable distance, I don’t find it to be difficult to drive in the crowded traffic conditions either, although, taking U turns requires advance planning (which I am very much used to because of my Palio!). H. Interior fit/finish: Poor quality plastics are abound and gives the feeling that something will go wrong shortly rather than after a long use. I. Equipment and features: Car has adequate amount of equipment. Only thing I find uncomfortable is that car locks itself sometime after we start the engine even when the car is stationary. It should lock the doors only after we start moving. So, u can get left outside with car locked if u come out of the car after starting it and close the door for some reason. I am really impressed with the concept of this vehicle, as the most comfortable, spacious, luxurious vehicle for the Indians by an Indian company which can do some serious off roading and still don’t cost you the bomb to buy and run. But, execution of the concept has to be improved a lot. I don’t mind paying Rs. 1-2 lakh more for high quality interior materials, rattle-free experience and better fit/finish for interiors and exteriors as well. With the level of improvements we have seen in Manza over Indigo and in Vista over Indica, I am really expecting a lot from the next generation Safari. I just hope that they don’t change the looks which are perfect and may I say ‘Timeless’. To sum up my experience, I would like to say that my Silver Knight is delivering me a whole lot more than it promised! It is serving me as my daily driver and it has also managed to change me! My vRS is running close to 32k and Palio 1.6 is close to 35k, both are brilliant cars in their own right, but, none has made me write a review! And only 2k in the Safari has made me sit up, shake up my laziness and write such a long review! This car truly has been a revelation and in my personal opinion is replaceable (for space, comfort and off road ability) only with a Land Cruiser or a Range Rover which obviously cost a moon to run! Long live the Safari! As no review here is complete without photographs, here are a few photos of my car. They are taken with my phone camera, so aren’t really up to the Team-Bhp standards. So, please bear with them. About the name: Like most of the Bhpians I used to call my Safari as the ‘Beast’. But, after seeing and using it for a considerable time, I don’t feel it looks beastly in arctic silver avatar. Although it looks very muscular and powerful, it looks quiet elegant and good natured in this colour. So, rechristened it as the ‘Silver Knight’! So, enjoy the photos! Also, thanks for going thru this long review! Awaiting your replies.  |
|
| |
|
31st October 2010, 20:39
| #2 |
| Senior - BHPian  Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: bangalore
Posts: 2,387
Thanked: 6,631 Times
| |
|
|
|
16th November 2010, 21:14
| #3 |
| BHPian  | Congrats 46TheDoctor. Great write up and a very hilarous conversation with the service advisor  . Enjoyed reading it.Wishing you miles and miles of happiness with your 'Silver Knight'. I am beginning to like this name, so I'll probably rename my Safari to "The Dark Knight', since it is black. BTW, I am curious to know why you removed the spare wheel cover. Last edited by Kairalee : 16th November 2010 at 21:19. |
|
|
|
17th November 2010, 03:44
| #4 |
| BHPian  | Congrats for your vehicle. It looks lovely. What happened to the wheel cover for the spare wheel? Since your Safari made you write a review, believe me it will also make you a photographer .I am also sure with this purchase, you must be planning to take your knight for long distances and to the roads less traveled. Hopefully you get time to write those travelogues as well (or am I expecting too much) |
|
|
|
17th November 2010, 03:47
| #5 |
| Senior - BHPian  | |
|
|
|
17th November 2010, 09:01
| #6 |
| Distinguished - BHPian   | |
|
|
|
17th November 2010, 12:34
| #7 |
| Senior - BHPian  Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: KA17|KL65|KL41
Posts: 4,867
Thanked: 1,935 Times
| Congratulations Doctor for being a proud owner of Silver Knight  I wish you many many happy miles with your Silver Knight. Make sure that you always wear your seatbelt. Drive safe. Amith |
|
|
|
14th December 2011, 21:37
| #8 | ||||||
| BHPian | Initial ownership report of my Silver Knight! Hello Friends, This is a bit embarrassing to react so late to your replies, but, here i am! Thing is when i received super duper 1 reply for my review within one week of posting, i assumed that i need to learn a lot about writing skills and never returned to my own thread  . Only today did i notice that a few replies are received after a few weeks of posting, so here i am replying!I will also write a long term ownership review shortly as the car has done 24k now. Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
As far as becoming a photographer is concerned, i have purchased a D90, but, yet to master it. I have done a lot of out of town trips, but, will try to write a travelog when i do some really specially trip, like say Leh/Ladakh. Quote:
I too enjoyed the time with that service adviser, though it can't be called as a good service  . The best thing is now he remembers me personally and gives very nice service!I also saw the pics of your 'Dark Night'. Looks amazing on beach! Quote:
Quote:
Last edited by Rudra Sen : 15th December 2011 at 07:30. Reason: removing smiley | ||||||
|
|  (1)
Thanks
|
|
15th December 2011, 07:59
| #9 |
| BHPian  | |
|
|
 |
Most Viewed