Tata Safari Storme spotted testing with a 1.99-litre engine

Spy shots showcasing the Tata Safari Storme being tested with a smaller, 1.99-litre diesel engine have surfaced on the Internet. The smaller displacement Safari was reportedly spotted testing on the Manali-Leh highway. A Mahindra XUV5OO can also be seen in the images, which is believed to be the benchmarking car for the Safari 1.99.

Tata Motors started developing the 1.99-litre engine in order to bypass the diesel car ban on vehicles with bigger engines in Delhi and NCR. But the Supreme Court has now scrapped the ban by imposing a 1% extra cess on manufacturers selling diesel vehicles that have more than 2.0-litre engine displacement. With Tata still working on the 1.99-litre engine despite the ban being lifted, the Indian automaker appears to be trying to undercut the 2.0-litre limit and thus avoid paying the 1% added green cess.

Currently, the Tata Safari Storme is powered by a 2.2-litre diesel engine that is available in two states of tune: 148 BHP & 320 Nm and 154 BHP & 400 Nm.

Tata will also be plonking the new 1.99-litre diesel engine under the hood of its upcoming MPV - the Tata Hexa, which is expected to be launched in October 2016.

Source: Overdrive