Introduction
Tata Safari is the 2nd product from Tata Motors based on popular OMEGARC architecture derived from the legendary D8 Platform of Land Rover. Few months back we reviewed Tata Harrier, which originates from the same platform. Safari has its own legacy in India and the name is quite familiar already. When you hear the word Safari you may remember the good old classic Safari Storme SUV, the New 2021 Safari is a totally new car all together you may hardly see any similarities. Thanks to Tata Motors communication team, for getting us test both manual and automatic versions of Safari in Bangalore. What follows below is the review of New Tata Safari.
Design and First Looks
At the first glance you will definitely mistake it for Harrier as the front fascia is similar except chrome additions in the Grille. The one which we drove was Royale Blue in color which almost appears like black in the Morning. The car looks well-built and premium and looks just right. If you appreciate the design details of Harrier, you will mostly appreciate Safari looks as well. Yes Safari is available in 6-seater and 7-seater options, addressing the requirements of a big family.
If you are in the market for mid-size SUV offering upto 7-seats, this is the car you can consider. Design wise, the car has all good traits from land rover family. Some of the design highlights are attractive headlamps and DRLs in the front, the Tri-arrow chromes, stepped up roof, stylish roof rails, 18 inch alloy wheels and the prominent SAFARI badging in the rear.
Tata Safari is a head-turner product, whenever we stopped the car, people on the streets were looking at it and were double checking the SAFARI badge. Tata Motors has done a good job in design department and has increased its value just by working immensely on car’s road presence.
Interiors
When you step inside the car, you will notice its very spacious and premium. Interiors are quite inviting and gets signature Oyster White color scheme and Signature Ashwood dashboard. Be it for the driver or for the passengers, the car offers good ergonomics. For the driver, you get 6-way adjustable seat and you will notice the sitting and driving position is quite high which gives you good access to view of the road. Safari can be used as a chauffeur driven car – it is quite nice to be seated in the 2nd row as the car offers you Captain seats which can be even reclined. You can stretch your legs further and create some extra space by making use of BOSS mode (that pushes co-driver seats to front). The car is well-ventilated, gets rear AC vents and plenty of storage spaces and utility spaces like rear armrest with cup holders, cooled storage box, tab storage tray, mobile holder, coin holder, umbrella holder, bottle holders etc.
The Push button start is convenient, the top-trim models offers you auto-hold and electronic parking brakes feature – which needs a little bit learning to operate. You will get. automatic headlamps, rain sensing wipers, electrically adjustable and foldable outer mirrors.
The car offers floating island 8.8 inch HD Touch screen infotainment system which is quite handy to use maps or to play music. The car is equipped with JBL Audio with 9 speakers (4 speakers + 4 tweeters + 1 subwoofer) . Both Android Auto and Apple Car Play connectivity features are present. For the driver side, the instrument cluster gets 7 inch colored TFT Display. Voice recognition, SMS readouts, voice alerts works nice and assists the driver well.
Comfort and Safety
Comfort wise, it is very nice for a family to go for outing or trips since the car offers 3 rows of seats and everything is well-thought out and ergonomically designed. The sitting positions are designed for comfort and there is abundant knee-room and headroom even for the 3rd row seats. Good thigh support, cushioned seats and decent back rest angle makes it a nice pick for long drives with family. There is dedicated AC unit with AC vents, USB chargers for people sitting at the back.
Thanks to Panaromic sun roof, you will get full view of the sky to chill and relax gazing the stars. The Sun-roof also offers global close and anti-pinch safety features. The Safari comes with IRA Connected app which helps you to access many of the functions of the car via remotely. Talking about the boot space, when 3rd row is folded there is ample space of 750 litres and when you fold both 2nd and 3rd row seats you get upto 1658 litres of boot space. When no seat rows are folded you still get ample space to keep small bags and boxes.
Talking about the safety the car offers 6 Airbags (includes driver and co-driver side, side seat and curtain airbags) and is equipped with all Disc brakes for additional safety. Listing few safety features – Electronic park brake with Auto-hold, Tyre Pressure monitor system, child seat ISOFIX anchor points, Reverse parking camera, seat belt reminder system etc.
In terms of driving safety, there are features like ABS, EBD, Corner stability control, hill hold control, roll over mitigation etc.
Engine and Performance
The all new Tata Safari is powered by Kryotec 2.0 Turbocharged Diesel engine producing 170 PS Power and 350 Nm of torque. Tata Safari is available in both manual and automatic transmission options (6-speed). We drove top trim XZ+ as well as XZA+. While driving the XZ+ manual, we really enjoyed the driving experience, the gear shifts were smooth and simple and delivered immense power even at very low gears. We got used to electronic parking brake function eventually.
The automatic gearbox too worked very well, gear shifts happened automagically at the right times and we didn’t find any lag in gear shifts. The pick-up was extremely great and we were wrooming past 100 Kmph very easily in a very quick time. The engine is very well refined and responsive.
Ride and Handling
The Safari is quite big width wise (1894 mm), that is what makes it an SUV. The mirrors are extended on top of it, so you have to be cautious while navigating in narrow roads. The steering feels very light and easy to handle – it has got a very good feedback, no issue in turning and switching lanes, it can be done with ease. You can choose between different engine drive modes like Eco, City or Sport as per the conditions and terrains. You also get. ESP Terrain response modes like Normal, Rough and Wet to counter difficult terrains (which can be adjusted via Dial).
Highway drives were steady and perfect with good economy figures as well. The suspension is of good quality and will protect you against humps and bumps. The braking was quick and responsive. Overall we are very impressed with the drive quality of Safari.
Price Expectation
We expect the starting price of Tata Safari to be around 17 lakhs for it to sell like hot-cakes.
Verdict
The New Tata Safari is a fresh, modern and mighty SUV with complete design and utility value. If you are in the market for 6 or 7-seater SUV, look no where else.
Check all photos of New Tata Safari on GaadiKey Photos.
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