TATA Safari Storm: The Updated Safari

There are not many among us who have not been captivated by the old Tata Safari. The car has been a mixture of contradiction; so many people loved it yet as many hated it as well. Yet over the years, it has become nothing short of a cult classic. It had its share of issues including low mileage but none of these has stopped the car from climbing the fame ladder in the automobile market. It was loved for its looks, performances and response. Even after all these years it manages to remain as an eye catcher and now Tata is paying its respect to this legendary vehicle. Me, for one, is not happy with the way this new edition, Safari Storm, has turned out.

To begin with, the way the car looks. The company has tried to retain some of the important aspects of the original car and to introduce some of the new aspects to the car, and in doing so they have lost something that made the original Safari stand out. In the front the car has, as expected, a projection headlamp and wide chrome grills. The top portion of the grill, where the name ‘Storm’ is written, slightly resembles that of the Range Rover series, yet not enough to give that classy feel. The front bumper along with its fog lamps is a big letdown, but the rear end is in far better shape. Although the rear break light looks a bit dated everything else gives a fresh look to the vehicle, especially the rear spoiler and bumper with its exhaust outlets. Sidewise, apart from a few tweaks, lines, and curves, it is more or less the same old car.

Under the hood, this diesel car is in far better shape. It comes with a 2.2 litre, 16 Valve, DOHC VTT VariCOR engine that is capable of producing up to 140 PS at 4000 rpm while churning out a maximum torque of 320 Nm at 1700 – 2700 rpm. The engine sports 32 bit electronically controlled variable turbine technology. There are a total of 4 models of which all but one comes with two wheel drive and the last one features four wheel electronic shift-on-fly mechanism as well. It also comes with a G-76 (Mark II) gear box. Its rack and pinion power steering, when coupled with independent double wishbone type with coil springs over shock absorber in the front and 5-link suspension with coil springs in the rear helps the car to achieve a very balanced and comfortable ride.

Even though features like all power windows, electrically adjustable side mirrors, height adjustable driver seat, 3 lumbar supports for both front seats, leather upholstery, and more are all standard package for the car, one should still wonder if there is anything special. I mean, we get all these in every car in this category and even better equipment in some, so what is so special in this car? Tata should have spent a bit more on this car, since any descendant of the Safari deserved a better touch.

Price: Rs. 10,00,000 – Rs. 14,00,000 (Ex-Showroom)
Alternative Options: Mahindra XUV5OO, Renault Duster, Mahindra Scorpio