Finally, it is here. After all the buzz, the hype, the excitement, the all-new ( not technically ) Tata Safari is finally here. It will sit atop Tata’s portfolio and the bookings for the same will commence from the 4th of February, 2021. The official price reveal will take place very soon, in the coming days, according to the homegrown automaker.
More details
All the teasers were building the momentum towards this very thing. The 2021 Tata Safari will be available in 6 variants and gets features like hill-hold, dual front airbags, disc brakes on all 4 wheels as standard. It still looks very similar to the Gravitas showcased during the 2020 Auto Expo.
The Impact 2.0 design language of the new Safari is proven to be reliable and safe. The Safari’s tall stance has been enhanced in the new avatar like the elegant grille, the stepped roof and the tailgate have been given some cool finishes. With a strong stance, wheel arches and some accenting of chrome gives the new Safari a good look. The interior of the Safari has Oyster White interior theme, paired with Ash Wood dashboard. The grille is similar to the Harrier but is all chrome on the Safari instead of piano black finish on the Harrier.
The Tata Safari will be available in 6 or 7-seating configurations and will take on the likes of MG Hector Plus and the Mahindra XUV 500 and the upcoming Hyundai Creta 7-seater. The headlamp setup upfront is also borrowed from the Harrier. It features 18” alloys and is longer than the Harrier to accommodate an extra row of seats.
Interiors
On the inside, it houses an 8.8” touch infotainment system with iRA that supports voice commands. It also gets e-parking brake, automatic climate control, 9-speaker JBL system, terrain response modes, ambient lighting powered driver’s seat etc.
Mechanically, the Safari is powered by the same 2.0L fiat sourced 4 cyl Kyrotec turbo diesel engine which puts out 170PS of peak power and 350Nm of peak torque. It is mated to a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic gearbox unit. It shares its platform and architecture with the Harrier is 63mm longer and 80mm taller than the Harrier.
It doesn’t feature 4×4 like the “True” Safari. That makes us wonder, does this iteration justifies Safari’s brand name? Only time and public reception will tell.