Tata Safari Storme review, test drive

Tata has drafted in a successor to the Safari after 14 long years. But is it good enough to revive the carmaker's fortunes in the SUV segment?

Published on Jan 21, 2013 07:33:00 PM

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New dash design looks modern and quality has taken a big leap over the old car.

Unlike the old car, which was based on the 1988 Tata Mobile platform, the Safari Storme is built on Tata’s relatively modern X2 platform, which also underpins the Aria. The chassis is nearly 50 percent stiffer and about 35kg lighter than the old Safari’s outdated frame. Overall, the Safari is 75kg lighter than before, but at 2095kg for this 4x4, it’s still really heavy. Apart from the frame, another big change is the Safari’s suspension. The earlier car’s front torsion bar layout has made way for wishbones with coil springs to leave space for front driveshafts. The rear suspension is similar to the old car’s five-link design, but the front and rear tracks are now wider to aid stability. To add to safety, the Safari will sell with rear disc brakes as standard.

The original Safari’s large windscreen, stepped roof and tall stance are all there, and the styling changes at the front, side and rear just don’t look substantial enough. That said, the wide mesh grille and the chrome bar that cuts into the headlights do help to give the Storme a slightly different identity. New plastic cladding and larger wheel arches help too, but perhaps it’s the redesigned tail that best distinguishes the new Safari from the earlier model. The big change here is the repositioning of the spare wheel from the tailgate to under the body. This means less weight on the tailgate, and Tata engineers claim this has also served to rectify the rattling issue that was a bugbear on earlier Safaris. The fat chrome strip that runs across the width of the tailgate adds some flash here, while the twin chrome exhausts and grey plastic scuff plate look neat too.