If you just saunter around the new Safari, it is highly likely that you will not notice any change. But, a closer look should reveal the new honey comb grille with shades of chrome and the new rear wheel cover. Apart from these minor changes, this fourth generation Safari looks quite similar to its first generation ancestor that was launched in 1998.
But, the most important change and a much needed one has happened under the hood which catapults the Safari back into the race with the Innova and the Scorpio. The new 2.2 L engine produces 140 bhp at 4000 rpm and a torque of 320 Nm at a rpm range of 1700 - 2700. Unlike, the Safari which I drove about 6 months ago where I had to release my leg off the clutch pedal and almost stand on the accelerator pedal to make it move, this one can be made to move with much lesser effort. It is much quieter and performs really well between the 3000 and 4000 rpm bands.
Even after four iterations, the Safari does not feel as refined as the Innova both in terms of drive and the overall quality. The paint work has blemishes [of course, it is distinctly superior than the Scorpio’s], the clutch and the gear lever still feel gravelly and at times it may take two or more attempts to move the stick to the first slot from the neutral. The interiors feel much brighter with the two tone beige and the express down power windows is a good feature considering the size of the windows. I wish, they had put an ‘express up’ on the driver side as well.
The in-cabin comfort is where Safari scores really high both in the front and the rear seats with the generous legroom, headroom and shoulder room. I drove the Safari for about 20 kms at speeds ranging from 0 - 140 and the ease with which I drove the vehicle remained consistent through the entire range. There were occasions where I had to swerve the vehicle from one side of the road to the other which was effortless and there was not much body roll. I felt the Safari would take the bad roads and the humps in its stride with the 16″ wheels and the 235/70 tubeless tyres but I was wrong.
At about 9.9 Lakhs [on-road, Bangalore] the EX - 4 X 2 makes a good choice though it does not come with the ABS, the Airbags, the leather upholstery, the wooden trims, the DVD player with the monitors and the rear view camera, but the fact that these features [on the VX] would cost me two and half lakhs more is something that I haven’t come to terms with yet.
Though the Safari looks more or less the same as it did about 9 years ago, it is still a handsome head turner. I am assuming that TATA’s have resolved the quality niggles the previous generations had, which they are trying to reassure with the 2 years / 75,000 kms warranty.
All in all, the Safari is a brilliant package now and the mind could not have agreed with the heart more to go for it. I may go for the EX soon, if my 63 year old mom manages to climb into it easily and if it manages to get into my garage on Tuesday when I have asked the dealer for a second test drive.
