Since its initial launch in 2021, Tata has been launching various editions of the Safari like, Adventure Persona, Dark edition, Kaziranga edition, Jet edition, Gold edition, and the most recent, Red Dark edition. Tata had managed to bring in minor aesthetic and technological updations through them. Now, 2023 witness the introduction of the major facelift of Safari.
Variants and Colours
Tata has got rid of categorising the car into different variants this time. They call it more aesthetically as “Personas”. 4 personas are on offer- Smart, Pure, Adventure, and Accomplished. The new Safari is available in Lunar Slate, Stellar Frost, Galactic Sapphire, Stardust Ash, Supernova Copper (only on the Adventure variant), and Cosmic Gold (only on the Accomplished variant) body colours. The popular ‘Dark edition’ will be available from the launch itself on the Adventure and Accomplished personas.
Outer Looks
The front end looks dashingly different from the old Safari. It’s almost like a completely new car from the old one. It has that massive road presence in terms of looks from the front. A new face with a single grille and accents that match the exterior body colour is splendid in terms of glance. The connected LED bar is a welcome feature, while the new squared-off headlamp housings on the re-designed bumper further help it stand apart from the earlier model. Base variants (Smart and Pure) get 17-inch alloy wheels, the mid-spec Adventure model brings 18-inch alloy wheels, whereas the top-spec Accomplished and Dark variants earn 19-inch alloy wheels.
The rear section has been updated with refined taillamps and a new LED bar that celebrates the welcome and goodbye animation along with the front. The new Safari measures 4,668 mm in length (+7mm), 1,922 mm in width without ORVM (+28 mm), and 1,795 mm in height (+9 mm). The wheelbase remains the same at 2,741mm.
The Engine
Tata has carried the legacy of old Safari in the engines. There are no changes. The new Safari is powered by the same 2.0L diesel engine as the Harrier, Compass & Hector. The motor named “Kryotec170”, produces 168 BHP (@ 3,750 rpm) and 350 Nm (@ 1,750 – 2,500 rpm) and is coupled to a 6-speed AT which is already well appreciated among users for its smoothness. The automatic gearbox has been sourced from Hyundai. The only change presented here is the switching from a cable shifter to a shift-by-wire system for the gear shifter. This has allowed Tata to save some space on the centre console and add paddle shifters.
Interiors
The modernistic cabin feels premium. The 4-spoke black and white leather-wrapped steering wheel gets an illuminated Tata logo in the middle. The buttons on the left are for mobile phone controls and voice commands, while the ones on the right are for the multi-information display and adaptive cruise control. The huge 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system is very similar to that of Harrier. It is supported by the 10-speaker JBL music system. Captain seats are available on the Accomplished+ variant. These are super comfortable. There’s plenty of legroom and headroom. Both the rear passengers get individual armrests which boost the travel quality.
The gear selector is something that we feel is a bit of under quality. It feels plasticky. The panoramic sunroof is quite able to bring in a good amount of sunlight to the cabin. When it comes to boot space, it has gone down by a few litres this time. With the third row folded, as per ISO V211, the boot space is 420 litres (-27 litres). With the second and third rows folded, as per ISO V212, the boot space is 827 litres (-83 litres).
ADAS and Safety
ADAS include autonomous emergency braking, blind spot detection, lane departure warning, forward collision warning, rear collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane change alert, traffic sign recognition, high beam assist, and door open alert. 360-degree cameras provide an added advantage to the driver. Six airbags are standard across all variants/personas. Safari also gets a new e-call feature for assistance in case of emergencies. The breakdown call simply connects to the roadside assistance service at the touch of a button. ABS, EBD, brake disc wiping, after-impact braking, ESP, hill hold control, traction control, and corner stability control are standard on all variants of the Safari.
Drivability
The Eco, City, and Sport modes live up to the driving expectations of the user. It has responsive throttle inputs. The overtakes are a cakewalk as it even manages to be stable on highways at three-digit speeds. 100 km/h at a relaxed 1,700 rpm and 120 km/h @ 2,200 rpm are possible. High ground clearance makes the Safari a good choice for people living in hilly areas. The old heavier hydraulic steering is replaced by the new electronic power steering which has made controlling lighter and easier. Suspensions are on the firmer side and you can feel the potholes from inside and body rolls are present to a decent extent as it’s a bigger SUV.
Pricing and Mileage
Starting at ₹16,19,000 and going all the way up to ₹27,34,000, Safari facelift has a claimed fuel efficiency of 16.30 km/l for the manual and 14.50 km/l for the automatic version.
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– Vaishnav Satheesh
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