Sunday, 24 August 2014

Tata Safari Storme: Insipid, Lacklustre & Tasteless

The second generation Tata Safari was dubbed as 'Tata Safari Storme' which was launched in October, 2012 in India. Underpinning the X2 platform, it was developed keeping in minds the Euro NCAP safety norms. It had nothing to do with the first generation of Safari or Safari Dicor as it had entirely new powertrains and exterior appearance. Tata Safari Storme pictures clearly state that it was sportier, lighter and more dynamic in appearance than the Safari Dicor. Tata Motors presented this SUV with 4 variants - Safari Storme LX, Safari Storme EX, Safari Storme VX, and Safari Storme VX 4WD. Unfortunately, there was no space for an auto transmission. However, Tata couldn't achieve the feat of older Safari with the Storme upon its launch as it failed to garner the exact public response and sales numbers as the first generation Safari.

Tata Safari Storme


Tata Safari Storme price wasn't aggressive either to draw buyers towards it as it was introduced in a price range of Rs. 9.83 - 13.57 Lakhs. Some of the top-notch interior features present in the SUV are - Adjustable Steering Column, HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and A/C), Roof Mounted Rear A/C, Electrical Rear Glass Demister, Height Adjustable Driver's Seat, 3 Position Lumbar Support for Front Seats, Arm Rest for Drive and Co-driver, 60:40 Split with Tumble Fold, Cigarette Lighter in Front Console, 3 Auxiliary Sockets, and Rear Wash and Wipe. It is also at par with the safety features as it comes loaded with Dual Airbags (For Driver and Front Passanger), Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS 8.1) with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution. However, all the aforementioned features are not standard with variant and may differ with each variant.

Tata Safari Storme features and specifications can be said satisfactory and acceptable, going by the aforementioned list. On the mechanical front, it comprises of a 2.2L VariCOR diesel motor. The 2179cc, 16 Valve, DOHC VTT VariCOR based motor belts out a maximum power output of 140PS at 4000rpm and peak torque performance of 320Nm at 1700-2700rpm. The engine is mated to a G-76 (Mark II) 5-speed manual transmission and power is transferred to rear wheels in all the variants, sans the VX 4WD. The braking system witnessed significant improvement as Tata introduced vacuum assisted independent hydraulic braking system with both front and rear brakes as ventilated discs. The auto freaks of the nation showered heavy praise on the braking and handling section as Tata was immensely criticized for these aspects because the Sumo SUV fizzled out.

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