Tata Safari Storme review

With so much action in the sports utility vehicles space, it wasn’t going to be a picnic in the park for Tata Motors to redesign and re-engineer the Safari. Making the market even more difficult for Tata have been the launch of new vehicles in the category – the likes of the Renault Duster and the Mahindra XUV 500.

These are crossovers and SUVs in the same price segment, though in terms of sheer prowess, size and road presence, the Safari could still rule at the top. So, the new Safari Storme has been much awaited both by buyers and I am guessing by Tata’s insiders too. After a production-ready version was showcased more than a year ago at the Auto Expo 2012, the Storme which has seen its share of delays, finally made its way to showrooms last week.

RE-ENGINEERED

Your next question would be…“So what’s new?” Though the new Storme’s overall design is very similar to the previous Safari, this new model is a complete generation change over the predecessor. You can be sure that this is an entirely new vehicle under the relatively familiar looking body panels. Whether the rumour mills about the shorter wheelbase version of the Aria are true or not, it is a fact that Tata engineers picked up this platform for the new Safari Storme.

This relatively fresh, more modern, ‘body on frame’ platform is lighter, yet stiffer and was specially developed for off-roader type vehicles like the Aria and the Safari. The result of the new platform adoption is that the Safari Storme is wider and longer, with wider tracks too. Though it is a tad lower than the predecessor, the new Storme is still the big, burly SUV and needs to be climbed into. The Storme is also still a hulking ‘2-tonner’, though it has shed some flab compared to the previous–gen.

The near vertical tail gate, the glass area and the moulded body side cladding of the new Safari Storme are all elements that remind me of the outgoing model. But look more closely and some of the design changes and quality improvements become more evident. The headlamps and the tail-lamps are of course all-new, with just mild references to the predecessor. The spare wheel mounted on the hatch door is now gone, in keeping with the Storme’s attempt at looking more like a premium crossover. There are sharper edges all around, including for the bonnet, A-pillar and side panels.

The finish and integration quality of the body side mouldings is much better and there has been liberal use of chrome (at least in the top-end trim) to increase the premiumness of the new Storme. Chrome strips boldly announce the new Safari’s moniker at the front and the rear. The 16-inch rims that the Storme sports look puny, but the high-pro 235/70 R16 Bridgestone Dueler tyres just about manage fill out the wheel arches to hide much of the gap. Twin exhaust ends at the rear work to give the Safari Storme a sporty image.

Whether Tata engineers chose to retain the familiar overall design in the new Storme to save on development costs or as a conscious effort to carry forward the popular image of the vehicle, the bottomline is that the successor clearly has a lot of the Safari’s genetic material still in it. My guess is that it would have been a combination of both factors.

INTERIORS

A somewhat similar story is the case with the new Safari Storme’s interior too. There are a few elements that are familiar, though the dashboard is all-new. The quality of the interiors is, however, much improved. With better quality faux leather on the seats and better finished plastic panels adorning the entire cabin, and the beige and light brown colour theme, the interior certainly feels more plush than before. But, small air-con vents, compact knobs and controls and a barren dashboard mean that the interior is quite bereft of the ruggedness that the exterior exudes. The interior is however, quite cheery with a lot of light pouring in thanks to the large glass area. I found the driver’s seat rather too firm and while shifting to find a more comfortable position, I could hear the springs creak and complain. Seats for the rear passengers are comfier and are almost like the captain seats of the front, but better padded. However, since they are set high and since the window glass cuts low, there is very little room for privacy for rear passengers. Two jump seats can form part of the third row of seats, as part of optional fitment. There is enough headroom though, thanks to the two-step roof.

PERFORMANCE

To power the Safari Storme Tata engineers have decided to stick to the tried and tested 2.2-litre Dicor engine that the predecessor came with. Only, now it sports the new tag – VariCOR, one which Tata has been using recently for its vehicles that feature a variable geometry turbocharger. So, the 2,179cc, 16-valve engine features what’s called variable turbine technology. The DOHC engine already featured common rail direct injection and so, with a variable geometry turbocharger, the promise of better performance immediately gets a boost.

What haven’t changed, however, is the engine’s absolute performance parameters. It still produces about 140 PS of peak power and about 320 Nm of maximum torque. But, the VariCOR engine has clearly managed to flatten the torque curve and enables the engine to deliver much of its pulling power starting from a low 1,500 rpm all the way to about 2,800 rpm.

Tata engineers also talk about the addition of a high inertia flywheel to iron out a lot of the vibrations from the engine. Together with the better NVH packaging that the Storme has been given, this makes the cabin much quieter during the idling and initial acceleration cycles, but as the torque tapers off, the engine noise starts to climb. Overall, the new Safari Storme is an improvement over the predecessor in terms of engine refinement. The new model’s VariCOR engine is also paired with the G-76 (Mark II) 5-speed manual gearbox, which features cleaner and slicker shifts. The short throw gear stick lever also manages to relatively ease the overall shift effort, though there is still room for improvement.

RIDE AND HANDLING

On the highway, the new Safari Storme’s acceleration is linear and quick, quite surprising considering the size and weight of the vehicle. The powertrain is a big help here. But, at slower speeds and in tighter, curvier roads, the Storme seems to sulk and handling it can get a bit labourious. The big drag here being the slow, relatively loose steering. One other aspect of the handling that Tata engineers haven’t really been able to eliminate, despite the stiffer chassis, is body roll. There is still a considerable amount of roll, though at city driving speeds, the dampening effect of body roll on the handling won’t be felt.

The previous Safari was known for its suspension and rear seat ride quality. The new model will continue to be known for it too. The suspension setting is independent double wishbone type with coil springs at the front and 5-link type with coil springs at the rear. The ride is meant to be soft, bordering on wallowy and so will be perfect for broken city roads and uneven tarmac. But, it isn’t too helpful during more dynamic manoeuvres at higher speeds.

I test drove the top-end trim VX 4x4 variant and one feature that I could not test to its limits, but it seems very sorted is the four wheel drive system. The new Storme features an electronic shift-on-the-fly four wheel drive mechanism and a limited slip differential. There is a low ratio and a regular high ratio, which you can choose simply by twisting the knob next to the gear shift stick.

During my test drive, I got a fuel efficiency of about 11 kmpl with a mix of city and highway driving and a bit of offroading thrown in.

BOTTOMLINE

As was evident in the approving eyes of an existing Safari owner who waved me down during my test drive, the new Storme is clearly a worthy upgrade and now an even more worthy competitor in the SUV space. The design may not exude too much newness, but under those familiar panels is a brand new vehicle.

The Safari Storme is being offered in three trim levels – Lx, Ex and Vx, with the Vx also on offer with a four-wheel drive option. Prices range from about Rs 10 lakh to Rs 13.7 lakh. The Safari DICOR continues to be available.