Thanks to our friend Sagar Apte for sharing more shots of the all new Safari Storm, which he captured during the ad shoot in Pune. It was very difficult as the entire was cordoned off and one was not allowed to take photos.
The Safari will get a new colour option and from the new images we can see that the SUV will carry a lot of chrome inserts on the exterior. A long Chrome strip above the number plate, prominent Tata Logo and new design taillights and rear bumper. The Safari Storm also gets dual exhausts like the Aria and they are neatly capsulated in the bumper.
From a distance the Safari Storm does not look very different from the current model on sale as there are no alterations to the overall design. The spare wheel now goes down like the Aria. We feel the spare on the outside gave the Safari a much sportier look.
The new will have better braking with ABS so the braking performance will definitely improve
I own a Safari 3.0 DICOR isnce 2006, and have clocked over 120thou Km.
She is reliable, comfortable, but the Engine management System is not as reliable as expected, and the car has a few technical characteristics which have not been improved since the launch of the DICOR:
1) Gearbox: the 5 speed gearbox may be strong but the gears are much too widely spaced, a 6-speed should have been fitted, and still isn’t;
2) Brakes: the Safari fits a Dana44 rear axle which is produced by Dana in both drum and disc brake variants; given the 140 bhp on the 2200cc DICOR, rear disc brakes should have been offered as optional to say the least.
Incidentally, both suggested improvements not only make for a more comfortable and zippier drive, they also improve maintenance.
Maurizio Pescatori, Rome, Italy