Safari Classic render by Bimble Designs envisions the bygone classic in a modern avatar keeping with current trends
Safari is one of the iconic SUVs from Tata Motors. First launched in 1998, Safari has seen multiple revisions. Tata Motors has retained its iconic ‘Safari’ name in the form of a modern monocoque front-wheel drive SUV. It is basically a Harrier that has been given a slightly different top hat to accommodate a third row.
Auto manufacturers have practiced a strategy of selling previous-gen models alongside newer models. Examples in India are Honda City, Mahindra Scorpio and more. Even Tata sold Indica alongside Indica Vista and Indigo alongside Indigo Manza. If Tata brought back its OG Safari as Safari Classic, would you buy one? 2023 Safari Classic Render might give you that necessary nudge.
2023 Tata Safari Classic Rendered
Off-road enthusiasts and Safari fans claim that with the new generation, Safari has turned soft. As opposed to the brute-ish beast that it used to be. OG Safari never shied away from getting its skirts covered in muck. With a traditional ladder-frame chassis and RWD layout, Safari also got an optional 4X4 system by BorgWarner in the Storme avatar.
What if Tata Motors follow a similar strategy and launch the OG Safari as Safari Classic? Tempting proposition isn’t it? Bimble Designs had a similar thought and has brought this idea to life in the form of a digital render. One look at it is enough to fall in love with this legend all over again.
Bimble Designs has kept the overall silhouette intact and has only refined certain design elements. At the front, we now get a new bumper, along with a new grille and headlights. Grille gets Tata’s tri-arrow pattern and new fog lamps. Even though headlight assembly is similar, it gets new DRL elements inside it and redesigned projector units that up the ante.
The chrome strip below its bonnet is now blackened which works with the smoked effect in its headlights. Around the back, things remain mostly identical. That’s not a bad thing, though. Tail lights are redesigned and now get vertically curving LEDs which look nice. Side profile is largely kept the same except for its alloy wheels that are from modern Safari.
Would You Buy One?
Recently, we saw the launch of Scorpio Classic. A rebranded OG Scorpio that is OG Safari’s arch-rival. With this move, Mahindra is now selling the old Scorpio alongside the new model. With Scorpio N’s ridiculous waiting period, people are still considering Scorpio Classic as a viable option. This might be due to the all-important “Scorpio” badge.
At the previous Auto Expo, we got to see a special edition of Safari Storme. Could we expect Tata Motors to bring the Safari 4×4 back at the 2023 Auto Expo in Jan 2023? Stellantis-sourced 2.0L diesel engine can breathe new life into this old-school SUV. Engine can be tuned to make less power and more torque to suit the new application.
Tata even has the old 2.2L engine in BS6 guise that is now exclusively reserved for commercial vehicles like the newly launched Yodha 2.0. It only makes 100 bhp, though. As opposed to 148 on OG Safari.
