Upon its launch, the new Safari will rival the likes of Mahindra XUV500, MG Hector Plus and the upcoming seven-seater Hyundai Creta
Tata Motors recently revealed Altroz iTurbo which was to go on sale from 22nd January onwards. But the company has not announced the price of Altriz iTurbo yet. Now, the manufacturer is gearing up to launch the all-new Safari on 26th January. This new Safari is a three-row version of the company’s mid-size SUV Harrier.
Production-spec version of the SUV was officially revealed by the company last week and now Tata Motors has teased a new image confirming that the new Safari will get two captain seats in the middle row as an option. The three-row derivative of Harrier starts reaching showrooms by the end of this month.
Certain dealerships have started accepting bookings for the all-new Safari unofficially. The SUV made its first public appearance as Buzzard at the Geneva Motor Show in 2019 followed by its maiden appearance in India at the AutoExpo 2020 as Gravitas. Tata Motors used the name Gravitas for its marketing strategy for a long time but apparently, it was just a codename.
Interior Design
While its similarity with Harrier has been very evident since its appearance at the AutoExpo last year, teaser images and makers have repeatedly confirmed that it is much more luxurious than its 5-seater sibling. Below is a detailed walkaround video (credit to Moter World) of the new Tata Safari, which has been created using the AR (Augmented Reality) platform which was launched by Tata Motors on their official website a few days ago.
The video shows that the new SUV features more premium materials used for its dashboard and upholstery. In fact, new Safari will be offered in two seating layouts- a six-seater and a seven-seater. Interiors of the SUV will be offered in a dual-tone theme with a light coloured upholstery.
Exterior Design
Coming to its exterior design, it is almost identical to Harrier up to its C-pillar beyond which it gets a stepped-up roof and an extended rear overhang to accommodate a third row of passengers. It also receives a Safari badging on its roof rails and tailgate with bold letterings.
However, it also receives its fair share of distinct elements such as a tri-arrow motif front grille with chrome surrounds, a flatter boot lid and different exterior colour options including a new blue paint scheme.
As mentioned in our previous reports, the all-new Safari will be underpinned by the Land Rover derived OMEGARC platform which also underpins Harrier. It has been designed on the basis of Tata Motor’s Impact 2.0 philosophy. Compared to its smaller sibling, Safari will be 63mm longer and 80mm taller although both models offer the same wheelbase of 2,741mm. Crash test safety rating of Harrier and Safari are not yet available.
Powertrain & Transmission
Coming to its powertrain, it will feature the same 2.0-litre four-cylinder Kryotec diesel engine under its hood which pushes out 168 bhp and 350 Nm of peak torque. This unit will be linked to either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic gearbox. As confirmed by the company, unlike the original Safari, the new model will be an FWD SUV just like Harrier. It is expected to be priced between Rs15-22 lakh (ex-showroom).