The new fascia debuted with Harrier.ev concept at 2023 Auto Expo will make it to Tata Safari.ev along with both their ICE counterparts
Indian electric car scene is primarily dominated by Tata Motors. The homegrown carmaker has one of the most extensive electric vehicle portfolios in India with multiple trim levels operating at a wide range of price brackets. Tata Motors is prepping EVs at flagship level in the form of Harrier EV and Safari EV. Recent Safari.ev spy shots feature fake exhausts to confuse prying eyes.
Tata Safari.ev – New flagship for the brand
Tata has showcased Harrier.ev concept at 2023 Auto Expo. It features a radical new front fascia. Hints of the same can be seen with Harrier and Safari facelift as well. Both of these are currently under testing and set to launch in the coming months. However, there are very high probability of Tata launching Harrier.ev and Safari.ev alongside their ICE counterparts.
Recent spy shots sent by Twitter (X) user DustedProdigy reveal Sarari test mules on testing. On closer inspection, this test mule seems to be an electric vehicle rather than an ICE vehicle. The main giveaway was the rusted exhaust pipe. Manufacturers resort to multiple measures to conceive identities of their prototypes.
Foam pads, distorted camouflage, and extended claddings are some of those measures. For electric prototypes, fake exhaust can be the easiest way to hide its EV credentials. We would wager that it is a fake exhaust because of how much rust it has and the way it is finished.
In almost all cases, every single tube and component of an exhaust is mass-manufactured. They have to meet a certain design and specification including angle of ejection and diameter of the tip. Safari’s exhaust has a different design where tip is slightly bent towards ground and it doesn’t jut out quite so much like in these spy shots.
In the recent test mule, this exhaust looks like it was cut unprofessionally out of an extruded seamless metal pipe with jagged edges. Not to mention the rusting. Tip of the exhaust doesn’t point to the ground like in Harrier and Safari. So, this could be a fake exhaust.
Same design as Safari facelift
At first glance, it is hardly differentiable between Tata’s ICE and EV test mules. But that’s how Tata’s strategies for ICE and EV counterparts have been. If we take recently facelifted Nexon and Nexon.ev, only the lighting signatures of DRLs are different between them. Even the design for wheels is identical between Nexon and Nexon.ev.
Going by that, we can see a similar design between both Harrier facelift and Harrier.ev and Safari facelift and Safari.ev. Vertically arranged headlights, wide connecting and dynamic DRLs, swanky wheels, a panoramic sunroof, ADAS tech, a 12.3” touchscreen infotainment screen, a configurable digital instrument cluster, dual-zone climate control, electrically adjustable front seats, rear entertainment package and more.
Battery could be around 60 kWh in size. An electric range of around 500 km, 200 bhp, 400 Nm, 0-100 in around 7-8 seconds, is highly probable. We have seen a working prototype of Tata Safari electric before, with zero camouflage and a green number plate. However, that is highly likely to be a 3rd party company demonstrating some technology on that vehicle.
