Ahead of its public debut on January 26, 2020; the new Tata Safari SUV has now been revealed online
Tata Motors has quite a few exciting launches lined up for this year. While it started with the unveil of Altroz iTurbo yesterday, it will be followed by the all important and by far the most discussed SUV- the all-new Safari which was previously referred to as Gravitas.
The homegrown carmaker has now officially revealed the upcoming three-row SUV. Today also marks the day when the 1st unit of the all new generation Safari SUV was rolled out of the company plant in Pune.
Mr. Guenter Butschek, CEO & MD, Tata Motors said, “The Safari is our flagship offering to connect the aspirations of the discerning and evolved Indian customer. It had introduced India to the SUV lifestyle and in its new avatar, will carry forward this rich idea to build further its legacy.
The new Tata Safari is ideal for families and groups with a multifaceted lifestyle, who prefer to drive together for work or leisure, as it offers an unmatchable combo of an exceptionally strong lineage, robust build quality, premium finishes and the 4Ps of Power, Performance, Presence and Prestige to ‘Reclaim Your Life’. We look forward to making the Safari rule the Indian roads once again.”
Exterior Design
At front, visuals are very much similar to what we have seen on Harrier with a butch nose and an aggressive front bumper with a split lighting setup of projector headlamps and LED DRLs on top. As a matter of fact, the new Safari is identical to Harrier up to the C-Pillar beyond which it gets a stepped-up roof and an extended rear overhang to accommodate a third row of passengers.
At rear, the taillights are somewhat similar to the one present on the Gravitas prototype showcased at last year’s AutoExpo. However, they are completely different from what is offered on Harrier, on which the new Safari has been based. In fact, its entire tail section is different from its smaller sibling. Safari gets a flatter tailgate with a redesigned rear bumper and diffuser.
Tata Motors has also launched the Tata Safari Imaginator suite, power packed with interactive features using Augmented Reality (AR), for customers to explore the Safari virtually at their preferred location including their living room!
The upcoming SUV is underpinned by the same Land Rover derived OMEGARC platform which forms the base for its 5-seater sibling and follows the same Impact 2.0 design philosophy of the company. As revealed at the AutoExpo, it is 63mm longer and 80mm taller than its smaller sibling although both SUVs share the same wheelbase of 2,741mm. It also gets a set of freshly designed alloy wheels.
Interior & Expected Features
Inside the cabin, it will receive a dual-tone theme interior with a blacked-out dashboard and light-coloured upholstery. It will offer a long list of features which include an 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment unit with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
It will also get features like 360-degree parking camera, a 7-inch digital instrument cluster, JBL stereo system and a panoramic sunroof to name a few. It will be offered in both six and seven-seat configurations with the former being offered with two captain seats in the middle row.
Powertrain & Transmission
Coming to its engine specifications, it will be powered by the same 2.0-litre Kryotec diesel unit which does its duty on Harrier. This powertrain pushes out 168 bhp and 350 Nm of peak torque and is mated to either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic gearbox.
Like Harrier, it will be an FWD SUV, unlike the original Safari that came with an option of a 4×4 drivetrain. Upon its launch, it will take on the likes of MG Hector Plus and the upcoming Mahindra XUV500.