Tata Safari DiCOR

I had bought the Safari Lx 4x2 model in March 2006 from Manipal Motors in Bangalore(I was their 10000th customer) choosing it over other vehicles as the Fiesta, the City, the Innova, the Scorpio, etc. 10 months later after a few long trips including one to Mumbai and the regular haul to my office in the famous(or should I say, the infamous) Bangalore traffic, my verdict is that it is one of my best decisions. However, a word of caution, before others decide to take the plunge, be sure what you are want out of this vehicle. I have listed below what I have liked and disliked about the vehicle both in terms of the features and my experiences.

What I like about the vehicle:

1. Amazing torque, making it a very good city vehicle. Picks up speed at par with most of the vehicles, even petrol vehicles.

   
   




2. Handles curves really well for it’s size. I having been doing the curves at 90 kmph but the vehicle is rock steady and at no point of time do I feel out of control. The weight of the vehicle feels very reassuring and seems to evict a sense of security.

   
   




3. Excellent dealer(both in terms of the sales & services). Very prompt, friendly and non-fleecing(in terms of genuine advice of accesories).

   
   




4. Very spacious. Ample leg room in the from and the middle seat  is like a sofa.

   
   




5. Amazing view of the road from the high seating. Feels like the king of the road.

   
   




6. Very less road fatigue, considering the fact that we drove from Mumbai to Bangalore in 19 hours with 5 people on board in 1 day.

   
   




7. Even the base level vehicle has many thoughtful features like

   
   

a. electrically controller both sides ORVM,

b. power windows on all 4 doors,

c. puddle lamps,

d. delay timed inner lamps,

e. inner door lamps,

f. light at key entry position for starting the vehicle

g. AC vent at the middle seat,

h. AC vent near the OVRMs(very useful in rainy conditions), r

i. ear wiper & washer,

j. light in the glove box,

k. lumbar support,

l. Armrests for both seats in the front,

m. height adjustable seat belts,

n. titlable steering,

o. adjustable intensity of dashboard lights.

1. Max speed I have done was 160 kmph on the Mumbai-Pune expressway with 5 people on board. Still felt rock steady. Would have loved it if the vehicle could have picked more speed.

   
   




2. Paint quality is excellent. Makes up for all the flaws in terms of the hugh gaps in the exterior fit.

   
   

*What I dislike about the vehicle:

*1. Braking. Tends to skid at high speeds with the wheels locking in.

1. City mileage of 9.5 kmpl with 50% AC on. Highway mileage of 10.75 kmpl

   
   




2. Engine Noise  filtering which really starts kicking in when it is time to shift to a higher gear.

   
   




3. Very low range of RPM fo the engine.

   
   




4. Fit and finishes(both interior and exterior)

   
   




5. 2 visits to the service centre for AC servicing.

   
   




6. Reat seats - they are a joke and rather not have it. Also over time they tend to squeak.

   
   




7. This is more of a personal grudge against Tata Motors. I feel cheated when within 3 months of my purchase, they dropped the price of this vehicle by 10% - Rs. 85000, when there was no apparent reason in terms of reduction of any raw material price or finance cost. Though it was understandable that they did this to make the vehicle more competitve to the Scorpio, they should have kept  in mind the sentiments of people who had rested their faith in the company and bought it at the previous prices. In turn, they should have offered some freebies to customers who have bought it at the earlier price.

   
   

Overall, an excellent vehicle, good value for money but lacks the finesse of a car.