I happened to get a test drive of the new 140ps tata safari 2.2. the safari has definitely improved in a lotta manners.
exteriors and interiors**: much improved looks from the previous models, a small change from the 3.0 dicor but hardly noticeable. clear lens dual dome head lamps, more aerodynamic bumpers give a bold statement. the body shell remains unchanged from the old safari but the interiors have been made more pleasant by giving it a new two tone beige interior. the interior is very well lite and airy however it can feel a bit from the passenger seat as the rear A/C blower is only a few cms above your head. the analogue clock on the dashboard is a nice touch that give you a bentleyish effect. the rear seats are very spacious but lack a comfy feel, but for an SUV its hardly a point to notice. the rest of the car is pretty much the same as it ever was. the plastic quality just as it always was, very poor. everything feels very plasticy and feels like it doesn’t belong in a 12 lakh rupee car.
suspension**: the rear suspension has been updated to a 5 link suspension and this is a very good improvement in terms of comfort and stability. the car swallows potholes with ease and gives you a confident feeling to tackle bad roads. body roll has been contained to a very high level but with the sacrifice of turning radius. the car could not make a sharp U-turn in town and we were holding back a traffic for bout 5 mins.
engine and transmission: the 2.2 engine is a totally new block by tata unlike the earlier 3.0 engine carried over from the 207. it uses the same DiCor fuel supply system and is supported by a two stage turbo. the turbo kicks in without much lag but the car seriously lacks top end power. the moment you reach 120km/h then its 1km/h increase per minute. you can hardly notice the car reaching 100km/h from stand still, this takes a reasonable 15 odd seconds but still tolerable for Indian conditions. the transmission is the same old 5 speed manual transmission, the shifter is still the long throw system which effects the 0-100km/h time majourly. stops and goes are a pain as shifting to first gear is like reaching for something far away.
safety and comforts: the safari has a good reputation of one of the safest cars on Indian roads. now you can feel safer to drive this monster in any condition as it comes equipped with ABS and EBD and 4WD which comes with a LSD. so even if you had to jump off road and drive into a paddy field don’t panic as you have ABS to stop and 4WD to drive out of the mess. the safari is also equipped with air-bags to keep you from injuries in the event of a collision. now lets talk bout the gadgets for you back seaters. headrest mounted screens for you to enjoy movies while on the move. a rear A/C to keep the cool air well circulated so that an even atmosphere is maintained in the car. there’s also something for the driver, not a movie but a good view of the whats behind the car while reversing. the reverse camera captures images and a part of the rear view mirror is used as the screen to display the video of the reverse camera.