The new-age Tata Safari is technically an extended wheelbase version of the Tata Harrier, but with a three-row layout. It is, however, offered in both six and seven-seat layouts. The former seat layout is exclusively available in the top-most trim, which includes captain seats in the middle row.
As far as the price figures go, the Tata Safari demands a slight premium over the Tata Harrier. The Tata Harrier’s price starts at Rs 15 lakh and goes up to Rs 24.07 lakh, ex-showroom (Delhi). On the other hand, the starting ex-showroom price of the Tata Safari is Rs 15.65 lakh, and it goes up to Rs 25.01 lakh.
However, keeping the comparison aside, let’s begin to know more about the flagship offering of Tata Motors.

 

Specifications
In terms of specifications, the Tata Safari is built on the same OmegaArc platform, which also underpins the Tata Harrier. For your reference, this chassis is a JLR-in-house designed D8 platform, which underpins the Jaguar E-Pace, Range Rover Evoque and the Land Rover Discovery Sport. Further, the Tata Safari has the same engine as the Harrier. That said, this engine powers the Jeep Compass as well. In other words, the Harrier and the Safari use an FCA-sourced diesel engine.
However, beneath the bonnet, the Safari is powered by a Kryotec 2.0-litre diesel engine, which is tuned to produce 167.67 bhp at 3750 rpm and 350 Nm of peak torque at 1750 rpm. This engine sends power to its front wheels via a standard six-speed manual and an optional six-speed automatic transmission. Moreover, this homegrown SUV misses out on an all-wheel drive system. None of the Tata cars offers an all-wheel drive system or a four-wheel drive system.

Keeping the engine output aside, the Tata Safari has the same suspension setup as the Tata Harrier. Interestingly, both SUVs’ suspenion arrangements are Land Rover Discovery-sourced but with a few tuning tweaks. It has an Independent, Lower Wishbone, McPherson Strut with Coil Spring and an Anti Roll-Bar at the front. And, at the rear, it has a Semi-Independent Twist Blade with Panhard Rod and Coil Spring. So, this can offer a nearly identical ride quality as the Tata Harrier but might not be fully the same because of the dimensions. Moreover, Land Rover pioneered in producing off-roading vehicles and now Tata Motors fully own the JLR group, so the indigenous carmaker knows the way to tune India-specific cars with the added help of JLR engineers. That said, the Tata Safari won’t let you lament the ride quality it will offer. It can easily encounter undulations and can sail through rough patches as usually seen on Indian roads. Moreover, its predecessor has already established an image with its true capabilities, and that too with its four-wheel drive system. But, currently, the ongoing Tata Safari misses out on the four-wheel drive system. And, there is no hint from the carmaker till now.

 

 

However, this is tacit, but it is always recommended to take a test drive of the vehicle as personal opinions towards a vehicle can vary from person to person.
Furthermore, the top models of this homegrown SUV come with disc brakes on all four wheels. And, those disc bakes can be seen through 18-inch alloy wheels. Speaking of wheels, it has a tyre profile of 235/60 R18. And these tyres can be controlled via multi-function power steering with tilt and telescopic functions.
Gradually heading towards the interior, let’s now jump to the feature-specific section of the Tata Safari.

 

Features
The recently launched top-of-the-line Red Dark Edition bags newly added features in terms of comfort, convenience, and safety. You can check out the Safari’s price, especially the top model on the autoX website.
As for entertainment, the Tata Safari has a 10.4-inch touchscreen infotainment unit, which supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. In addition, the infotainment unit is coupled with JBL-sourced speakers- four speakers, four tweeters plus a subwoofer with an amplifier. It also offers a wireless phone charging tray, USB (C-type) and Auxiliary outlets.
On the driver’s side, it has a digital instrument cluster, paired with a leather-wrapped steering wheel and from this steering, you can control a few features of the instrument cluster and the infotainment system.
However, other notable features include power windows, auto HVAC, cup holders (front and rear), seat lumbar support, cruise control, 3rd row with 50:50 split seats, an engine start/stop button, smart access card entry, etc. The Safari also offers three drive modes (Eco, City and Sport), six-way electrically adjustable seats with a memory function and a welcome feature. Speaking of seats, the front seats (driver and co-driver) get ventilating functions. The co-driver seat is also electrically adjustable with electric ‘Boss mode.’ That means, the second-row passenger behind the co-driver seat can increase the legroom by forwarding the co-driver seat with the help of a button.

It also features an electrically operated dual-pane panoramic sunroof, ambient lighting, and a Carnelian Red interior with Diamond-style perforated leather seats, alongside embroidered #DARK logo on headrests.
You can also check your Tata Safari status and access other remote features on your smartphone. For that, you will have to install the concerned app and put in the required credentials, and after that, you will be able to access an array of mobile connectivity features. It can show you the live location, last parked location, speed and RPM dashboard, geo-fence alerts, fuel level, engine oil level, and upcoming service(s), to name a few.
As far as the exterior lighting is concerned, the Tata Safari has projector headlamps with LED DRLs, coupled with active cornering foglamps. These headlights can be adjusted as well- in terms of height. The headlights and taillights can switch on automatically in a low-light area.
It also has rain-sensing wipers, and the rear wiper comes with a wash function. Above the rear wiper, you will notice a rear spoiler for better aerodynamics. Moreover, this SUV has electrically adjustable ORVMs with embedded indicator lights.

On the safety front, the Tata Safari now gets an ADAS feature, which includes advanced features like high-beam assist, autonomous emergency braking (pedestrian and cyclist), forward and rear collision warning, blind spot detection, traffic sign recognition, lane departure warning along with a lane change alert. Other basic safety features include a lane change indicator, a rear camera with sensors, brake disc wiping, a Perimetric alarm system, ABS with EBD, ESC, traction control, a blind spot monitor, etc. It also boasts a hill descent control, a 360-degree view camera, ISOFIX child-seat anchorages, rollover mitigation, auto-dimming IRVM, a tyre pressure monitor, and an anti-theft alarm. Last but not least, this homegrown SUV has six airbags in total.
As for the safety rating, the Tata Safari hasn’t been crashed tested yet. But, since it is made on the same platform as the Tata Harrier (it has a five-star safety rating), it should be safe to say that the Safari has the same build quality as its sibling.

 

Prices and Variants
The indigenous car manufacturer sells this mid-size SUV in six broad trims: XE, XM, XMS, XT+, XZ and XZ+. The recently launched ‘Dark’ and ‘Red Dark’ editions are exclusive to the XZ+ trim. The Tata Safari’s price starts at Rs 15.65 lakh for the entry variant, the XE, and it goes up to Rs 25.02 lakh for the top model, the XZA+ (O) Red Dark AT.
All are ex-showroom prices, Delhi, as of March 2023. It is also worth noting that these prices are subject to change without any prior notice to the customer. But to keep yourself updated, you can visit the autoX website to access the latest location-based price list for your dream vehicle. For more information, visit our website or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube. So, stay tuned!