The Tata Safari is an Icon, an SUV that enjoys cult status and fan-following like few others in our market. This Legendary SUV was first launched in India in the year 1998 and with over 20 years of life-span in the country, the Safari has become synonymous with the rich and the powerful. Its sheer hulking presence and cosy back-seat won it plenty of admirers.
Also Read: Evolution of Honda City in India: 22 years and counting.
The Tata Safari is very famous among the off-road junkies too and it can be termed as a 'True SUV' in real sense. In fact, it was India's first home-made 4WD SUV and Tata puts it as Conquering terrains is what it was made for. The Safari has been also a favourite amongst the politicians and is till date used as an Escort vehicle in our Prime Minister's and President's convoy.
Tata Safari is one of the three pillars of Tata's Legendary history 'Si-Su-Sa', the other two being Tata Sierra and Tata Sumo. Despite having a massive fan-following, the iconic SUV had begun to show its age in more ways than one. And with the Nexon covering the compact-SUV space and Harrier slotting in above it, there wasn't much space left for the Safari. Tata Motors has already terminated its production long-back and the carmaker cleared out all the remaining stock, selling 1,105 units of the SUV in FY2019. Every Legend has a Legendary History and the Safari is no different, so let's take a close look into the history of Tata Safari.
First Generation Tata Safari (1998-2005)
The Tata Safari was our first Premium 4x4 SUV launched in India at the 1998 Auto Expo. The main USP of the first-gen Safari was its macho look, spacious interior, and decent off-roading capabilities. The SUV made its debut with a 2.0-litre turbocharged inter-cooled oil-burner under its hood that produced 90PS of power and 186Nm of torque. It was launched at a starting price of Rs. 8.25 lakhs, Ex-showroom.
The diesel engine of the original Safari was a little underwhelming and so five years down the line, in 2003, Tata introduced a more powerful 2.1-litre petrol motor that pumped out 135bhp but couldn't attract a lot of buyers due to its poor mileage and a hefty price tag of Rs. 9.35 lakhs, Ex-showroom.
Second Generation Tata Safari (2005-2007)
The second-generation Tata Safari got some minor cosmetic changes and new feature add-ons but the major upgrade was that it got a new heart that was borrowed from Tata 407, a truck made by Tata Motors. This second-gen Safari was launched in 2005 and it was powered by a 3.0-litre DiCOR engine (DiCOR stands for Direct Injection Common Rail Motor) that belted out 116PS of power and a whopping 300Nm of torque. The second-gen Tata Safari was launched at an astonishing starting price of Rs. 6.40 lakhs, Ex-showroom to give fierce competition to the new entrant Mahindra Scorpio.
Third Generation Tata Safari (2007-2012)
The second-gen Tata Safari got a very high capacity engine with great power and torque figures, but it wasn't the most refined vehicle around and thus just two years later Tata Motors launched the third-generation Tata Safari which is popularly known as Tata Safari DiCOR.
The third-gen Tata Safari SUV was first showcased at the Bologna Motor Show and was launched in India in October 2007. This iteration of the Safari was powered by a 2.2-litre DiCOR engine and it churned out 140bhp and 320Nm of torque, making it peppier than ever. The third-gen Safari was also loaded with creature comforts such as rear A/C vents, reverse parking camera, dual-tone leather upholstery and even DVD player with LCD screens mounted on the front seats' headrests. It even got safety features like ABS, EBD and dual-front airbags on the higher-spec models.
The third-gen Tata Safari was a well-rounded package as it offered the best of both the world. It was rough and tough on the outside and can go to far-off places and at the same time, it was luxurious on the inside pampering you and your family in its sumptuousness. The Safari DiCOR got a generation change in 2012, about which we will talk in the latter part of this article, but this third-gen Safari DiCOR ruled the streets and the hearts of people for a decade and finally phased out of production in 2017.
Fourth Generation Tata Safari (Tata Safari Storme 2012-2019)
The Safari evolution just got better when Tata Motors launched the fourth-generation Tata Safari in India in the year 2012. The fourth-gen Tata Safari was called the Tata Safari Storme and it was first showcased at the 2012 Auto Expo in New Delhi. The Safari Strome sat on a new chassis but the overall design silhouette remained the same.
The New Tata Safari Storme was overhauled in every department and was leaps and bounds better than the previous model. It was powered by the same 2.2-litre diesel engine churning out 140PS and 320Nm, but was tweaked to offer linear power delivery and the DiCOR badge was replaced to VariCOR. Like all the other incarnation of Safari, the fourth-gen Safari Storme was also offered with both 2WD and 4WD options.
It was 2015 when Tata Motors launched the facelift version of the Safari Storme inspired by the looks of Land Rover Marque. The facelifted model got some cosmetic tweaks inside and out, giving it a bit up-market feel. The Safari Storme also got a surge in power as Tata Motors introduced the new VariCOR 400 diesel engine that churned out 156PS of maximum power and 400Nm of mind-numbing torque.
Tata Motors pulled the plug on the Safari Storme in 2019 as it was ageing and could not generate good volumes for the car manufacturer. The Tata Safari Storme was feeling outdated due to the increasing competition and innovation of new technologies. The production of the SUV was axed in November 2019 and the Indian carmaker decided to permanently discontinue it as it could not meet the stricter BS6 emission norms that came into force from April 1, 2020. As quoted by Babe Ruth, Heroes get remembered, but legends never die" and Tata Safari is a Legend in the true sense, but will the Safari nameplate ever make a comeback? This seems uncertain as of now but maybe it will resurrect as an Electrified version, only time will tell us that.
Also Read: 2020 Skoda Karoq to Launch Soon: Things to know about it.
Trivia
Here are some quick facts about the Legendary Tata Safari:
- Tata Safari was the first SUV to be designed, developed and manufactured entirely in India.
- The Safari was India's First Premium 4x4 SUV back in 1998.
- The 3.0-litre DiCOR diesel engine of the second-gen Tata Safari also used to power the Tata 407 truck.
- Tata Safari was exported to as many as 125 countries around the world including Europe, Africa, and the ASEAN region.
- Tata Motors has supplied 3,192 units of Army-spec Safari Storme to the Indian Armed Forces.
- Bullet-proof Tata Safari Armour Editions were also produced exclusively for the politicians.
- Tata Safari had one of the best TV commercials with a common message 'Reclaim Your Life'. Interestingly, many people even bought one just after watching the TVC.
The Army-Spec Tata Safari Storme is specially designed for the Indian Armed Forces. The specially crafted vehicle is called the GS800 (General Service) Safari Storme 4x4, where '800' represent its minimum payload capacity of 800kg. The company claims that the Army-spec Safari Storme has 60% more payload capacity than the standard model and it even churns out 70% higher power output and 200% higher torque. The SUV has been selected for the Armed Forces after it has undergone a total rigorous trial duration of fifteen months in varied terrains across the country, demonstrating its supreme performance, with the capability of coping with on-road or off-road terrains. This vehicle has been customized to endure severely rugged operational conditions ranging from high-altitude drives, traversing snow-bound regions, crossing deserts to the marshy lands.
Also Read: Top 7 Affordable Automatic Cars Under Rs 6 Lakh.
This was our way of bidding adieu to the Iconic Tata Safari. What are your memories with this Legendary SUV?
