Tata Safari Storme facelift spied with VARICOR 400 badging

We have seen many spyshots of the Tata Safari Storme facelift, but this is the first time the SUV has been spied with VARICOR 400 badging. This means apart from the minor cosmetic changes, Tata Motors has equipped the vehicle with a new improved version of the 2.2-litre VARICOR diesel engine from the Tata Aria.

This unit is the same 2.2-litre diesel mill that was showcased on the Hexa Concept at the Geneva Motor Show. This engine, which powered the Hexa, produces 154bhp of power and 400Nm of torque. The powerplant powering the current Storme on sale gives a power output of 138bhp and 320Nm of torque, so in comparison, the new mill will give the massive SUV a good increase in power output and boost its performance substantially.

Coming to the transmission options, this engine might come mated to a new six-speed manual transmission apart from the current five-speed one. According to reports, an automatic version of the Storme is also being tested. The 2WD or 4WD options will continue to be offered.

The new Storme is expected to borrow design cues from some Land Rover products and the revamped front grille is in line with that design language. Apart from the honeycomb grille and new front bumper, there are not many changes to the exterior, but the cabin is where most of the revisions can be seen. Tata Motors have reportedly made use of better quality of material for the interior and equipped the new car with some additional features. This might include the touch screen infotainment system from the Aria. The company might also replace the third row jump seats with the front-facing ones.

This updated Tata Safari Storme is on test for quite some time now and might be launched in a couple of months. It will then go head-to-head with the new Mahindra Scorpio in the Indian market.

Image Courtesy: Team-BHP