Big Boy SUV, Dont mess with me attitude

 

Exterior Looking at a SUV is like meeting a guy who thinks he is a dude. There are two kinds of dudes:

1. Whom you say hi and they immediately chill and break into a conversation - you might think of these as metrosexual

2. Whom you say hi and the fellow replies back and befriends you, but slowly and you seem to mutually respect each other with slow progress. These are old boy, ladder frame SUVs that you need to respect to be respected back. Safari belongs here.

For a home grown SUV, its been a timeless clean and appealing design over the years and looks terrific even now. The new 2011 Safari's challange will not be to look as good as another vehicle but its predessecor.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Space, egronomics and features that a base model offers is very kind. However, the quality of plastics is quite basic. Hopefully that changes soon.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Toequey engine at about 130 horses, best driven at cruising speeds and even though the pick up is quite good in the Dicor, this is not enjoyed best at zipping speeds. Its a cruiser - period. And fuel economy is good. In city i get about 10 and I drove 3100kms cross country between Chandigarh and Chennai, the highway avearge was a fraction above 14.

Ride Quality & Handling Use a size bigger alloys on your new vehicle if you want to cut down body roll that a vehicle of this size cannot avoid. However, in linear acceleration and cornering it feels solidly planted. The steering is good at feedback though not too sharp and thankfully not too light. When you drive over 2 tonnes of steel and 130 horses, it cant be like your sporty hatchback, one has to watch the corners and best stick to responsible and not experimental driving.

Final Words My colleauges fondly call my vehicle "the truck". I have dealt with three different dealers, sometimes they may miss a thing or two but overall a sense of courtesy is in their dealings and while some bloggers here sound angry, i feel quite nice dealing with these folks. I appreciate the friendly charm of Joshi's in Chandigarh and the overall sense of warmth in VST in Chennai.

Areas of improvement I think the issue of plastics getting sorted in the new eidton. The only thing i wish they must incorporate is HID headlamps in the new car as the old one's lights need a little tweaking in the after sales market for full effectiveness. Secondly, from looks point of view, the spare wheel should remain where it is. I believe the new one has it under the belly which I say is not as macho as before.

Space, off roading ability, decent fuel economy, looksPlastics inside