2021 All New Tata Safari First Drive Review

As our test figures revealed, the new Safari was a little over a second slower to 100kmph from standstill compared to the Harrier. In the roll on or kickdown tests, a reflection of the SUV’s drivability, this difference dropped to under a second. This was in Sport mode where the throttle feels more alive and the engine is all perked up and ready to rev. There are two other modes – City and Eco. City is the default mode, while Eco, given how it blunted the Safari’s responses; we avoided it like the plague.

The new Safari comes with both a six-speed manual and a six-speed automatic gearbox. We have the latter, and it behaves like a typical torque converter. But, thankfully not a lazy one. There’s some bit of off throttle freewheeling but it doesn’t get in the way of driving. This auto ‘box borrowed from Hyundai comes with a manual override function as well, but we never really felt the need to use it. You can pretty much get the ’box to do your bidding via throttle inputs alone.

Ride quality like we mentioned is plaint if not plush. It can feel a bit stiff knead at slow speeds but things improve significantly as the going gets fast. The damping, especially for the rear is excellent. The Safari’s rear rarely kicks up violently even when negotiating a speed breaker at speed which can’t be said for most long-ish SUVs.

Braking is effective. Even with the additional weight compared to the Harrier, the Safari took the exact same distance to come to a stop from 80kmph in our test. And though there’s no question that the bite offered from the brakes is strong, these could do better in terms of feel and progression.

Accessing the last row of seats isn’t the most convenient, agreed. But, once seated, there are acceptable levels of head and knee room. Plus, the quarter glass between the C- and D-pillar gives the last row occupants a sense of airiness. Seats themselves aren’t very comfortable, being flat and close to the floor. But, one can still spend an hour to two in them without bother.

The seating in the second row is naturally way more comfortable. The optional captain seats are reasonably roomy while also being supportive and cushy. Plus, these adjust for fore and aft movement as well as for recline. There’s also enough head and elbow room in the second row, even for tall adults. It’s the same upfront, and the new Safari also offers a good driving position.

The boot space with the last row folded is more than adequate. One gets almost 450 litres of it. Put the last row of seats in place though, and the boot turns useless, especially for a family outing.

And on the safety end, apart from the mandated ABS and rear parking sensors, this top spec XZ Plus variant also gets rain sensing wipers and automatic headlamps, there’s tyre pressure monitoring, six airbags, and for driving convenience in difficult terrain, there’s hill hold, hill descent, and an ESP with selectable modes for city wet, and rough roads.

There’s connected car tech on board too that comes with location based services, vehicle diagnostics, remote commands, security features, and gamification. The latter gives you a driving score based on your driving pattern as one of the features.