2021 Tata Safari: A close look

The 2021 Tata Safari has already been revealed, with the carmaker set to launch the SUV and begin accepting bookings for it on February 4. Tata has been working on the all-new Safari for quite some time now, and we have seen it in various stages of development; the last one being the Tata Gravitas showcased at the 2020 Auto Expo.

With the Safari’s launch imminent, we decided we would put together all the details we have on the new three-row SUV. 

• Tata offers a 170hp, 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine.
• It uses the Land Rover-derived Omega Arc platform.
• It will be available in six trim levels - XE, XM, XT, XT+, XZ and XZ+

New Tata Safari: exterior design

Let’s start with the design of the new Safari, which does have a few similarities to the smaller Harrier, with which it shares its platform. From the nose of the SUV till its C-pillar, there is little to distinguish between the Harrier and the Safari, save for the new front grille.

 

Though beyond the C-pillar, the Safari differentiates itself with details such as the longer rear overhang than the Harrier (to accommodate the extra row of seats), the roof rails with chrome inserts carrying the Safari inscription, the stepped roof design (which harks back to the previous generation design), a larger rear-quarter glass (compared to the Harrier), a more upright rear section with a new tailgate and tweaked tail-lights.

New Tata Safari: engine and gearbox options

Powering the second-gen Tata Safari is the same 2.0-litre Kryotec turbo-diesel engine as in the Harrier. It is also in the same state of tune as its smaller sibling as it produces 170hp and 350Nm. Tata offers the engine with either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed torque convertor automatic gearbox.

Due to the fact that the new Safari uses the Land Rover-derived Omega architecture (which was designed to incorporate a four-wheel-drive system), Tata could develop a 4x4 variant in the future.

New Tata Safari: interiors styling and layout

 

Coming to the interiors of the Safari, the overall design and layout are largely the same as the Harrier. The biggest change is the three rows of seating. There are six-seat and seven-seat options on offer; buyer's could opt for a bench-seat (7-seater) in the middle row or captain seats (6-seater). Another noteworthy change is new black and beige interior colour scheme, which makes the cabin look a touch more premium and upmarket.

New Tata Safari: features and variants

Tata will offer the new Safari in six main trim levels – XE, XM, XT, XT+, XZ and XZ+. At launch, the new Safari will only be available with an automatic gearbox potion in the XM, XZ and XZ+ trims. Besides this, the rest of the features available on the Safari will be very similar to those offered on the Harrier.

The top-spec XZ+ trim will be well-kitted with front, side and curtain airbags, hill-descent control, terrain response modes, an electronic parking brake, 18-inch machined alloy wheels, Xenon HID headlights, an 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with iRA connected car tech, a 9-speaker JBL audio system, a 7.0-inch digital display in the instrument cluster, a 6-way power adjustable driver's seat, beige leatherette upholstery, a panoramic sunroof and much more.

New Tata Safari: competition check

Once launched, the all-new Tata Safari will compete with other 7-seat models in our market, such as the Mahindra XUV500 and MG Hector Plus. However, this segment will get even more competitive as the year progresses, with the next-gen Mahindra XUV500 and Hyundai’s new 7-seat Creta-based SUV, both set to launch later this year.

Also see:

2021 Tata Safari what to expect video

New cars for 2021: SUVs