Tata Safari Storme 2012-2015 VX 4WD

Safari Storme 2012-2015 VX 4WD Review

Tata Motors is one of the oldest multinational automobile manufacturers of the country. This company was established in 1954, but their first passenger car, Tata Indica was launched only in year, 1998. The company has its head office in the financial hub of Mumbai and are said to be the 18th biggest automobile maker in the world in terms of quantity. Their fleet of cars is full with remarkable vehicles, which are economically priced and are also low on maintenance. The biggest advantage of owning Tata Cars is that, all these vehicles are locally made and their spares are also easy on the pocket, which makes these cars very economical to sustain. The company has also acquired a few international companies and also has collaborations with other global car makers. Their fleet of cars has sedans, SUVs and hatchbacks as well. One such powerfully built SUV from their acclaimed stable is Tata Safari. This SUV was first introduced in the Indian car market in year, 1998 equipped with a 2.0 litre turbo diesel power train. Tata Safari has undergone a few changes over the years in terms of its engine, exteriors and other features. It is one of the best selling SUV in the country’s automobile market since many years now. Looking at the ever increasing popularity and demand of this well built SUV; the company is now bringing in a refined version, which is christened as Tata Safari Storme. This new version was first showcased in the 2012 Automobile Expo, which was held in the country’s capital, New Delhi. When compared to its older sibling, Tata Safari Storme is now larger and even lighter equipped with superior features and a proficient engine as well. The Tata Safari Storme VX 4WD trim among the model lineup is one of the most practical and feature laden variant. This trim has an all wheel drive and is integrated with some of the most impressive and no nonsense comfort and safety features in it. The company has fitted this all wheel drive variant with a commanding 2.2 L DiCOR (direct injection common rail) power train, which ensures enhanced driving dynamics along with better refinement and improvised response. There have been quite a few changes to its exteriors, which are looking cultured and polished. While the interiors have been done up with élan and there is lots of luxuriousness and comfort in it. The company is offering this latest entrant in quite a few lively and vibrant metallic exterior paint options, which are an innovative Urban Bronze finish, a flamboyant Sardinia Red, a subtle Pearl White metallic finish, an elegant Pearl Champagne finish, a magnificent Astern Black metallic finish, a bright and refreshing Arctic White and an Arctic Silver metallic finish.

Exteriors

The engineers of the company as well as the design department has left no stone unturned and have tried their best to make this latest SUV look urbane and outstanding. The Tata Safari Storme VX 4WD has undergone quite a few cosmetic changes to its exteriors. This new SUV has got a sleek new front façade with a brand new swept back headlight cluster, which is now powered with xenon lamps with clear lens projectors. The body colored front bumpers has a pair of bright and round shaped fog lamps, which further enhances visibility during bad weather conditions. The front grille is now more cultured with quite a bit of chrome used on it to make it classy and makes this SUV look elegant. The front wind screen is quite large and is equipped with a couple of proficient intermittent wipers. The side profile is smooth and lustrous with body colored pull type door handles.  The pronounced yet neatly carved out wheel arches have been fitted with a spanking new set of alloy wheels, which is giving this Tata Safari Storme VX 4WD, a very sporty look. The side footsteps, which are wider than that of its precursor, add to the convenience of the passengers as they make it easier for them to come in and exit. The outside rear view mirrors are now electrically controlled with integrated side turn blinkers and this version also has tinted glasses, which makes it look polished and sophisticated. The rear end sees a significant change with the spare wheel disappearing underneath the chassis and this new version gets a brand new tail gate as well as a striking tail lamp cluster. Other notable exterior features include chrome plated trapezoidal tail pipes, a modish rear spoiler and the top gets roof rails, which makes this new Tata Safari Storme VX 4WD look up market and sporty. The overall dimensions are also changed and this new Tata Safari Storme VX 4WD is looking bigger and better. The total height of this SUV is 4655mm along with an overall width of 1965mm, which also includes the footsteps and the external rear view mirror. The total height of this Tata Safari Storme VX 4WD is about 1922mm and it also has a liberal and roomy wheel base of 2650mm. The minimum ground clearance of this new SUV is 200mm, which is quite incredible, while the turning radius of this massive SUV is 10.8 meters .

Interiors

The company designers have really worked on the interiors which are now lavish and highly developed when compared with the earlier version. The quality of material used for the insides is made of premium quality with new meter dials in the instrument cluster. The glove box is wider, while the cup holders are now ahead of the gear box, which makes it convenient for driver. The extremely comfortable seats have been upholstered with premium leather, while the steering as well as the gear knob also has leather covering. The dash board is much softer and this SUV also gets a Wenge wood finish on the center console. The overall interiors of this Tata Safari Storme VX 4WD are done up with Sahara Beige and sand stone beige combination, which is making it look elegant. There is also an elegant clock integrated in this SUV, while the deco finisher also gets the Wenge wood finish to it. There is a stowage recess and also a stowage bin with a hinged lid above the center stack.

Engine and Performance

Under the hood, this all new Tata Safari Storme VX 4WD gets a 2.2 litre, Direct Injection Common Rail engine, which will displace close to 2179cc . This engine has been fine tuned to generate lesser NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) and better fuel efficiency. This impressive power plant also gets a dual overhead cam shaft and a variable turbine technology based turbocharger along with a 32 bit electronically controlled VTT VariCOR. This influential power train has the ability to generate a peak power output of 137.20 Bhp at 4000 Rpm and a maximum torque of 320 Nm at 1700 – 2700 Rpm. This commanding diesel engine has been skillfully mated with a smoother G76 MKII 5-Speed manual transmission gear box . Tata Safari Stormeis also said to be equipped with an advanced Borg Warner, shift on the fly all-wheel drive system, which helps this formidable SUV to shift from one mode to another while in motion.

Braking and Handling

This Tata Safari Storme VX 4WD trim has been bestowed with a new sturdy suspension for the front axle, which is an independent double wish bone type mechanism along with a coil spring over the front shock absorbers. The rear axle gets a 5-link suspension with coil springs, which assists to keep this massive SUV well balanced and stable. The braking system of this SUV is also very proficient with a vacuum assisted independent hydraulic braking system and ventilated disc brakes for both the front as well as the rear wheels.

Safety Features

This new SUV also comes with a long list of safety features, which include ABS with EBD as well as emergency brake assist, dual airbags, reverse guidance system with display in the internal rear view mirror, side impact bars, engine immobilizer, tubeless tyres, motorized headlamp adjustment, central locking and child safety locks, along with a lot more other protective features for the safety of the occupants.

Comfort Features

This new SUV has a powerful and efficient air conditioning system and roof integrated rear vents for the back seats. This latest Tata Safari Storme VX 4WD has an adjustable power steering with mounted controls, all power windows with express down feature, power adjustable external rear view mirrors that can also be electrically folded, an electrical rear wind screen demister, remote central locking and many more such practical and impressive comfort features. Overall, this new Tata Safari Storme VX 4WD has almost all the features, which an avid SUV enthusiast will expect with a powerful engine good enough to take on any road.

Pros

Impressive exteriors, loaded interiors with class leading features, powerful engine and pick up.

Cons

Engine noise, vibration and harshness should be decreased, mileage should be better.