Surprise! Tata Safari Storme Spotted On Test – But Why?

Tata Safari moniker has recently made a comeback in the Indian market as the 7-seater iteration of the Harrier. The Safari nameplate enjoys a cult status among the SUV buyers. The Tata Safari was launched for the first time in 1998 and was on until late 2019. Since it failed to comply with new emission norms, the carmaker had to pull the plug on Safari’s production. However, a test mule of the Tata Safari Storme has been recently spotted in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh by our avid reader – Ankur Singh. Since the brand has now discontinued the Safari Storme, spotting one on test comes up as a surprise. The test mule was spotted around TELCO (Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company) facility in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.

Tata Motors was formerly known as TELCO. The carmaker has changed the name now, but its Lucknow-based facility is still perceived as TELCO. It produces and develops components for powertrains and drivetrains of various Tata cars. Thus, it is safe to assume that the Tata Safari Storme test mule spotted around the facility was on a component testing job. Moreover, the Army-spec Tata Safari Storme – GS800 will be made on demand for the defence forces. Thus it is expected that Tata Motors is testing an updated version of the same but in the civilian skin. Recently, a prototype of Tata Hexa was also spotted around the brand’s Pune-based plant. While it gave birth to a lot of rumours, an insider later confirmed that the carmaker was using it for some internal R&D objectives.

The indigenous brand has recently revealed the new Safari in the Indian market. The pre-bookings are already open for a token amount of Rs. 30,000. The new Safari is expected to go on sale by the end of this month. It sources power from a 2.0L 4-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine that produces 170 PS of peak power and 350 Nm of max torque. The gearbox options include a 6-speed MT and a 6-speed AT. Talking of the prices, Tata Motors is yet to announce them, but it is likely to start at Rs. 14.99 lakh. Once launched, the new Tata Safari will rival the likes of MG Hector and upcoming Mahindra XUV500.