New Tata Safari Production Begins Ahead of Launch, What To Expect?

In early last year, Tata Motors showcased the 7-seater version of the Harrier under the name of Gravitas at the Auto Expo 2020. Recently, the company released the tribute videos for the iconic yet discontinued Safari models and announced its plan to resurrect the Safari nameplate. Finally, the Tata Safari will come in the form of the Gravitas that is one of the most-awaited 7 seater SUV launches this year.

Tata has already commenced the production of the new Tata Safari which was previously known as the Tata Gravitas at its Pimpri manufacturing facility. The new Tata Safari will be launched as the company’s new flagship SUV on the 26^th of this month.

New Tata Safari vs Old Safari

The Tata Safari 2021 will share the same OmegaARC underpinnings with the Tata Harrier, which is essentially an indigenized version of Land Rover D8 platform. Based on the Harrier, the 2021 Tata Safari will be very different from the outgoing models that formerly carried the Safari nameplate.

For example, the new Tata Safari will come as a monocoque SUV while the previous Safari had used on a body-on-frame chassis. While the now-defunct Safari was available in both four-wheel-drive and rear-wheel-drive layouts, the upcoming Safari will be an FWD model only. Other than that, the major difference lies in the transmission options. The all-new 2021 Tata Safari will be offered with a 6-speed torque converter automatic option which was missed out on the erstwhile Tata Safari models.

2021 Tata Safari: What Does It Have To Offer?

In terms of look, the Tata Safari looks mostly similar to the Harrier, barring some visual updates. Speak of which, the new Safari will get a silver-finished front grille with tri-arrow design patterns. It also comes with a new top hat to scoop out the headspace for the third-row passenger that makes it look like the original Safari version.

Being the 6-seat version of the popular Tata Harrier, the new Tata Safari will feature an extended rear overhang to accommodate extra seats. The Safari will share most of the features along with the mechanical package with the Harrier.

The upcoming Tata car will boast a plethora of features including a touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and navigation, leather-wrapped seats, rear AC vents, panoramic sunroof, automatic climate control and more. On the safety front, the Tata Safari 2021 will be packed with six airbags, ABS with EBD, traction control, hill descent control, hill hold control, auto headlamps among others.

Powering the new Tata Safari will be a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo-diesel engine that churns out 170 BHP of power and 350 Nm of torque. Power will be delivered to the front wheels through a 6-speed MT or a torque converter automatic transmission option.  

The new Tata Safari is expected to be Rs 1 lakh costlier than the Harrier which is currently going on sale at around Rs 13.84 – 20.30 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). Once launched, the Tata Safari will stack up against the likes of MG Hector Plus, new Mahindra XUV500 and even the Kia Seltos, Jeep Compass and Hyundai Creta.