2021 Tata Safari breaks covers
An in-depth view as to how the flagship SUV will look
Just days ago, Tata Motors announced that its upcoming 7-seater flagship SUV, previously remembered as the Gravitas (revealed at Auto Expo 2020), will be called the Safari. The iconic badge makes its return to the Indian automotive industry after a big gap. And now, Tata has revealed the production-ready 2021 Safari ahead of its launch.
- Minor changes separate the tarmac-ready version of the Safari from Gravitas
- Will boast 170hp diesel motor, with manual and auto ‘box
- Bookings to open this month
2021 Tata Safari design in detail
For starters, it is the Gravitas that we saw at the Auto Expo 2020, although it has some minute changes here-and-there. The grille is new with Tata’s signature tri-arrow design, though the front-fascia resembles the Harrier by quite a margin. There is chrome running on the door-handles, and the headlights, while the alloys are borrowed from the younger-sibling Harrier, with a panoramic sunroof doing the tricks on the flagship SUV.
From the C-pillar onwards, the design and the styling of the 2021 Safari changes. The SUV gets roof-rails with silver inserts bearing the legendary name, a full rear-quarter glass, a stepped-up roof, a more upright rear with a new tailgate and taillights. To add, the new Safari is nearly 63mm longer and 80mm taller than the Harrier to make room for the third-row.
As far as the interior is concerned, no images have been made public yet, but Tata has confirmed that it’ll boast an Oyster White theme, along with an ash wood insert for the dash. As for the complete layout, it is expected to replicate the Harrier’s, with a floating touchscreen infotainment system on the dash.
Powertrain options
As reported by us earlier, the all-new Safari will borrow the 170hp, 2.0L Kryotec turbo-diesel motor from the Harrier, as well as its 6-speed MT, and the 6-speed torque convertor AT.
The Indian automaker has also stated that the Omega architecture, on which the Safari sits, has room for a four-wheel-drive system, along with some electrification solutions, and so, a 4×4 variant of the Safari is well-and-truly on the cards, although at a later date.
How much will it cost and when will it reach the showroom floors
As the production for the 2021 Safari has already commenced, bookings are set to open later this month, and the launch is expected to be in February. When it arrives, though, it is only sane to understand that it will be priced a bit higher than the Harrier, which currently sells from INR 13.84-20.30 lakh (ex-showroom).
The all-new flagship SUV will have the MG Hector Plus, and the current-gen Mahindra XUV 500 as its direct rivals for now. Later this year, it will have to prove its worth when the next-gen XUV 500 and the 7-seater Creta-based SUV from Hyundai are also launched.
