Tata Safari Storme Breaks Cover (Launch Coverage: Pg.301+)

[THE XOVER]

Re: Scoop! New Tata Safari (aka Merlin) To Launch Soon

I can't agree here,I really can't.Why?
Because I believe that every person has a different taste.A person likes the responsive steering of Fiesta while another can like the feather light one of Verna,so no comments.It depends on the taste of the buyer,what he/she may like.

Agreed.

The engine is same,only some small changes have been made,basically its the better NVH levels of Aria which make it feel more refined.Rest the overall response of Aria,especially in higher revs is absolutely better than the XUV thing,no doubt.(Again,my personal TD experience)

Vipul Aria's head unit is different from safari's 2.2 engine, also ECU mapping is different,it uses injection system produced by BOSCH while safari 2.2 uses Delphi fuel injection.Above all it uses Dual Mass Flywheel which is very expensive mechanism and which helps in better power delivery and refinement.As per sources Safari Merlin will get this same Aria engine with even more power output which will be better than current 2.2 VTT.

You call this niggles? Changing oil to improve gear shift quality is a niggle?

No but changing entire steering system thrice to fix cruise control is.And why change gear oil just ten days after launch, what were they doing for the last 5 years copying Prado,Evoque,or outlander

ECU of XUV is untouched. I think you meant that the infotainment software has been updated. That is a niggle?

LOLZ even ECU have been upgraded, now only thing left for them is to upgrade cheeta design into Tiger

BAKWAAS(CRAP is it) and I'd say 'cut the crap' on this fact.Safari's rims based on Aria's platform will affect the handling while the Rims and tyres are of same size!.Mukesh dear I am sure your friend needs to study it a bit more.
About the roll over etc,you need to drive Safari once.I have owned a Scorpio and a Safari both one by one and let me tell you that Safari has scary body roll but it does not overturn that easily,while its our dear Scorpio which seems to have lesser body role but turns turtle quite before the Safari does.Here in Meerut I have seen a lot of Scorpion turtles while for Safari it looks like it will turn but it does only when you twist a bit too much.The old boring steering of Safari and dash of Safari still looks better to me as compared to Scorpio(my personal opinion)and is more practical too

Scorpio turning turtle may be because of short wheelbase and tall height.BTW, its nice to know that a guy who has experienced both Scorpio and Safari thinks that Safari is better SUV than Scorp.

Even Tata's too know what the XUV is doing to the market now a days and they are also intelligent enough decide the optimum pricing for their cars.Let the Merlin be launched,rest talks will be conducted afterwards

I think you are right XUV's pricing strategy would have given a huge shock to Tata, now they have no way left other than price their products better.

 

[tornado78]

Re: Scoop! New Tata Safari (aka Merlin) To Launch Soon

i have been reading the thread, but one thinf fails me, what is land rover shape?

all i know is that there is hatchback shape, coupe, sedan, crossover and suv.

this LR shape is new to me.

Good to know that people still dont know about LR and its unique shape.

Now look at the spy pics of new safari merlin and you'll find that the rear end design cues are taken or i can say inspired by Land Rover rear end.

The cuts and creses on rear of merlin are quite similar to LR.

I hope now the statement given by undersigned is clear.

Anyways its better to wait for 6th or 7th of January anf than we should discuss in details regarding new Safari aka Merlin..

 

[raj_5004]

Re: Scoop! New Tata Safari (aka Merlin) To Launch Soon

Vipul Aria's head unit is different from safari's 2.2 engine

Head unit? You mean the engine head?

A head unit in normal lingo means the 'moochik cheestam' in the car.

Above all it uses Dual Mass Flywheel which is very expensive mechanism and which helps in better power delivery and refinement.

Cmon, in every thread, you have been harping about the same thing.

There is no big deal about it.

As per sources Safari Merlin will get this same Aria engine with even more power output which will be better than current 2.2 VTT.

You mean Merlin will be 150-160 bhp? WOW!

That means will it be more expensive or as ridiculously priced as Aria?

And why change gear oil just ten days after launch, what were they doing for the last 5 years copying Prado,Evoque,or outlander

DUDE! Many things does not seem as big issues when the car is in a production level. It is only when the car reaches the mass market, the manufacturer knows what the customer really expects.

Think about this - for the past 13 years, Safari has the tail gate rattling issue. What has TATA done about it? What is TATA doing for 13 years?

LOLZ even ECU have been upgraded, now only thing left for them is to upgrade cheeta design into Tiger

And you think an upgrade is equivalent to niggles? Kudos man!

So, according to you, is a facelifted model also equivalent to a niggle or the manufacturer's inability in some way or the other?

BTW, its nice to know that a guy who has experienced both Scorpio and Safari thinks that Safari is better SUV than Scorp.

You dont need to mention your happiness on such comments. the whole forum knows it now!

I had a safari which i had to sell off within 2 years & 35000 kms. Reason? It loved the garage more than my porch. I have a scorpio which is 2L kms old & still running strong. So for me, Scorpio is better. Of course, you wont count this review, I know!

 

[AMG]

And why is it that nobody, and by nobody i mean ABSOLUTELY NOBODY, not even the people who are in the proffession, like various auto mags know that the XUV had an ECU change?

Good to know that people still dont know about LR and its unique shape.

Now look at the spy pics of new safari merlin and you'll find that the rear end design cues are taken or i can say inspired by Land Rover rear end.

The cuts and creses on rear of merlin are quite similar to LR.

I hope now the statement given by undersigned is clear.

the LR is not an iconic shape. It looks like just any other suv.
Iconic Shapes are the ones you can identify at a mile. Like 500, beetle, mini or hummer.

 

[TSIVipul]

Re: Scoop! New Tata Safari (aka Merlin) To Launch Soon

Scorpio turning turtle may be because of short wheelbase and tall height.BTW, its nice to know that a guy who has experienced both Scorpio and Safari thinks that Safari is better SUV than Scorp.

Definitely I believe that Safari is a better vehicle overall.my experience with Scorpio ended the day when my father returned from a long trip to Jabalpur and said "What sort of car is this?Just sell it off,its not good for long trips".Although I was as well as is against this fact,but still everyone knows that SAFARI HAS GOT A SOFA IN THE MIDDLE ROW.ANY DOUBT?And hence Scorpio didn't worked for my father.

You mean Merlin will be 150-160 bhp? WOW!

That means will it be more expensive or as ridiculously priced as Aria?

I am doubtful about these power figures,but for price I am sure Tata's won't try a do a suicidal attempt by the pistol called XUV by pricing the Safari Merlin such high.

Think about this - for the past 13 years, Safari has the tail gate rattling issue. What has TATA done about it? What is TATA doing for 13 years?

Now whose Safari is this?I mean mine never had this issue. I have already mentioned,you also does not leave any chances from your side too.I mean,neither check,nor confirm the target,but just load the pistol and fire.

And you think an upgrade is equivalent to niggles? Kudos man!
So, according to you, is a facelifted model also equivalent to a niggle or the manufacturer's inability in some way or the other?

Here I am also ,Raj is right here.
So, according to you, is a facelifted model also equivalent to a niggle or the manufacturer's inability in some way or the other?

I had a safari which i had to sell off within 2 years & 35000 kms. Reason? It loved the garage more than my porch. I have a scorpio which is 2L kms old & still running strong. So for me, Scorpio is better. Of course, you wont count this review, I know!

As I have already mentioned,different people,different priorities,same is here too.Both vehicles may look and sound same,but are a bit too much different from each other.For short trips and self driven Scorpio is better while for cross country movers and chauffeur driven Safari is the best option.Any questions or doubts?

 

[THE XOVER]

Re: Scoop! New Tata Safari (aka Merlin) To Launch Soon

Good to know that people still dont know about LR and its unique shape

The current Safari is somewhat based upon vintage Land Cruiser shape, but now the new Merlin is taking cues from Land Rover shape.What is this LR shape, actually when you will look at current Safari you will know that it is not a boxy but an all curvey design, while the classic Land Rover shape means an all boxy and quirky shape.The new Merlin is heavily inspired by LR shape ,not in the side or back but at the front, just take a look at all those covered/uncovered spy pics you would notice that the front now is not curvey but all square on the edges,and the headlights also look quirky,so one can safely say that it's heavily inspired by LR shape ,hope it helps

Hi All,

Well iam a great fan of Safari (especially its looks), no other SUV in the south side of Rs 20L has the as killer looks as Safari has (this is subjective)

I totally second your thought, though I like the looks of Fortuner as well.

Now Back to Safari Merlin, no one has driven it yet, infact all of us have seen it in pics or completely camoflauged form, so there is no point in discussing about its looks. IMHO it might get a bit of Land Rover look (all based on pics) and will be based on new X2 platform with refined 2.2 VTT engine incorporating dual mass fly wheel.

You are absolutely correct buddy.

AUTOCAR has given a scoop of New Safari Melin Dislay/Launch in Autoexpo 2012 and tentative price to be around 11L. Now, i guess there first information regarding Launch/preview is correct (as also confirmned by SA in TATA Motors), but pricing of 11L looks ABSURD because they have a product name ARIA @ 11.6L, so they just cannot launch Safari @ 11L. This scoop is just to get the feeler from people regarding pricing (most companies do this).

If we can get top end Merlin at 11 lacs then its not bad.

Now About XUV 500:
I have done a TD and found it to be a nice vehicle, it has a good engine capacity, drivaility of engine, gear ratios, minimal turbo lag, nice seating position, manuverability of vehicle, but what irks is its plastics and its colour combination, its exterior profile (quirky again) and not as imposing as Safari or even as Scorpio. Overall a good vehicle for those who can afford it and strictly 5 seater (adults only upto 5.3 inches and weigh less than 60kgs can sit in the last row.).

Whereas last week i have TD on ARIA as it was WOW, the space, seats, driving position, engine performance, its road presence, third ro seat (a bit better than XUV), features practicality.

If any day i have to choose a vehicle for myself in the range of 12L iwould always opt for ARIA, as it has more space, seats are more comfortable, can seat 7 if required (only small frame), can cruise 120-130 all day long and deliver you an average of 15-16kmpl

I am also a big fan of Aria as you can see by my handle and also aspire to buy one in future.

After sale service of TATA is good, as i own a TATA Indigo LS since 2005, faced a very few niggles and trouble free ASS.

I am owning an Indica Xeta since 2007 and after sales service of Tata has been very good.

Hope Tata will launch new Safari within 9L bracket or else it would another ARIA in terms of sales.

Yes lets hope that Tata have learnt their lesson the hard(XUV) way

 

[TSIVipul]

Re: Scoop! New Tata Safari (aka Merlin) To Launch Soon

Spied pic of Tata Merlin:

Autocar India - The Best Car News and Reviews - Autocar India

Okay,now after seeing the pics I can say that:-

1):New Safari has got the dual exhaust treatment at the rear.

2):I understood what this LR shape is,just have a look at the line running just above the number plate and a line running just below the rear glass.After that have a look at the alignment of the rear glass and overall bootlid and you will understand what this LR shape is.Now have a look at most of the LR's and you will find many design cues taken from there itself.

3):Headlights have got the projectors,a welcome and taillights now have got bigger,how?Simple,the older Safari had the tail lights with the main light/brake light in a round reflector and then indicator and reverse light combined in a round reflector occupying semi-circles.But this car hos got three of them,have a deep look and you will understand what I mean.Again a welcome,bigger reversing lamps means easier reversing.

4):Haha,the side profile has really changed!!Have a closer look and you will find that there are slight changes in the roofline just above the middle row,the GRAB type door handles have been replaced with more up-market PULL type ones.And with a change in the rear profile will also add to the changes in side profile.

5):Front now looks to be spoiled in my views,I like the way the current Safari looks,this Safari has lost that musculine grille but has got a sophisticated one(Although I still love the super aggressive looking grille of Scorpio,not even XUV,but Scorpio's front looks best to me).Rest let the stickers be removed and true car be displayed,more on the front then.

6):Interiors,they simply WOW me,the interiors I always desire of,simple,plain looking and with a luxury feel.This is where it simply knocks out the XUV or Scorpio or even the Aria thing,the interiors of XUV looks funky,but its a fact that funky interiors lose their charm before these plain ones(my personal views they are).

No screen in the center console for GPS etc!!!Hope Tata's will provide it in top end variant.
The one shown in the pictures is a basic low end/mid variant,so I ask members to wait for the real thing to come.How can I say its a low end one?Simple,there is no airbag in the steering,so its either low end or mid range.

Here is another pic of Merlin aka New Safari.

Courtesy: Manoj Khanna My FB friend.

Mukesh,dear this pic is showing how small the new Safari is or how big the Aria is??

Rest from this pic too,one thing can be clear,the bigger windshield may be there for even better outside visibility.
Has Safari lost some of its height? This pic shows something like that.

 

[raj_5004]

Re: Scoop! New Tata Safari (aka Merlin) To Launch Soon

Now whose Safari is this?I mean mine never had this issue. I have already mentioned,you also does not leave any chances from your side too.I mean,neither check,nor confirm the target,but just load the pistol and fire.

I had two & my uncle had one, all 3 had this issue. Google it, its a well known issue in the safari.

As I have already mentioned,different people,different priorities,same is here too.Both vehicles may look and sound same,but are a bit too much different from each other.For short trips and self driven Scorpio is better while for cross country movers and chauffeur driven Safari is the best option.Any questions or doubts?

100% correct.

 

[TSIVipul]

Re: Scoop! New Tata Safari (aka Merlin) To Launch Soon

See dear,if you are talking about the rattling of doors in the SUVs then leave the high end SUVs and this door rattling is there in all the SUVs,yes in Tata the rattle technology is quite high,but I have observed it for every SUV that after the SUV goes some 30-40k kms old then all the doors does not close with a 'thud' but they have a rattling sound like 'khadak' when we close them.

Your Scorpio has covered about 2 lac kms,you may be knowing this better than me.

In case you want the doors of your SUV not to rattle then you need to give them a repair(care)every 20k kms,my Innova's doors does not rattle at all.

Overall,I meant that Safari's doors may have rattle but I said mine didn't had(note:we sold Safari after just 18k kms).All the SUVs have this problem,but maybe Safari has it more than others(Please correct me if I am wrong).

 

[raj_5004]

Re: Scoop! New Tata Safari (aka Merlin) To Launch Soon

Sorry for using the word rattle, i should have used squeak.

I dont agree that all doors of an SUV starts to rattle. My scorpio's does not. Even safari's does not.

What i meant was safari's hatch/boot door starts to squeak very soon. The problem is with the design of the hinges which cannot take the weight of the door with the spare tyre.

In my uncle's car, he removed the spare tyre from the door & placed it in the boot & the squeaking stopped.

 

[THE XOVER]

Re: Scoop! New Tata Safari (aka Merlin) To Launch Soon

In my uncle's car, he removed the spare tyre from the door & placed it in the boot & the squeaking stopped.

Wallah! He just gave perfect idea to Tata on what to do in next gen Safari to stop door squeak/rattle.

 

[raj_5004]

Re: Scoop! New Tata Safari (aka Merlin) To Launch Soon

I think that is the precise reason why the Merlin does not have the spare on it's boot. In my uncle's safari, he had to fold one side seat in the boot & tie the spare to the folded seat vertically, one seat & some boot had to be sacrificed. what irked me more was the exposed frame on the boot looked ugly.

 

[TSIVipul]

Re: Scoop! New Tata Safari (aka Merlin) To Launch Soon

From rattling I meant the experience that whenever you sit in a quite old SUV,you close its doors and you hear a sound like something has went loose.I hope you understand what i mean to say.Like some part of the door has loosen.

This is what I have felt in every single SUV under 15 lacs till date,once it goes old,it starts this sound from every door.
Yes Raj,your Scorpio may not have it but being true you yourself tell me haven't you ever cared for this thing?

I am sure you too have felt this in may other SUVs as well as cars,you care your Scorpio a bit too much(your 2 lac km thread says it itself)but the less cared ones have this problem.

 

[raj_5004]

Re: Scoop! New Tata Safari (aka Merlin) To Launch Soon

Possible. See, some cars do rattle, I am not denying that.

I just said that what I meant was not rattle but it was tail gate squeaking.

P.S.: Now even my old scorpio has a squeak from the dash! by the way, I am never in Kerela to care for it. It is highly neglected & abused.

 

[THE XOVER]

Re: Scoop! New Tata Safari (aka Merlin) To Launch Soon

Cmon, in every thread, you have been harping about the same thing.

There is no big deal about it.

I was just explaining the difference of Safari and Aria's 2.2 engine to Vipul.

You mean Merlin will be 150-160 bhp? WOW!

That means will it be more expensive or as ridiculously priced asAria?

Actually 140 ps is the max that Safari 2.2 can push, but with all the improvements and the changes Aria's 2.2 can push much more power just with ECU mapping.Now you may ask why didn't tata launched Aria with 160 ps then, actually the culprit is the G76 gearbox, it just could not took any more power than 140 ps.But it seems that Tata have worked upon this gearbox diligently and now this gearbox can take a little bit more power than 140 ps.So even now if the new Merlin comes with 140 ps I won't be surprised(cause it means tata didn't wanted to test the gearbox) and even if it comes with 145-150 ps I still won't be surprised.This pump of power if happens will include no extra expense as Tata are launching Merlin with same G76 MK II gearbox from Aria confirmed.

DUDE! Many things does not seem as big issues when the car is in a production level. It is only when the car reaches the mass market, the manufacturer knows what the customer really expects.
Think about this - for the past 13 years, Safari has the tail gate rattling issue. What has TATA done about it? What is TATA doing for 13 years?

As you know new Safari will not have stepney on tail gate.