Introduction

For the longest time NO seemed the right thing to say. After all, it had appalling quality, terrible driving dynamics and performance only a truck could love. Not that my saying NO made much of a difference – at least not in my North Indian friend circles – for many went ahead and bought themselves one anyway.

Today, however, mention the Tata Safari Storme to me and WHY NOT! is my first reaction. The Storme still isn’t the epitome of quality, performance or driving dynamics, but compared to the original, it’s a superstar. And there’s more…

Why I'd buy it

Space.

It’s almost like an apartment in there; enough really to get the Mumbai crowd jealous. The knee room is acceptable; the shoulder room, comfortable; and the head room, excessive. The boot with the jump seats folded is vast too; it’s literally pick-up territory here.

Ride quality.

The Tata Safari, even in its earlier days, got one thing right – the ride quality. The Safari Storme only builds on that. It’s not plush or pampering, like say a hovercraft, and at slower speeds, things do get a bit jiggly. But, throw unmarked speed breakers, broken roads, or no roads at all in its path, and it glides over them like a…er…hovercraft. Plus, the suspension travel is lengthy, and the vibration and noise, well subdued. It works well off-road too.

Seats.

If you want to sit comfortably; or if you want to sleep comfortably; or even if you want to play a broad game comfortably when on the move, the Safari Storme’s seats with their long seat back lengths and their wide seat bottom widths make it all possible. The Storme has one of the best seats in the business (barring the boot’s jump seats, of course). These are large, cushy and still very supportive. These are great not just for short hauls, but also for being transported in over 1500 plus kilometres as well…non-stop!

Finally (though there are other things to like about Tata Safari Storme as well, like the improved driving position, better brakes, a nicer, more palatable and feature rich interior design, and super effective air conditioning), I love the long legs on the Storme. It’s not very fast, but cruising between 100-120kmph comes easy. Stick it in fifth and the torque ensures all you need is the throttle to help you overtake or get back to your cruising speed past a slow junction. It’s also quiet inside the cabin, very unlike traditional SUVs. And all of this makes the Storme a great highway car.

…And did I mention it drifts? It does…and it does it well! But, not because it has the POWER, the magician at work here is the limited slip differential. Got to love the Storme for that.

Why I'd avoid it

…because it’s heavy. You can feel it every time you get on the throttle; every time you chuck it into a corner; and every time you hit the brakes. It’s slow off the line, it rolls around bends, and it pitches under braking. And because of the weight, it’s not very fuel-efficient either. The best I could manage was a little over 13kmpl, on the highway, with a steady foot.

The Storme also isn’t designed for coffee drinkers. There are no cup holders in there. Everywhere you look, there’s only place to stuff in a bottle – central tunnel and door pockets included. Begs the question – how much water does one really need?

It’s also a high car. So, if you have some old people in the house, they are going to struggle with the whole getting-in-and-out process; actually, five-year-olds and ladies in sarees are going to struggle as much.

And, I have never understood why have jump seats in an SUV with so much space to spare? A bench seat or a split setup like in a Toyota Innova would be so much more usable. And it’s not like Tata doesn’t know how to do it; it did on the Aria.

My favourite version

The VX trim with the 4x4 badging. Why the most expensive trim you might ask? Well, ‘cause to me this is what truly defines the new Tata Safari Storme. It has the comfort and convenience equipment to go with the price; the hardware to justify (though not completely) its ‘make your own road’ tagline, and there’s also something strangely satisfying about buying a top of the line product. A word of caution, though – compared to the 4x2, the 4x4 will be slower, thirstier and more expensive to maintain.

Quick facts

Price: Rs 9.9 – Rs 14.4 lakh, ex-Delhi

Engine: 2.2L, inline 4-cyl, common rail, turbocharged, diesel

Gearbox: 5-speed manual with switchable 4WD

FE: 14.1kmpl (ARAI)

0-100kmph: 14.0 seconds (claimed)