Report 2

Driving a car for a long distance is like flying. All your senses are alive and that makes the experience quite interesting. While I didn’t get a chance to live with the Tata Safari Storme for many days, I got to experience this SUV for around five days, where I covered around 3,000kms.

The main reason I chose the Safari Storme was because of its sheer size, ground clearance and the amount of luggage I had. Even though I know the roads to Mangalore pretty well, I didn’t want to lose out on speed and comfort because my family was new to long drives and I didn’t want it to be their last. With a spacious interior and comfortable seats, the Safari Storme is a great highway car.

One of the major positives of owning the SUV is the respect you get from the fellow motorists. And it just doesn’t stop there. Chances are you would be the last person to be stopped by cops during security checking, especially if you have a white one like we do, because everyone will almost certainly assume that you are either a member of a political party or someone with 10 people sitting at the back as a backup!.

In my case though, it was a humble family of five with a boot full of properly packed bags and enormous amount of food – because you know we Indians can only do two things while travelling, sleep or eat.The big seats and more than enough leg space gives the passengers ease of changing their sitting positions (not because they are uncomfortable, but because it feels like home). This is a big help when a hyperactive child is a part of the muster and the only way she manages to expend her energy in the enclosed space is by dancing in everyone’s lap till the muscles cramp. The leg room was then some respite till someone else had ‘all the fun’.The two jump seats can do anything but sitting (this is applicable to people who don’t require a backup of 10!).

The air-conditioning in the Safari Storme is the best in the segment. I used the word “best” because, honestly, I don’t remember the last time I felt so good and refreshed inside a car cabin. No one in my family complained about the afternoon heat – thanks to the blower and the roof-mounted air-conditioning. Being a seven-seater, Tata Motors has thought well about providing enough places to charge our electronics. The Safari Storme gets three 12V charging points – one in each row (This is to make sure everyone can stay online on Facebook and WhatsApp all the time). We didn’t use the third row one as it was loaded with our luggage and there was no room for anyone to enter in search of the charging point. But I had the Targus power inverter which has USB charging as well.

It was all rosy though;ergonomically, the Safari Storme could have been much better. The driver seating position on the car doesn’t feel quite perfect. While the seat cushion is very comfortable, limited adjustment for the steering column makes it cumbersome to use for long hours, mainly for people with smaller built. (No one at CarWale). One other problem with owning the Safari Storme is parking space. Its huge body proportions make it quite difficult to park the car, even in a shopping mall. I won’t be surprised if many Safari owners get out of the driving seat and analyse the parking space when alone. Do let us know through comments if any one of you has actually done that and I will be really happy!

Coming to the mills that drive this powerhouse; the 2.2-litre DiCOR engine is quite old but is a proven one. With 320Nm, the engine is torquey enough at low revs, making it easy to take off with a heavy boot. The Safari Storme doesn’t feel stressed at all when you do triple digit speeds. I managed to keep the Safari on triple digit speeds for quite a long time (Location courtesy: NH4). The only problem I found doing such high speed is the brakes. For city driving, the brakes are useful but during high speed driving, the Safari Storme brakes don’t inspire confidence. And a fully loaded car with packed boot adds to the problem. With a combination of 16-inch tyres and rigid suspension, you don’t have to worry about bad roads. The Safari Storme will fly over these potholes barely breaking a sweat.

With a fuel tank capacity of 55 litres, the Safari Storme might bother you with fuel stops. I tanked up thrice during the entire one-way journey (around 1,200kms) and seven times in total for the journey, because I got the car with a full tank, so I was obligated to return it with a full tank. Like I mentioned before, empty highways means I stayed at triple digits speed most of the time and that means not-so-good fuel efficiency. But once I was off the national highway on to the state highway, the Safari Storme managed to deliver 11.5kmpl, which is okay for a fully-loaded four-wheeled drive SUV.

The Safari Storme is a large vehicle and with a kerb weight of 2095kg, manoeuvring in corners could be a problem. Body rolls will take your comfort zone away and it will probably feel like a roller coaster ride. During the entire trip, other than a tyre puncture, I didn’t face any problem with the Tata Safari Storme. My family had a very pleasant experience and at the end of the journey I was asked to keep the Safari Storme for a short journey in the coming weekend. The plan sounded good, but Ninad wanted me to get back to work as early as possible (He was just jealous for the amount of fun I had over a week). I really wish I could spend more time exploring with the Safari Storme.

The nature of this SUV is not very dynamic but will do a great job on the highways and pothole- filled roads. I recommend this SUV for someone who has a budget of Rs 16 lakh and is looking for a rugged looking SUV that could take some heavy beating.

PS: Indian Army is on the verge of buying many Tata Safari Stormes to serve them in the borders. So now you know the REAL importance of this car.