The Flagship Soul

The facelift of the latest generation Safari brings a lot of bling and a whole load of kit to go with the bold new styling. We drive it on a hot day in Pune

- Jim Gorde

THE SAFARI WAS ONE OF THE FIRST NEW evolutions of a large Tata vehicle that was not a truck, in the footsteps of the Tatamobile pick-up truck, the Sierra, and the Estate. The passenger car versions of the latter two were initially offered with a naturally aspirated Peugeot engine with indirect injection which, while displacing 1,948 cc, made 70 hp and 118 Nm. The turbocharged versions took power up to 90 hp with 186 Nm of torque on tap. This was the spec the first Safari, back in 1998, offered as well.

The larger 3.0-litre engine then came in with the "DiCoR" nomenclature, bringing in common-rail direct injection and an output of 115 hp and 300 Nm. A 2.1-litre petrol engine with 135 hp was also offered for some time. The 2.2 VTT DiCoR came next with a healthy 140 hp and 320 Nm from its AVL-developed four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine. The Safari Storme followed, bringing in the Austrian wine in a new bottle, albeit raised to 150 hp. A "Varicor" version followed with a peak 156 hp and 400 Nm. Which brings us to 2019 and the Tata Harrier SUV.

The newly developed SUV had generated a lot of buzz and the styling won many hearts. However, it was a five-seater. Tata Motors did mention that a newer version with seven seats would also follow and the name "Gravitas" was doing the rounds. However, come D-day, Safari fans were excited because the name was resurrected. Cues of the previous model made their way into the new model as well and loyalists celebrated the reincarnation. The engine, called "Kryotec 170", was a modern 2.0-litre turbodiesel four taken from FIAT; more precisely, the Jeep Compass. The 170 hp and 350 Nm were more than adequate for what was a heavy and, rather consequently, safe car.