Tata Safari

The Tata Safari is a well-known brand in the SUV market. This name was reintroduced in 2021, and we now have the first major update to the seven-seater SUV. The Safari facelift 2023 has been updated extensively in terms of looks, interior experience, and technology. 

For buyers looking for a large family SUV in the Rs 25-30 lakh range, the Safari has been a strong option among rivals such as the MG Hector Plus, Mahindra XUV700, and Hyundai Alcazar. 

Let’s take a closer look at the changes Tata Motors has made. 

With the facelift, the basic shape and size of the Safari remains unchanged. It continues to be a large SUV, measuring nearly 4.7 metres in length and 1.8 metres in width. The updates have been made to the lighting elements, front and rear bumpers, and alloy wheels. 

The new front looks more modern with the connected daytime running lights, and body-coloured elements on the grille. Tata Motors has chosen to not add chrome garnishes, which makes the new Safari look subtle and classy. The bumper design has been changed entirely and it now features LED projector headlights and LED fog lamps. There’s a functional vent in the bumper that helps in aerodynamics as well. 

The  profile remains unchanged except for the new alloy wheel design. Base variants (Smart and Pure) get 17-inch alloy wheels, the mid-spec Adventure model gets 18-inch alloy wheels, whereas the top-spec Accomplished and Dark variants get 19-inch alloy wheels. 

At the rear, you will notice the new taillight graphics and the new bumper. 

The Tata Safari 2023 colour options are as follows: 

With Tata Motors’ new approach of creating ‘Personas’ instead of variants — each variant of the Safari has a unique look and feel. The base-spec Smart/Pure variants get simple grey upholstery, the Adventure variants get chocolate brown upholstery, and the top-spec Accomplished variant features a premium white-grey dual tone combination. The Dark variant gets an all-black cabin theme. 

Tata Motors has redesigned the dashboard of the Safari, making it look slimmer and luxurious. The accent on the dashboard is now slimmer, and the central AC vents are now wider. A gloss black panel runs underneath it and houses the new touch panel for the climate control and other vehicle functions. 

Also new is the four-spoke steering wheel. The design is classy, and with the white-grey two-tone wrap looks upmarket too. It also gets the illuminated logo and the backlit switches that control music/calls and the instrument cluster. 

In terms of fit and finish, there’s a noticeable improvement. The way the panels fit together, the consistency in material quality are positive changes. 

On the space front, there’s nothing new to report. The doors open wide, and climbing into the cabin does not require effort. Do note that it’s best you install side steps if the elders in your family will be using the car. Rear seat space, as before, is more than enough for a six-footer to sit comfortably behind a six-foot-tall driver. 

Tata has not added one-touch tumble to the Safari — that is a miss. So you can either ‘walk’ to the third row from the middle in the captain seat version, or recline and slide the second row seat forward. Third row space is surprisingly accommodating for adults, but for long journeys, it is best left to kids. There’s not much foot room under the second row seats, so you have to keep at least one foot out towards the centre. 

A major draw of the new Tata Safari 2023 are the new features.

Dual-zone climate control: Allows you to set separate temperatures for driver and co-driver side. Temperature can be set using the physical switches, from the touchscreen, and voice command. 

Powered Driver’s Seat (with Memory): 6-way power adjust functionality. Lumbar adjustment is manual. Three memory settings are available. 

12.3-inch Touchscreen: Free-floating touchscreen with a thin bezel looks premium. Graphics are clear and crisp, and response times are quick. Interface is easy to get used to. Supports Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Can also be used to access various car functions such as climate control, powered tailgate and ambient lighting. 

10.25-inch Instrument Cluster: Has three views: 1 dial view, 2 dial view and digital. Screen is easy to read even in sunlight. Can be controlled using buttons on the steering wheel.

10-speaker JBL Sound System: Good clarity, deep bass. It gets 13 sound profiles by AudioWorX that give you a collection of equaliser settings which you can select based on the kind of music you listen to. 

360 degree camera: Good resolution. Driver gets a clear view. Indicating left/right activates the respective camera, making lane changes and tight turns a little more convenient. 

Powered Tailgate: The boot can now be opened electrically. You can either press the switch on the boot, use the button on the key or use the app. Alternatively, you can also use the touchscreen and the button on the touch panel. You can also kick under the rear bumper for hands free operation. 

Other highlight features such as front seat ventilation, powered co-driver’s seat (with Boss mode), rear seat ventilation (6-seater only), panoramic sunroof, and ambient lighting have been carried over to the new Safari 2023. 

Tata Motors claims to have made structural changes to the Safari to further improve safety. Standard safety features include: 

Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) is also on offer with the Adventure+ A, Accomplished+ and Accomplished+ Dark variants. 

Other features such as traffic sign recognition, lane departure warning, rear collision warning and overtaking assist are also available. Tata Motors will add lane centering assist and lane keep assist as a software update in the coming months. 

The Tata Safari still comes with a 2-litre diesel engine which gets the option of both manual and automatic transmissions, and we drove the automatic variant. In terms of performance, nothing has changed, which is actually a good thing, because it is still fun to drive. This engine promises quick acceleration, and the automatic transmission changes the gears smoothly.

Doesn’t matter if you’re driving in the city or on the highway, you won’t feel any lack of power, and you can overtake effortlessly. Even in bumper to bumper traffic, you can drive this car easily. But while the cabin is well insulated and you don’t hear much of the outside noise, you still feel some vibration in the footwell. 

Wheel size has gone up, from 18 inches of the previous version to 19 inches. In this process, one would expect the ride comfort to become worse. But that’s not the case: Tata has tuned the suspension well to be comfortable and cushion harsh impacts. You can feel the surface at times at slow speeds, but there’s not much of the side-to-side rocking movement when going over broken roads. The Safari feels confident and comfortable at triple-digit speeds, making highway trips all the more enjoyable. 

Tata now uses an electric power steering, which has enabled them to provide a better steering response. It is light enough for quick u-turns and parking in tight spaces inside the city. At the same time, the weight felt satisfactory at high speeds. 

The Safari always had presence, comfort, and space on its side. With this update, Tata Motors has made it more desirable with a better design, upmarket feeling on the interior and a better tech package with the infotainment and ADAS.