Tata Safari Storme

 
First shown at the 2012 Auto Expo, the Safari Storme is a facelifted version of Safari. The exterior and interior has been redesigned keeping the structural safari DNA intact. The vehicle is expected to get launched in a couple of weeks. Built on the same platform as the Aria, which itself uses a hydroformed body-on-ladder chassis, the Safari Storme has the same length as the current vehicle and even the same wheelbase.

What the Safari is touted to have is a smaller turning radius – of 5.4 metres instead of the current car's 6 metres making it rather useful in tight spaces and during off-roading. The Safari Storme , like the current model should come in both two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive guises, with the latter being fitted with a Borg Warner, shift-on-the-fly system. With a wider track at the front and double wishbones instead of a torsion beam, the Safari Storme should handle better than before. On the inside, quality levels have been upped to quite an extent, with better plastic trim, more plush fittings and panel gaps with smaller tolerances.

The Safari Storme continues to remain a seven-seater, with jump seats at the rear, though the spare wheel is now placed under the rear tail gate instead of on it. Powering the Safari Storme is a 2.2-litre, DiCOR motor that is similar to the one found on the Aria. This motor is more refined and torquier than the regular 2.2 and also has a newer iteration of the G-76 gearbox that is slicker shifting. Rated at 140 bhp@4000 rpm and 32.6 kgm@1700-2700 rpm, the Safari Storme stacks up well, when compared to traditional rivals like the Mahindra Scorpio 2.2 mHawk.