[Enigmatic]

1500 KM Update!

Overall it has been a smooth journey so far. I haven't been able to drive the Safari much and it is mostly being used for daily office duties (approx. 10 kms in total). Listing down the positives and negatives so far:

Positives:

1. After Sales Service. I know it is shocking to read Tata ASS as being a positive point for the Safari (I too am surprised). However, credit where credit's due, the Tata ASS has been nothing short of ideal. Yes, there are minor issues (as highlighted by the respective owners on this thread) but what matters more to me is how these issues are handled by the ASS. For eg., the two most critical issues which I was facing (which I had also mentioned in the thread above) were (i) squeaking sound from the rear end; and (ii) front connected DRL not working in sync on locking the car. I had highlighted these issues during the first service, post which I was informed that the same are resolved. While the squeaking sound was rectified, the front connected DRL was still not working in sync. Subsequently, the squeaking sound from the rear end also reappeared and I was forced to write an email to the Tata ASS highlighting my disappointment. To my surprise, the Tata ASS took up this matter rather seriously and called people from the Tata Plant (from Pune) to check the issue and provide a solution. My car was called, thoroughly inspected and the issues were rectified. Subsequently, a home visit was also scheduled by the Tata ASS and a senior technician (who I must say was very motivated) was sent to examine whether the issues had reappeared. He once again examined the squeaking sound from the rear end and showed me the spring which holds the spare wheel which produces the squeaking sound (for which a replacement has also been ordered). Regarding the Front DRL not working in sync, he explained that this issue has been highlighted to Tata through TDC (Tata Development Centre (?)) and a software update is expected to rectify this. Overall, I am completely satisfied by the support provided by the Tata ASS.

2. Road Presence, Ride Quality and Drivability. In love with the looks and the road presence the Safari offers. Coming from a low-slung sedan (Civic) it is such a good change to be in a vehicle which offers a commanding seating position. The ride quality is also pretty good. Glides over the broken roads of Mumbai. Regarding the drivability, I am surprised as to how nimble the Safari is to drive in traffic. The steering is super smooth and makes handling the Safari a breeze.

3. ADAS and connected car features. While I haven't been able to use ADAS to its fullest, it is definitely a great feature to have. The auto emergency braking is a bit too intrusive at times (i.e. it suddenly brakes if the car in front brakes) and I am tempted to switch it off however I would rather change my driving habits than repent switching off a safety feature. Also, the 360 camera's are the best in the category. They switch on when required and do a great job in traffic situations. The connected car features too are useful and helped me in tracking how the car was being driven while it was at the service center.

4. Lights. Presently surprised by the headlights on offer. While they are definitely not the brightest, they do a very good job of lighting up the streets. The auto headlights work very well and switch on/of as intended. An interesting thing I noticed was that while the headlights are a single LED projector unit, when you switch on high beam, the cut-off shield does not physically move to let more light out (like it does in other projectors) but a different set of LED's (inside the projector) light up to provide the high beam.

5. Ancillary items already highlighted before i.e. bone chiller of an AC, amazing sound system, etc. still hold good.

Negatives:

1. Fuel efficiency. While it is wrong for me to expect crazy FE numbers from a car of this size and weight, I am currently getting 6-7 KMPL in Mumbai traffic. Hoping that it improves after the first oil change which I understand will happen at 15,000 KM.

2. Gearbox. While I don't have any complains regarding the smoothness of the automatic gearbox, the 1st gear is just too long. It shifts from 1st to 2nd at around 2000 RPM and around 21-22 KMPH while it shifts from 2nd to 3rd at 1500 RPM and around 30-32 KMPH. Can't understand why the first gear has to be this long. Also, on a couple of occasions I have felt a strong jolt when the car downshifts from 3rd to 2nd gear. Hoping that this is not a serious issue.

Best,
Enigmatic

[Saanil]

Originally Posted by Enigmatic

[b][u]1500 KM Update!
Positives:

1. After Sales Service. I know it is shocking to read Tata ASS as being a
Best,
Enigmatic

Are you based out of Mumbai? If yes, can you kindly share the details of the TATA service center?

[Enigmatic]

Originally Posted by Saanil

Are you based out of Mumbai? If yes, can you kindly share the details of the TATA service center?

Yes, I am based out of Mumbai. I give my Safari to Puneet Cars in Worli. Let me know if you need further details regarding the same.

Best,
Enigmatic

[psinide]

After a lot of deliberation and back and forth, we have finally decided to go ahead with the Safari.

We currently have a 2018 XUV500 W11 AT and that car has been a pleasure to drive. We have been very fortunate to not have any niggles either and Sireesh Auto Jakkur have taken good care of the car.

We canceled our XUV700 booking and dropped our plans of the Tuscon and Kodiaq because we couldn't justify the CKD premium.

Wife works with one of the Tata Groups, and her car lease policy works well with Tata cars. We have decided on the Safari Accomplished+ 7 STR AT in Galactic Sapphire. The process has been initiated, and we are awaiting the booking confirmation.

Would love to hear after sales and servicing feedback from Bangalore users for the Service Centres here. The closest one for me is Adishakti motors Hebbal. I would like to cultivate a good relationship with a good service centre as we did with our previous car.

The purchase would be done via the leasing company's list of dealers and they have advised to go with Kaveri motors. We will be doing an external PDI with Zekardo once the car reaches the dealer.

Has anyone from Bangalore done PPF? I'm generally not for PPF/Ceramic coating, but with the water situation here, I think our apartments car wash guy will leave a lot of swirl marks on the dark paint. This is the only reason I'm thinking of PPF, but still not inclined towards it. I feel a good detailing of the car every 6 odd months should suffice, but this is our first car in a dark colour and would love to hear thoughts and feedback from the community.

[frankmehta]

Originally Posted by Enigmatic

Yes, I am based out of Mumbai. I give my Safari to Puneet Cars in Worli. Let me know if you need further details regarding the same.

Best,
Enigmatic

Any particular service advisor or just everyone there? We're not happy with the quality of work, and the car goes 2-3 times for the same work.

[Enigmatic]

Originally Posted by frankmehta

any particular service advisor? or just overall? we're not happy with the quality of work, and the car goes 2-3 times for the same work.

You can ask for Gaurav Pawar. He is a senior person of their team and not a service advisor but he personally investigates to ensures that the work is done properly. You can also reach out to Archana who is the CRM at Puneet Motors.

In my experience, an email to their concerned officials (with CC to the Tata people) works much better than any verbal communication (whether in person or over chat).

Best,
Enigmatic

[sln]

When is the "coming soon" lane keep assist feature coming? It's not shown in their website anymore. Is the feature dropped or is it still coming soon?

[hAwX]

My previous posts garnered hundreds of inquiries from individuals across India via Instagram, and I was delighted to assist each one. The original post's headline on the topic webpage was somewhat misleading, suggesting I had a defective Safari, which was not the case. I'm back with an update after five months and over 7,000 km behind the wheel. First, I apologize for my absence; my time in Dubai is consumed by business, with my scant free time devoted to socializing and rest.

• I drive a 5.6L V8 Patrol in Dubai and solely because of that, Safari's performance initially disappoints me very much for the first few days upon my return. The old diesel engine's sound and vibrations are stark reminders of its lack of refinement.

• Luxon SC's customer service has been commendable, and I've felt a sense of 'special consideration' perhaps due to my 1333 Safari's social media presence.

• I ordered a replacement rear DRL light under warranty, which arrived at my service center promptly within just a few days, sparing me any wait from their side. For those unaware, the original light was trapping moisture, causing intermittent failures. The replacement however, resulted in a noticeable panel gap on the right side, which I chose not to address due to concerns over the staff's expertise. It's a minor issue and I've decided to overlook it.

• In my initial post, I reported significant software issues, all resolved with the R14.12 update. Since then, I've only needed to restart the system a couple of times in three months. Note that the car is mostly idle, as I'm in Dubai, and it's sparingly used by my parents to keep it operational. I can confirm the software is very stable now. The TCU-related issue, which caused my dashboard to light up like a Christmas tree, has also been rectified with an update.

• I occasionally receive random TPMS sensor warnings. The service center has been unable to diagnose or replicate the issue, so it remains unresolved, occurring perhaps twice a month or more.

• Fuel efficiency remains at 10-12 km/l in mixed driving conditions. My Safari seems to have a DEF drinking problem. It seems to have consumed almost 20 Litres for 7000 kms, probably due to more city usage and Sport mode.

• The headlight illumination is just average and sometimes inside city, it's very poor. I'm on the lookout for quality aftermarket replacements.

• Despite applying a graphene coating, rock chips still damage the bonnet. With Kerala highways ongoing works, it's hard to fault the vehicle. I felt PPF would have been the wiser choice for the front atleast.

• I own the 7-seater variant and frequently travel with 8-9 passengers. It serves well as an MPV, a feat not possible with the Hycross ZX/ZXO models.

• The third-row AC control via the infotainment screen remains glitchy.

Currently, my Safari runs flawlessly without any significant issues. Overall, I'm satisfied with my purchase. A friend recently purchased the new XUV700 in Napoli Black, and while it surpasses the Safari in performance and technology, the Safari does offer superior comfort and styling. Nevertheless, I felt like the XUV700 is a better vehicle in general.

Originally Posted by sln

When is the "coming soon" lane keep assist feature coming? It's not shown in their website anymore. Is the feature dropped or is it still coming soon?

• Regarding the much-anticipated Lane Keep Assist, it's anyone's guess when Tata will release it. I said it before and i will say it again. Never trust half baked features they flaunt during launch with the 'coming soon' sign attached.

[xlnbi]

Originally Posted by spaceunicorn

Hello everyone,
…
2. New bug: Now, whenever the lane departure warning comes on, the dashboard display automatically switches to the "Driver Assist" menu, regardless of what screen I'm currently on (fuel efficiency, maps, etc.). I've tried restarting and resetting the system to no avail. I mentioned this to the service advisor today, and they simply said it's a bug and to wait for the next software update.

I have been facing this issue as well since the last software update which they did in Feb. It is very annoying that everytime you have to shuffle to bring back the display you want as it goes back to Drive assist menu after every lane change. Overall, the same concern of service quality being very poor in Hyderabad as well.

[drsnt]

I was at TATA dealer for a test drive of the Safari Automatic top variant. With a temperature of 40+, my ventilated seat started throwing hot air. I was driving and it became so destressing and uncomfortable that I had to stop midway and ask the salesman to correct it. After 5 minutes of whatever he did, He switched off the seat fan. All the while the co-driver seat ventilation was working perfectly fine. 5 minutes into the drive, the seat fan starts again by itself, throwing hot air. I couldn't bear the heat and decided to hand over the car to the salesman for drive back. There goes me buying a TATA car out of the window. Never knew that ventilated seats can also be used for torture.

[hAwX]

Originally Posted by drsnt

I was at TATA dealer for a test drive of the Safari Automatic top variant. With a temperature of 40+, my ventilated seat started throwing hot air. I was driving and it became so destressing and uncomfortable that I had to stop midway and ask the salesman to correct it. After 5 minutes of whatever he did, He switched off the seat fan. All the while the co-driver seat ventilation was working perfectly fine. 5 minutes into the drive, the seat fan starts again by itself, throwing hot air. I couldn't bear the heat and decided to hand over the car to the salesman for drive back. There goes me buying a TATA car out of the window. Never knew that ventilated seats can also be used for torture.

This is the first time I'm hearing a complaint about hot air blowing from the seats. It seems like a car-specific manufacturing defect. Regardless, if you believe you can't handle a bit of stress during ownership, Tata might not be the right choice for you—but perhaps a Toyota would be more suitable.

[Sphere]

Originally Posted by hAwX

I have been an active member of a Safari owners group with almost 800 members, and this is the first time I'm hearing a complaint about hot air blowing from the seats. It seems like a car-specific manufacturing defect.

No I don't think it is a car specific manufacturing defect. I drive the safari in Pune in the scorching heat at 40-43°. After the car is parked for long in the sun, the cabin is a furnace (mine is white DT, can't imagine the condition of dark editions).

I use the IRA app to start the engine and the AC 5-7 mins before I have to use the car. But the problem is that when you start the car with the IRA app, only the front AC vents work, not the middle and the rear. Thus the car does not cool very efficiently.

I have to completely turn of the car, lock it and keep it for 2-3 mins, before I start driving, only after that do the middle and rear AC vents work. I also use the seat ventilation everytime and it DOES THROW OUT HOT AIR WHEN THE CABIN IS HOT. AFTER THE CABIN COOLS, IT IS BETTER. There is no issue in the cold hours (morning, night).

I feel it is related to the seating position and clothing also, because I sit tightly snug into the seat, I feel hot, but when I keep my hand over the vents to check if it is actually hot, it's not.

[hAwX]

Originally Posted by Sphere

I feel it is related to the seating position and clothing also, because I sit tightly snug into the seat, I feel hot, but when I keep my hand over the vents to check if it is actually hot, it's not.

It is indeed a major factor when it comes to seat ventilation. Please note that the ventilated seat circulates the air present inside the cabin at the bottom or near the seat. It does not change the temperature; it operates through a simple fan mechanism. If the seats are hot, you will feel hot air, and if the air inside the cabin is chilled, then you will feel cold air. This is the insight I received from the group.

[Enigmatic]

Hey hAwX,


Regarding the seat ventilation, seems to work fine in my car and it blows cold air even during high ambient temperatures.

Best,
Enigmatic

[drsnt]

Originally Posted by hAwX

This is the first time I'm hearing a complaint about hot air blowing from the seats. It seems like a car-specific manufacturing defect. Regardless, if you believe you can't handle a bit of stress during ownership, Tata might not be the right choice for you—but perhaps a Toyota would be more suitable.

I believe stress is a small word for enduring a hot air blow from ventilated seat in peak summer. My 2 cars are now over 15 yrs, Honda City and Estilo without stress. So thank you for suggestion, i already own a Toyota too, happily into 5th year without any stress. I sold my indica v2 because of such stress which included power steering failure, power window failure, uneven true wear, all that within 2 years of ownership. Tata still needs to improve it seems.