[Omkar]

2023 Tata Safari Facelift Review

This review has been jointly compiled with libranof1987. Thanks to him for the expert observations!

Since the Tata Safari has already been reviewed by Team-BHP, this report will only focus on changes made to the 2023 facelift.

Link to Tata Safari official review

2023 Tata Harrier facelift review

Introduction

Considering that it started out as a 7-seater Harrier, the Safari has made an identity for itself in the Indian market. Just look at the sales numbers and you will know what we mean. The Safari does roughly 30% less than the Harrier in sales which is still a good number for a flagship product. Since its launch in 2021, Tata has been launching various editions of the Safari, and there have been many. It started with the Adventure Persona, then you had the #Dark edition, Kaziranga edition, #Jet edition, #Gold edition and the most recent one was the Red Dark edition. Some of these were purely aesthetic updates while some brought in new features. Now, in 2023, Tata has finally introduced a major facelift. With this update, Tata has brought in a bunch of aesthetic upgrades and some mechanical changes as well. We’ll get to them one by one, so keep reading.

Tata Safari Price & Brochure

As you may have noticed, Tata has moved on to calling the variants as ‘Personas’ and the cars no longer have variant badging on them. There are 4 personas on offer with the Safari – Smart, Pure, Adventure and Accomplished. Also, since the #DARK edition was so popular, it will be available right from the launch of the Safari facelift on the Adventure and Accomplished variants. An additional "+" variant is also available on the Adventure and Accomplished variants with some extra features. The Safari is available in Lunar Slate, Stellar Frost, Galactic Sapphire, Stardust Ash, Supernova Copper (only on the Adventure variant) and Cosmic Gold (only on the Accomplished variant) body colours. The interior colour theme depends on the variant opted for. The prices of the different variants of the Safari facelift will be revealed on October 17, 2023.

You can download the Tata Safari facelift brochure here - Tata Safari Facelift Brochure.pdf

[Omkar]

2023 Tata Safari Facelift Exterior Review

New front end is very distinct and easily distinguished from the outgoing car. During our test drive, we had people asking us if this was a completely new Safari! What’s also important to note is that the Safari and Harrier have unique front-end designs which make them easier to tell apart:


Rear is very much similar to the pre-facelift Safari but sports a few changes. Not much chrome here except for the "T" badge and "SAFARI" lettering on the tailgate:


On the side, there aren't many changes and Safari still looks very well-proportioned:


The Safari facelift does look big and handsome in person. It has a road presence and the design changes give it a sharp and polished look. Flared arches and big wheels make the car look butch. Build quality is solid and the car feels robust:


With the styling changes, the Safari has grown in dimensions compared to the pre-facelift version. It measures 4,668 mm in length (+7 mm), 1,922 mm in width without ORVM (+28 mm) and 1,795 mm in height (+9 mm). The wheelbase remains the same at 2,741 mm:


The giant headlamp clusters from the pre-facelift car have been replaced with these sleeker units. LED projector headlamp sits on top and an LED fog lamp with cornering function is placed below. You get a nice chrome strip in between with a ‘SAFARI’ branding. LED DRLs have been placed on the top, near the bonnet:


LED DRLs are connected by an LED strip which is activated when you switch to pilot lamps. The parametric design grille gets body-coloured inserts which look nice. Also, notice that the two headlamp clusters are connected by a gloss black strip:


Just like we saw in the Harrier, the Safari gets a welcome function that makes the DRLs and the LED strip glow when you unlock the car:


Here's how it looks when you lock the car. Notice that these patterns are slightly different from those in the Harrier:


Air dam at the bottom houses the front radar and gets a brushed silver faux skid plate:


Roof-coloured ORVMs with integrated turn indicators house the camera for the 360-degree view system:


Just like we saw in the Harrier, the Safari gets a name badge on the front doors. It’s minimalistic and is hard to notice from a distance:


The Safari comes with 19-inch alloy wheels with 245/55 section tyres. The alloy wheel design is inspired by the Sierra concept that Tata showcased at the Auto Expo 2020. It looks good and gets plastic aero inserts for better aerodynamics:


The pre-facelift Safari was offered with 16 and 18-inch wheel options. Now, you get 17-inch alloy wheels (235/65 section tyres) in the Smart(0) and Pure(0) variants. The 18-inch alloy wheels that you see here shod with 235/60 section tyres in the Adventure, Adventure+, and Adventure+ A variants. Tata is also offering 19-inch wheels in the Accomplished, Accomplished+, Adventure+ #Dark, Accomplished #Dark and Accomplished+ #Dark cars which are shod with 245/55 section tyres:


Roof rail design above the quarter glass remains the same, but different materials have been used to match the new exteriors. It’s not as blingy as before and looks good:


Black roof with panoramic sunroof and sharkfin antenna:


The detailing on the windshield looks so much better than the pre-facelift version (reference image):


While the overall shape of the tail-lamp is similar to the outgoing car, the detailing has been tweaked:


As has been the case with most recent cars, the Safari gets tail-lamps connected by an LED bar in the middle. Tailgate is now powered and gets gesture opening and closing. Notice that the LED bar connecting the tail lamps is not a part of the stop lights. You get two reversing lamps at the bottom along with rear fog lamps. No variant badging here, just a simple ‘SAFARI’ lettering at the bottom of the tailgate:


The rear lights are also a part of the welcome function. Here's how it looks when you unlock the car...


...and when you lock the car:


Just like the front, the rear gets a faux skid plate finished in brushed silver:


Bumper houses the reversing lamp, rear fog lamp and a reflector. Check out the gloss black detailing:


Standing next to the previous Safari, the difference is clearly visible, and the design truly feels like an evolution:


Not much difference at the rear, but the 2023 facelift does look a bit nicer:


Given the popularity of the #Dark edition, Tata will launch it alongside the regular Safari:


The all-black treatment looks menacing on the Safari. No wonder it became so popular among the folks:


Even the alloy wheel design is all black:

[Omkar]

2023 Tata Safari Facelift Interior Review

Interiors of the new Safari are very similar to the Harrier. It looks modern and plush and some areas have good quality materials as well. The fit and finish are good in some areas and there are areas which could have been better. The interior colour theme is different for different personas and this Accomplished variant gets an Oyster White and Titan Brown colour theme:


New, 4-spoke black and white leather-wrapped steering wheel gets an illuminated Tata logo in the middle and a brushed silver insert at the bottom. The steering is nice to hold and is of perfect size. With this automatic variant, you also get paddle shifters. One of the most notable changes in the Safari is the switch to electric power steering from a hydraulic unit:


The buttons on the left are for telephone controls and voice commands, while the ones on the right are for the MID and adaptive cruise control. There’s also a lane keep assist button on the right bottom which is not active yet. Tata is still in the final stages of fine-tuning the system and will probably introduce it next year. Alignment of the display screen was slightly better on our test car:


The 10.25-inch fully digital instrument cluster from the Harrier also makes its way to Safari. The colour combination used here is different and matches the interior theme of the car. It has a very crisp display and the colour contrast is good which makes it very easy to read. It has 3 customizable block designs. You can have a digital speedometer display on one side and other options on the remaining two blocks. Or you can have a digital speedometer with a tachometer around it and different types of information on either side. Or you can have a traditional separate speedometer and tachometer display with information in the middle:


Since the Harrier and Safari are equipped with a rear radar sensor, you get a door open alert on the screen when there's a vehicle approaching from behind. Other features on the ADAS include autonomous emergency braking, blind spot detection, lane departure warning, forward collision warning, rear collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane change alert, traffic sign recognition, high beam assist and adaptive cruise control:


Pedals are well spaced and while the dead pedal is wide, it’s not that tall:


Just like we saw on the Harrier, the OBD port is exposed. Talk about the half-hearted fit and finish, the sheet in the footwell wasn’t tucked in properly and the bonnet release latch was misaligned:


The doorpad carries forward the white and brown colour theme. The handle gets a brushed silver finish along with the brown-coloured handle:


Seats are draped in Benecke-Kaliko oyster white. They offer very good bolstering and are wide enough to accommodate larger users. Anyone taller than average will find the under-thigh support to be short though:


Driver’s seat is 6-way powered and gets 3 memory settings with a welcome function too. Like the outgoing car, lumbar adjustment is manual. Both front seats are ventilated, and the passenger seat gets 4-way power adjustment:


A look at the center console. Some BHPians had complained about the center console fouling with their left knee while driving and it was speculated that the leather insert would help in that aspect. However, the leather insert is higher up and doesn’t make any difference. So, be sure to spend some time in the driver’s seat before finalising the buying decision:


Big 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system is shared with the Harrier. The colour theme however is different on the Safari and similar to the MID. There is no lag while operating the touchscreen and all the options are easily accessible. The infotainment is paired with a 10-speaker JBL music system:


The Safari allows you to control the rear AC vents through the touchscreen which you can’t do on the Harrier:


You also get more options for ambient lighting on the Safari than Harrier:


The 360-degree camera display is very good and useful in a car of this size:


Voice-assisted dual-zone climate control is available on the Accomplished variant:


Below, you will find a regular USB port and a fast-charging 45W Type-C USB port. You also get a wireless charging pad below. Getting your phone in the slot isn’t very easy:


Colour theme for the terrain selector display is different from Harrier:


This is the new shift-by-wire gear selector. We saw this new gear selector on the Nexon facelift and while it feels perfectly fine there, it feels out of place in the Safari. The gear selector doesn’t feel premium and makes a plasticky sound when switching transmission modes. Tata should’ve brought in something that feels premium here as operating this just feels sad:


A look at the passenger side of the dashboard. You get this nice wooden finish that looks and feels premium. Below you have a gloss black strip which also has the mood lighting strip:


Ambient lighting on the roof looks nice:


The panoramic sunroof brings in plenty of light into the cabin making it feel airy:


Captain seats are available on the Accomplished+ variant and are very comfortable. There's plenty of knee room and headroom here. Both the rear passengers get individual armrests:


The rear seats are ventilated:


Using the winged headrests is extremely comfortable over long distances. You can fold the sides for better head support. We saw these on the #Jet edition:


Rear passengers get a manual sunshade:


Boss mode is now electrically operated:


Rear passengers get a Type-A USB port and a Type-C USB port at the bottom:


Third-row seats are split in a 50:50 ratio. They are on the thinner side and offer less support than the other seats of the car. That said, cushioning is good by 'third row standards' and they get soft & adjustable headrests too. The seatback angle is comfortable, but it's not adjustable:


Type-A and C USB ports for the third row along with a cupholder:


LED roof lamp for the third row of passengers:


Barely any boot space with the third row up:


Boot space has gone down by a few litres. With the 3rd row folded, as per ISO V211, the boot space is 420 litres (-27 litres). With the 2nd and 3rd rows folded, as per ISO V212, the boot space is 827 litres (-83 litres):


Subwoofer has been placed in the boot:


Powered tailgate can be opened and closed by gesture control (kicking action under the skid plate) and can be set at 6 heights:

[Omkar]

Driving the Tata Safari 2.0L Diesel AT

Fiat-sourced 1,956cc diesel produces 168 BHP @ 3,750 rpm & 350 Nm @ 1,750-2,500 rpm:


With the 2023 facelift, Tata has carried forward the engine and transmission from the previous car. The engine has a punchy mid-range and the 6-speed AT is smooth which is appreciated by many owners. There’s been only a tiny change, which is that Tata has now switched from a cable shifter to a shift-by-wire system for the gear shifter. This allows them to save some space on the center console and also add paddle shifters.

The Safari is powered by the same 2.0L diesel engine as the Harrier, Compass & Hector. Called "Kryotec170", the motor produces 168 BHP (@ 3,750 rpm) & 350 Nm (@ 1,750 - 2,500 rpm) and is mated to a 6-speed AT. The automatic gearbox has been sourced from Hyundai and is very smooth & competent (like Hyundai ATs, it's not the fastest though). The AT is superbly tuned and enjoys a good partnership with the Kryotec170. This smooth-shifting AT makes the Safari easy to drive in the city. Lift off the brake pedal and the Safari will start crawling forward instantly. The SUV moves off seamlessly from a standstill & there is no lag to speak of. Light accelerator input is all you'll need to commute. The accelerator pedal is also feather-light, which just makes this AT that much nicer to drive. With an easy right foot, the gearbox shifts up early and shift quality is very smooth.

We will say that the AT's overall response time is "average" to "above average". It's not the fastest out there or the most responsive to kickdown commands and there are a few situations where you'll feel it takes longer to downshift than you'd like. That being said, the AT does a good job 98% of the time. The focus has been on smoothness because even when it drops a gear in full kickdown mode, there's no jerk. It's polished.

On the open road, the 168 horses & 350 Nm give the Safari AT enough muscle to please even enthusiastic drivers. Fast drivers won't be left wanting on long expressways. The acceleration is quick enough and there is sufficient punch on tap at all times. This SUV is a capable cruiser that munches miles comfortably, seeing 100 km/h @ a relaxed 1,700 rpm and 120 km/h @ 2,200 rpm. Overtaking slower-moving traffic is an effortless experience too & the Safari AT is a brilliant long-distance companion.

The Safari gets two selectable driving modes (apart from the default "City" mode). Because of the powerful engine, "Eco" mode is genuinely usable. It is not weak or poor at all, and we see owners using it in the city as well as for easy expressway cruising. Added benefit = Because of duller responses, the drive experience is smoothest in Eco. "City" mode is a good balance between the two, but "Sport" mode is the one you want when you're in the mood for some fun / driving fast. The difference in Sport is immediately felt. There is more power available, and the accelerator itself feels so much more responsive. Sport mode keeps the engine hot by maintaining higher revs, thereby making the motor + gearbox more eager.

As mentioned earlier, the manual mode is via paddle shifters. Pulling on any of the paddle shifters automatically engages "Sport" driving mode, although very honestly, manual shifting is pointless in a gargantuan SUV like this. Even when driving aggressively, we found ourselves simply engaging "Sport" and letting the AT do all the work. We foresee owners using "manual mode" very rarely, if at all. It's also tuned conservatively and doesn't allow aggressive downshifts. Uniquely, if the gearbox disagrees with your downshift command, a prompt comes up on the MID telling you that your command has been denied.

Noise, Vibration & Harshness (NVH)

Tata has put in effort to reduce the NVH levels & it shows. Especially after driving it back to back with the Harrier facelift, the difference in NVH levels is very evident. There is a negligible amount of body shake on start up & none on shutdown. The AT shifts up early, hence engine sound isn't a bother when you're driving calmly in the city. Engine noise is not as prominent as the 2020 Harrier, even when the needle starts climbing. The diesel is sufficiently quiet at lower revs. Once past 4,000 rpm, the engine note is sad (even by diesel standards). Road noise and wind noise are also kept in check.

Mileage & Fuel Economy

The Tata Safari facelift has a claimed fuel efficiency of 16.30 km/l for the manual and 14.50 km/l for the automatic version.

Suspension

The Safari is equipped with an independent McPherson strut front suspension with coil springs and an anti-roll bar, while the rear is a semi-independent twist blade design with a Panhard rod. Mechanically there hasn’t been any major except for the switch to Electric Power Steering (like the Harrier facelift) and bigger 19-inch wheels with 245/55 section tyres.

Ride Comfort

The Safari's ride quality is mature but has a firm edge to it. At city speeds, it is compliant enough and the Safari's occupants will be kept comfortable. No owner will complain. Still, it's not what we would call "plush". The sharpness of potholes is obvious inside & you'll feel the suspension's firmness on bad roads (with some side-to-side movement of the cabin too). Those seated in the third row will feel this more than the others. Especially driving it back to back with the Harrier, the difference is very evident. There is more body movement inside the cabin of the Safari compared to the Harrier. The ride is a bit firmer than the Harrier's as well due to the shorter tyre sidewalls. Our test vehicle had 19" wheels, and lesser variants get 17" rims with taller rubber. The ride quality on the 17" wheel variant will be noticeably cushier.

On the highway too, the Safari's ride quality is compliant & adequate. However, you will always be aware of the kind of road you are driving on. What's nice is that the suspension goes about its job silently - it's not clunky or loud.

Steering

Tata’s switch to an electric power steering unit (EPS) for the Safari is more than welcome. The poor calibration of the old hydraulic unit was a fly in the ointment and now that fly is out of the window. The switch to EPS will allow Tata to add features like lane keep assist to ADAS.

The EPS is a nice unit to operate in the city and is very convenient for urban commuting. It’s light at city speeds and weighs up nicely as you build up speed. Switch to Sport mode and the steering gets noticeably heavier. While there is a good amount of heft on the steering wheel, we’d have liked if Tata would have added a bit more heft, especially in Sport mode. While most owners won’t be doing high speed cornering in their Safari, a bit more weight would add a bit of confidence when on twisty roads. What’s good is that the electric power steering is predictable. As an enthusiast, while it may feel a bit artificial, the predictable behaviour allows you to carry more speed into corners as opposed to the outgoing car. While you would still be left wanting some more feedback from the steering, it is direct enough for you to appreciate the calibration.

Handling & Dynamics

Straight line stability is very good, even at high speeds. Additionally, the Safari isn't bouncy at speed and the rear end recovers quite quickly from expressway undulations. Grip levels are satisfactory from the chassis & 245 mm tyres, yet this big & heavy SUV isn't what we’d call a corner carver. Body roll is present, and you feel the car’s height + weight. All of this is fine, and the behaviour is acceptable as long as you drive it like a 7-seater family tourer.

In addition to the switchable engine remaps mentioned in the engine post, the Safari gets a Land Rover-esque terrain response system with two selectable modes (apart from the normal driving mode). Wet Mode is designed for driving in the rain by providing better traction and handling. If you should hit a rough patch on your holiday outings, Tata has you covered there too, with the Rough Road Mode which optimizes the vehicle's behavior on broken roads. Braking performance is also tuned to support rough road surfaces.

Braking

Unlike the Harrier which gets drum brakes at the rear for lower variants, the Safari gets all-wheel disc brake setup as standard across all variants (this was the case on the pre-facelift car as well). ABS, EBD, brake disc wiping, after-impact braking, ESP, hill hold control, traction control and corner stability control are standard on all variants of the Safari.

We jammed the brakes at high speed too and the car stopped straight & true, with no drama. The ABS doesn't kick in unless really necessary (we like it this way). Please note that the bite from the brake pedal is sharp and will take some getting used to when you are new to the car.

Niggles & Problems

We’ve been seeing feature additions and changes in the Safari through different editions since launch. At this point, with the facelift, the Safari is equipped with a lot of electronics and features which is good because that’s what the customers want. However, with an overload of electronics, the chances of things going wrong also increase simultaneously. We didn’t face any major issues with our test car during our drive. The out-of-rhythm indicator ticks were present in the Safari as well.

We would recommend that you do a thorough PDI before taking the delivery to ensure that your car is free of any niggles or issues. Also as always, we recommend that you get the 2-year extended warranty over the standard warranty of 3 years or 1,00,000 km.

Disclaimer: Tata invited Team-BHP for the Safari Facelift test drive. They covered all the travel expenses for this driving event.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[hAwX]

WOW. I'm convinced enough to book the vehicle now. I'll be exchanging the Nexon for the Safari, I guess. I'm well aware of TATA's after-sales support, which can be really challenging. I'll need to start from scratch to get the Safari up to par like I did for the Nexon, which I'm sure of...

[sumosari]

Thanks for the great review. Now confused between Harrier and Safari. I am looking for a good Automatic car, comfortable 5 seater is enough as we have family Innova Crysta. Mostly self driving for daily usage and occasional round trips of 900kms.

Felt Seltos GTX very claustrophobic due to full black interiors but liked Jeep Compass with black interiors. Recently test driven Nexon.EV empowered+ persona and like it. Now Harrier seems to be good contender but need to see how it looks in flesh.

[ex-innova-guy]

Excellent review as always.

Love the gear knob which is very sore to look at in the new Harrier. Ventilated Seats in the Middle Row is commendable and I guess a segment first feature.

Originally Posted by Omkar

Voice-assisted dual-zone climate control is available on the Accomplished variant:
Attachment 2517347

I understand that the market is moving towards touch based for AC Control but to adjust the AC Fan Speed on the go as per the given slide touch would surely be very challenging. Not to forget that they have kept the function to Open the Boot from touching distance of it.

[The Rationalist]

Safari has almost become a complete package. There's not an SUV that looks this good in it's price segment. Hope they plonk the petrol engine in another year. If this manages to score 4* in BNCAP, that would be an icing on the cake. Martin Uhlarik is doing a commendable job!

[Rodie09]

Originally Posted by ex-innova-guy

Excellent review as always.

Love the gear knob which is very sore to look at in the new Harrier. Ventilated Seats in the Middle Row is commendable and I guess a segment first feature.


I understand that the market is moving towards touch based for AC Control but to adjust the AC Fan Speed on the go as per the given slide touch would surely be very challenging. Not to forget that they have kept the function to Open the Boot from touching distance of it.

The ventilated seats in middle row (captain seat version) have been around for a while now in the existing Safari. This is not a segment first as few other cars have this I believe.

I must say that this is a very very good update to the Safari - it was already loaded and loaded to the brim now with features. EPS hopefully will resolve a big problem of Safari (the HPS) that kept many prospective buyers at bay. Apart from the QC issues, I don't see anything lacking in Safari now - it has definitely taken an edge above the rest.

I also noted that in the review, the comparison has been made to the 2021 version of Safari and not the latest one. Readers also seem to be unaware that all of this is not a delta from the previous version, like the middle row ventilated seats for example. There are many other explained and covered features that were already existing in pre facelift versions - powered boss mode, seats - bit of a misrepresentation there. Having said that, there is a good bit of enhancement over all. Very very desirable car now barring the QC and TAS experience.

[condor]

This one pic clearly shows the big changes, and suddenly the old Harrier/Safari have lost their appeal.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/attac...xterior_21.jpg


But interesting to see that the boot space has reduced in the Safari, but increased in the Harrier.

One question: Is the NVH in the Safari better than in the Harrier ? I would think that both would have similar, and the improvements would be as compared to the old versions

[spaceunicorn]

Thank you for another excellent review. I was waiting for this Team BHP review to confirm my choice, as I am planning to upgrade my old XUV500 (which is still looking great) to either the Safari or the XUV700.

My must-have features were:

Panoramic sunroof (both)
Ventilated front seats (Safari)
Good music system (both)
Powered tailgate (Safari)
AWD option (XUV700)
Electric power steering (both)
Comfortable driving experience, as my daughter is claustrophobic (both)

I have booked the Safari. The XUV700 lacks some key features, which is why I ultimately rejected it. I have been a loyal Mahindra customer for many years, but I am now switching to Tata.

[Kishoreshack]

Originally Posted by mementodriver

Was really excited about the new safari, seems like xuv 700 is best suited to me

Apart from AWD tata has it all & even better than XUV 700.
The camera quality is not soo good on XUV 700
The infotainment, instrument cluster screen is superior to XUV 700
The looks are subjective but I still find Tata safari’s on road presence is much better than XUV or any other suv in this price range

[Kishoreshack]

Originally Posted by spaceunicorn

Thank you for another excellent review. I was waiting for this Team BHP review to confirm my choice, as I am planning to upgrade my old XUV500 (which is still looking great) to either the Safari or the XUV700.

My must-have features were:

Panoramic sunroof (both)
Ventilated front seats (Safari)
Good music system (both)
Powered tailgate (Safari)
AWD option (XUV700)
Electric power steering (both)
Comfortable driving experience, as my daughter is claustrophobic (both)

I have booked the Safari. The XUV700 lacks some key features, which is why I ultimately rejected it. I have been a loyal Mahindra customer for many years, but I am now switching to Tata.

Congratulations in advance for your new safari
Kindly share your experience when you get one

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by spaceunicorn

...
I have booked the Safari. The XUV700 lacks some key features, which is why I ultimately rejected it. I have been a loyal Mahindra customer for many years, but I am now switching to Tata.

Good to have booked the Safari, but an updated XUV 700 is also around the corner as per a thread in this forum. Suggest you wait for a month and take a call.