[navpreet318]

Yes, this still makes one look back after parking it!

[navpreet318]

The family is all smiles!

Our previous SUV was the 2007 3.0L Safari VX 4X4. Pampered by space it was hard to choose any other SUV even a couple of classes above.

Finally a TD of the updated Storme in August brought a smile to my parent's faces. And then the news of the 400Nm version got me interested as well. More power is always welcome and from the reviews it seemed that the problem of low end torque was also rectified to an extend.


Positives:

• Space, Space, SPACE! This was one of the major criteria in the selection of the Storme. We have had 3 generations of Safaris in our family and my parents especially are very fond of space (Also because we are punjabis and love everything LARGE!). No other vehicle could provide this kind of space upto 3 to 4 times the budget.
• Rear seat comfort. My mother(as with a lot of ladies) has a habit of sitting cross legged on the rear seat on long drives. This needs a large seat base. Also this means more under thigh support for me and my father. The angle of the rear seats is fixed but at such an angle that it is comfortable for everyone. Best rear seats in its class and at least 2 classes higher as well.
• Fit and finish of the interior as well as exterior is not flimsy anymore. It feels way better put together than any other vehicle in its class and a class higher as well. The stalks are of good quality. The steering is nice to hold (Even though there are plastic bits under the steering which haven't fit properly). Buttons and switches are nice to use. This point will need a test of time. Age has never been kind to Tata vehicles.
• Tractable engine. 400Nm or not, this is a very tractable engine. It will purr along in the traffic without throttle input in 2nd or 3rd gear. It will also give a good shove when the pedal is stomped hard unleashing all those 400Nm of torque waves. The most enjoyable are the second, third and fourth gears.
• Tight suspension. The manufacturers as well as owners like us have come of age and now understood that a tight controlled suspension is what gives comfort. Not a suspension with soft springs and soft damping which keeps on seesawing to no end. Tight firm damping is what is needed to pummel all those irregularities.
• That Banjo rear axle is what should have been in the vehicle from the start. Banjo axles are by design better in load bearing and have tighter tolerances and hence fewer corrective spacer/shims. In a cost controlled environment this is a far more successful axle design. It is lighter, has lesser joints and lower chances of human errors in the welding process. This is also part of the reason why the Storme behaves better. Similarly why the Scorpio has also shifted to this design.
• The front IFS with Coil Springs compared to the older torsion beam setup. The torsion beam setup although flixible, is hard to set properly and human errors are aplenty. This is the reason why a lot of safaris can be seen with too low or too high. This is another technical point which I like over the last model.
• Stance of the vehicle. The track of the SUV has been increased in front and rear and this to my mind has aided in more stability of the vehicle. It looks good too with the wheels at the edge of the vehicle instead of being set inside.
• The electronic front axle hub lockers. Now with the removal of those ugly extended auto locker, the vehicle looks better and also those extended hub caps won't break anymore. This is a major plus even though some including I would be wary of too many electronics in the vehicle.
• Lighter body. The heavy doors and body panels were a major irritant in the old safari. The rear door used to start vibrating and even the other doors needed realignment from time to time. Not to mention the super heavy weight which needed Popeye's forearms.
• Driver seating position is spot on. It gives a very clear view of the road and the vehicle. The rear view due to no spare wheel is clear.
• Sound deadening is great. Everyone who has been driven in the car has admired the fact that we can have a soft spoken conversation in the car. I love it too.
• There are certain hidden features that I was pleasantly surprised about and like a lot. If the car is parked for some duration and it has been raining and I use the front wiper for clearing the windsheild, the rear automatically turns on and clears the rear sheild as well. It will never happen later on during the drive. Just during the first swipe. Then the additional swipe after a few seconds of using the windshield washer. Then the unlocking of only the driver door when the unlocking button is pressed once. A great safety feature. Especially for all the ladies.
• Loads of presence and in fact quicker in the city as people give it way. Haha.
• Size of the car externally feels a bit bulkier than the older safari maybe due to the subtle changes in the shape. Mom says the front is higher than the older one and hence it feels bigger. The guy who washes the car wants to charge more as he says this is larger than the older safari. And due to this perceived bigger size we all love this one even more.
• Overall feel of the car. My wife never liked the Safari. She was against this one too. But now, she prefers this over all other cars! Well done Tata!

Negatives:

• Smaller front seats compared to the 3 L we had. The seats are definitely short on under thigh support.
• Certain vibrations from the car have already started. Vibration from the overhead AC for the middle row. It creaks sometimes.
• Typical Tata quirks. The rear brakes are emitting a screeching sound on gentle braking. Something that the workshop people have not been able to reproduce. Even I haven't when I took it to the workshop.
• That brings us to the next quirk: Yes its already been to the workshop once due to the above issue.
• Coming to the issue of vibrations and judders. Yes there are still certain vibrations which arise at rpms lower than 1000 at a higher gear. That is bound to happen.
• Location of the Media Unit Screen. I don't care that it isn't a touchscreen. Frankly I did not want that either. But that screen should have been higher so that one does not have to take the eyes off the front too much!
• I just am not able to understand how to adjust the time on the Media unit no matter how many times I have read the manual or tried all kinds of buttons.
• Missing soft lining on the storage areas. Come on! What did you guys save? 5 Rupees? Which MBA Trainee's idea was this?
• Steel wheel for the spare! Why? This is your premium flagship!
• The hinges of the rear seats are still the same design and are not built well I suppose. I can sometimes still hear the rear seats vibrate on bad roads.
• This hinges and clamping issue is there with all Safari Models till date. One can move the front seat slightly with a TAK TAK kind of sound. Similarly the rear seat can be moved with the same sound even with the seat firmly locked on place. This shows that the hinges/clamps have some play in them. I am worried this will increase with time as the metal over these parts rub off with time.
• Tata After Sales Service is like a moody person. Has its ON days and its OFF days.
• No specific 400Nm manual. This is the least expected.
• Gearbox! While its great that its a 6 speed and a short throw one, the gears are very notchy to use. I hope they will get better with time. Sometimes slotting the first gear becomes a problem and I have to repeatedly push it a couple of times to slot it properly. The slickest gearbox i have used till date is the Swift(yes not even the civic's). Super smooth and clear. It is as if there is a Metal Gate under the gear lever boot. This one is no where close and it does vibrate a bit.

Overall it's a great vehicle. There are quirks which will always be there. We love it!
My views might differ from many as I have grown up with cars differently. I learnt driving on an ambassador of 1982 vintage. Drove a Premier Padmini for a lot early years. Drove the TCIC 4X4 Safari and the 3L 4X4 Safari for a lot many years. The civic and swift have been a royal ride for me.
I see the Storme for the segment it is in. I would never compare it to other segment vehicles in its price band.


We love what we got for the money we paid. Parents are happy. Wife is happy and I am Happy! And of course our extended family is happy too! Both of them happy to take a ride in the new ride!

Thor and Spikey in their favorite seat!

[navpreet318]

In its elements

Our 3L safari was aging. There were various issues and needed expensive services. Also we needed an inter-city highway cruiser. The civic isn't really comfortable as a full family and luggage highway car.

Frankly truth is that I just did not want to buy a Tata again. The problems with the 3L were just too much. Maybe it was due to its age. Over 8 years old.

Anyhow, I was all interested in the 4wd AT Toyota Fortuner.
Asked for a TD. They brought a 4wd AT home and we all went for the TD. Instantly felt cramped. Felt bumpy too but I sort of like hard suspensions. Gives a lot of stability on highways. The rear seat was short on under thigh support even for my mom who is short. Generally mom felt claustrophobic in the car. The interior has been talked about a number of times. It's just dismal for this pricey a car. Also with this model in its last year/few months it wouldn't have been a wise decision. Still kept it as an option.

Them came the following one after the other:

• Pajero Sport: Another cramped vehicle with an even smaller rear seat. Even the front seat is cramped with the windshield very close. Its a superb engine! Very revvy engine and what a blast of a performance it has! But the way it shrinks is something we didn't appreciate.
• Mahindra Scorpio: The new S10 is leagues ahead of the older scorpio. The ride and handling is now very pliant and the engine is eager with a extremely good dose of low end torque. The rear seat had good under thigh support. The main problem here is the fit anf finish of the interior. Its just not well made. The plastic is of poor quality. The door knobs feel like they will break of in a months time. The door pads feel like they're from a crude utility vehicle.
• Upcoming Ford Endeavour: Excellent vehicle for its price. Wonderful package. Seemingly great engine and a feature set which can shame vehicle double its price. I think this is a vehicle I will eventually buy at a later point of time. But right now I want to wait and see how this segment develops. Also once its available locally for a TD, we'll definitely take a family TD. Just didn't feel correct to invest in this vehicle right now.
• All the other vehicles like Volvo XC60, BMW X5, Mercedes GLE, Older version of Q7 were considered for a short while but then I regained my senses and said who am I kidding. I just can't justify spending that much on an SUV right now. I can't justify the value.
• The Rexton, XUV, Santa Fe, etc. etc. were not even considered in this.

Now after all these experiences and not being satisfied with anything (especially my mom), I called in Tata. This was before the 400Nm version was launched.
They brought a EX version. We TD'ed it and it felt good. Large, comfy, stable, well built.
The overall quality of things was nice. Mom was happy in her favourite SUV!

So after that we sort of just went into a hibernation mode for a couple of months with work taking more of the time.

Then in December when the 400 was about to be launched, we booked the vehicle. No TD then. We got the TD about 10 days after we booked the vehicle.
There was some communication gap form the showroom staff's side due to which we didn't get the vehicle in December. In January after I had given up hope of buying the safari, we were contacted by the Tata ASM (Thanks to my senior friend at Tata). Very helpful person. Overlooked the whole process. We also met the dealer principle and his son. Very gentle people both of them and extremely good to talk to.
I'd give the dealership a full 10/10 just for those two.

Since it was already January, I asked for a January made model. A close friend of Dad too wanted to buy the same model. So two Pearl White, 4X4 400s were on their way from Pune to Dehradun.

Of course I knew what the VIN was and when and where my vehicle was even though the ASM didn't inform me.

[navpreet318]

On Thursday 28th of January we took the delivery of our 400 4X4. Happy Day! Delivery experience was quick and no nonsense. Went for the customary pooja at the Daat Kaali Mandir at the entrance of Uttarakhand right ahead of the tunnel (Those of you who have travelled to Dehradun via road might have noticed this temple right before the tunnel. It's a place where everyone stops and almost all new vehicles are taken there. Even my GS has had its pooja there). The next day we took the Storme to our Gurudwara(Sikh Temple) as has been the custom for our family. Did ardas and were happy that the blessings are now with the Storme to serve us well and keep us safe for the years to come.

From the dealership I asked Dad to drive the Storme along with mom. Wife and I lead in the civic. Dad was a bit reluctant but drove. When we reached home Dad said that the steering felt a bit heavy. I sat and checked. It was in 4H! Ah well. I just hope that no damage was done to the rear LSD.

I've driven about 1100 Kms in these 22 odd days. Its been a wonderful experience.

I think what will make the experience better is the Gold AMC of 3 Yrs/ 60000 Kms that we opted for and the 4th year extended warranty.
This will make sure that I do not spend anything on the routine services.

Overall I think this was a good deal of the exchange bonus clubbed with additional discount on the Gold AMC plan. Even the Zero Depreciation insurance was a good deal at 37K from Tata themselves.

I had initially planned to change the tires to something better but since our usage pattern is mostly on road with an occasional off road jaunt, I planned to keep these. I have tried slippery slush with these tires and they don't really disappoint. As it is the vehicle won't be used for purpose built off road tracks.

A few things I'd like to reiterate for those looking who are looking at the Storme as a possible buy in the near future:

• This 400Nm version has excellent driveability. In city in the very useful 2nd and 3rd gears which behave as automatics in their particular traffic speed range. On the highway it is a different vehicle all together being very torquey in every gear and pulling very smoothly and with authority. Overtakes are no problemo!
• The overall driving position and ease of driving in the city is great. Its got a commanding view and the good glass area coupled with the large side view mirrors, it is very maneuverable. I don't feel the need of a rear camera at all.
• Aiding its maneuverability is the short turning radius. I am amazed by it. Even my dad is. Sometimes we both say WOW when it does a U-turn in one go where the older safari needed to be backed by quite some distance and U-turns needed good planning.
• Its an SUV. Don't compare it with a car. Its got different dynamics. Within those rules, it has excellent dynamics with the steering now really direct and it feels like a point and shoot SUV. Something like what the Swift diesel is in the hatchback category.
• Drive it normally and see how it performs. Don't try to manufacture sounds in the SUV by going to 4th gear at 10KMPH. It will then make all kinds of sounds.
• There are no vibrations in the fitting on the inside and there is no crashing of the suspension on potholes. Its just wonderful thuds and the potholes are gone.
• That Clutch is quite a revelation. So light that now I feel that there is something wrong with the Swift. The gear shifts are rubbery with the reverse gear to the extreme right due to the 6 forward gears. It requires some effort to slot it.
• The Bluetooth system is effortless and pairs automatically. Although the screen placement is bad. Ideally it should have been above the AC controls.
• The engine is pretty silent at idle even from outside. Last time I heard such an engine note at idle it was in the Rexton. Silent and no clatter. In the cabin it is really silent once the windows are rolled up.
• The air conditioning is pretty good considering the size of the vehicle and considering how pathetic it was in the older safari.
• One will feel the suspension is stiff at low speeds but the way it composes itself at normal road speeds and then even more so at highway speeds is what this stiffness was all for. Even in this stiff setting the ride is never jarring or uncomfortable.
• I feel that the Headlights are pretty good. Once I'm on this road trip I'll know whether I need more light or not.
• If you guys are married go on a longish test drive with your wife and family. I'm sure you'll know what you will buy in the near future.

[navpreet318]

On 28th Feb 2016 we started our journey to Kolkata and Puri-Chilika Lake.
A 4300 Kms and 11 Days trip.

Day 1 ended with 1075kms in a singe go with us stopping at Varanasi. Long long day. From 5:30AM to 8:30PM.

I was in touch with a friend at Tata about the trip and constantly updated him of my whereabouts.

There are a few points that I'd like to make about the vehicle after this trip.

• Comfort! This is the sole reason my wife and I were able to pull such long distances. The 1075Kms is the single longest distance I have every pulled of in one shot. Its a feat for me and means a lot of the comfort and comfortable highway dynamics of the vehicle. It is a boon that the seats are made of Fabric and Not Leather. The rear seat is a super place to sleep as was shown to me by my wife as well as sister who slept very very peacefully while we did long distances. The fabric, the cushioning and the seat width all forming together a perfect bed for them. At the same time I'd like to add that the front seats compared to the earlier Safari are a bit smaller. The under thigh seat area for taller drivers like me is shorter. This isn't evident in day to day driving but when driving the whole day it comes evident. Next comes the lack of the dead pedal. This omission again doesn't show in the daily drives but when one is on the Yamuna Expressway at 100kmph for 2 to 3 hours in the same gear, it is very much something missed. Connected to this is a problem that my leg rests on the center console. Again the uncomfortable part comes when its there for a few hours continuously.

I'd like to add that the suspension has done a superb job throughout the drive. Its been tight and comfortable at the same time. The car drives rock solid at speeds and is very well controlled in bad patches.

The comfy yet smaller seats


The missing Dead Pedal



The leg rested on the center console

• Engine Drivability. This is where the torque and the superb engine tuning come into place. Highway driving is all about maintaining good average speeds. The way the 400Nm pulls the vehicle once it needs to slow down is superb. I never went over a hundred and twenty clicks. But managed good average speeds and was able to pull decent distances during the trip.
• Ergonomics The vehicle overall has super ergonomics with everything mostly falling into perfect place. Like the rear view mirrors. The external rear view are clear and large and give a very good view of the rear with very little blind spot. The autofold gives them additional safety when passing a particularly tight spot. The interior rear view mirror has a very good view due to the fact that there is no spare tire blocking the view. Its manual dimming feature is good too as I didn't really find the auto dimming mirrors working that well.

Large External rear View Mirrors


Clear internal rearview mirror with the manual dimming

• Media System This has superb bluetooth phone connectivity and seamless way of handling calls via buttons on the steering wheel. The rear sensors are very good too. The only downside I still feel is the location. It is just too low! Distracts a lot when one has to take the eyes off the road and take them too far down.

Media system placed too low

• Missing mats from storage areas I had to get non slip mats cut and placed in all the storage areas like below as Tata has been cutting costs and saving pennies in these kind of things:

• Road Presence This is one fact that cannot be denied in India. Presence matters and it matter a lot. I got past a lot of traffic due to this. A lot of times through jams and moving ahead via the wrong side because of truck jams 5 kms long at borders and sales tax check posts. Also at one point 100kms before Varanasi during our way back we encountered a 6 km long jam. The villagers had blocked the way and burnt a vehicle too due to a murder. We had to jump the divider and then go back and pass through the interior village. Now passing village in interior UP is not exactly a safe thing to do with your wife as the lone passenger. But this is where the presence comes into play. White Safari/Storme/Scorpio/Fortuner/Pajero means either politician or a goon or a strongman. Easy Peasy!
• SUV vs others. Became very evident when I had to jump over the divider at least 6 times due to Jams and either move the wrong way or move back and pass through interior towns and villages.

When we reached Kolkata, the Storme was extremely dirty. I forgot to take pics of how dirty it was with all the insects and dirty stuck on to it. I was looking for a decent place to get it washed so we found a place with a auto wash system. It was a long time fantasy to sit in the car and get it washed. Superb feel.
This was done at Clean & Shine in north Kolkata. Nearly 2 hours from IIM Calcutta where we were staying.
Wonderful cleaning job.

The auto cleaning machine


The Storme being vaccumed and detailed after the wash

We got another wash in Agra on our way back and this guy did an equally good job for 200 bucks.

Another point I'd like to make is that these Mats did a great job at keeping all the dirt inside them and keep the carpet clean. Very good Mats. The holes collect the dirt and its not moved around by our feet. And since its stuck by velcro the mats don't move around once placed either.

Overall I'd like to say it was a great trip and I don't know which other vehicle could have been better in terms of comfort, driveability, suspension and presence. Strong silent vehicle and I reiterate that I wouldn't have dreamt of doing this trip on our previous safari but this thing is in a different league all together! Kudos to Tata for such an improvement.

[navpreet318]

A few pics of the Storme during our trip:

Early morning on Muzaffarnagar Bypass

Yamuna Expressway


Kolkata





Somewhere Beautiful on the Highway


On the way to Chilika Lake


Iconic Hawarah Bridge


Beach in front of Hans CoCo where we stayed





A recent trip to Kanatal

[tsk1979]

Thread moved to Initial ownership reviews section, thanks for sharing

[timuseravan]

Thanks for the fantastic ownership report and travelogue!
Can you say which mats are these and where did you get them from?

Originally Posted by navpreet318

Another point I'd like to make is that these Mats did a great job at keeping all the dirt inside them and keep the carpet clean. Very good Mats. The holes collect the dirt and its not moved around by our feet. And since its stuck by velcro the mats don't move around once placed either.

Attachment 1486276

[Shreyans_Jain]

Nice. ride! I'd like to know what rpm it holds at 100 and 120kmph in 6th gear. Also, coming from the Civic, how do you rate the agility of the vehicle? Is it willing to make direction changes without complaining, like during quick overtaking?

[pduttaghy]

A wonderful review. Very helpful for potential buyers. Wish you many happy miles and hope you keep storming the highways forever.

[extreme_torque]

I can vouch for the driving comfort on the old Safari 3.0. I am pretty sure the new one is even better owing to better specified suspension, steering and engine which can rev beyond 3k rpm! :P
Congratulations on your purchase! Wishing you happy miles.

[sourabhzen]

Superb review Navpreet!

One thing that I could not find was comment on its headlight's performance. How were they during the drive? Do you need to add more lights at front?

[rohansachar]

Originally Posted by navpreet318

Negatives:

• Typical Tata quirks. The rear brakes are emitting a screeching sound on gentle braking. Something that the workshop people have not been able to reproduce. Even I haven't when I took it to the workshop.
• That brings us to the next quirk: Yes its already been to the workshop once due to the above issue.

Hi Navpreet,

Congrats on bringing the beast home. Compared to the previous Storme, the all black interiors look beautiful.

On the screeching sound, is the issue resolved? Because don't take it lightly, I had the same issue with my Storme, which a specific service center couldn't fix even after 8 visits!!, but another one fixed in an instance. Let me know if you need the specifics.

Regards,
Rohan Sachar.

[Aakarsh]

Congratulations Navpreet!

An excellent review of an excellent SUV. I am in Dehradun for next 3.5 years and hope to spot this piece of beauty some day. Since you haven't put any stickers on it so I have memorized the registration number . Wish you and your family a lot of happy miles and smiles with this beast. Keep the thread alive!

Congratulations again!
Best regards
Aakarsh

[Latheesh]

Congrats and very nice review.

I think they should interchange AC controls and media player locations.