[fusionbang]

Originally Posted by kartik_2502

Congratulations on your beloved Indominus (really like the name).
I have my scheduled XZA+ adventure orcus white model for delivery on 2nd June. Hoping for a good experience overall. Any specific accessory I should purchase/avoid? TIA .

Thanks Kartik and congratulations to you too

Hope you have done the PDI and make sure you give enough time to the showroom guys to prep for the delivery and hope they make it a great experience for you Please do post pics of the beast once you take delivery.

[Behindthewheels]

Originally Posted by fusionbang

Exterior:

In my opinion, when it comes to exterior looks of the car, no other car comes closer to the looks of the Safari in this segment. It has a proper stance of an SUV when looked from any angle. My personal favorites are the side profile and rear-quarter angle.

Congratulations on your Indominous Sunay! And it surely looks really untamed. What a great write up�� And I’ve to tell you this I’m checking your thread every now and then for your trip updates.

I need some advice from you on the safari! I’m in the hunt for a proper family 7 Seater SUV and I’ve pretty much zeroed upon the Safari XZ+ Adventure persona (Tropical Mist).
Now the thing is every other videos that I’ve watched and all the reviews that I’ve come across were all certainly about the Automatic version of the Safari, and not many reviews of the manual safari was found, and i know that here in the safari the automatic gearbox has an upper hand over the Manual. But since my preferences in the car that am gonna buy are, (I’m not a fan of Automatics)
1: Manual 2: Diesel 3: Fun to Drive 4: Proper Mile Muncher with adequate power on the tap

I’ve come down to XZ+ with the above preferences. Can you give some insights regarding my scenario like,
1. Should i go with my current decision?
2. Should i switch to automatic? (Which i have never dreamt of)
3. And with speculations going around, that a proper facelift is going to be out in the month of October 2023, Should i wait for the Actual facelift that has been spied enough till today( even i saw a test mule with a new Alloy wheel on the NICE road recently )

Hope someone can help me with my first ever family car to be the best one for me.

[fusionbang]

Originally Posted by Behindthewheels

Congratulations on your Indominous Sunay! And it surely looks really untamed. What a great write up�� And I’ve to tell you this I’m checking your thread every now and then for your trip updates.

I need some advice from you on the safari! I’m in the hunt for a proper family 7 Seater SUV and I’ve pretty much zeroed upon the Safari XZ+ Adventure persona (Tropical Mist).
Now the thing is every other videos that I’ve watched and all the reviews that I’ve come across were all certainly about the Automatic version of the Safari, and not many reviews of the manual safari was found, and i know that here in the safari the automatic gearbox has an upper hand over the Manual. But since my preferences in the car that am gonna buy are, (I’m not a fan of Automatics)
1: Manual 2: Diesel 3: Fun to Drive 4: Proper Mile Muncher with adequate power on the tap

I’ve come down to XZ+ with the above preferences. Can you give some insights regarding my scenario like,
1. Should i go with my current decision?
2. Should i switch to automatic? (Which i have never dreamt of)
3. And with speculations going around, that a proper facelift is going to be out in the month of October 2023, Should i wait for the Actual facelift that has been spied enough till today( even i saw a test mule with a new Alloy wheel on the NICE road recently )

Hope someone can help me with my first ever family car to be the best one for me.

Thanks buddy Glad to know you enjoyed the write up.

Honestly, I would suggest you to go with the Automatic if you are zeroing on the Safari. I wanted an automatic from day 1, so I did not dare to test drive the manual version. As far as I have heard, you will have issues with the dashboard fouling with your leg in the manual and also the space for the dead pedal would be very narrow. If you are above 5.10 feet tall, then it has to be the Automatic for a long term ownership.

Since you are looking for a family 7 seater, trust me Safari has an amazing ride comfort and In my last 3 long trips, nobody complained about the ride quality be it from a 7 year old to 70 year old. Safari passes all your preferences with flying colors, except for the manual part.

On the facelift, it is sometime away and definitely the price is going to shoot up. The current updates on this car is more than sufficient for a luxury 7 seater car and you will not regret it. And in my opinion, I don't think the facelift will have major interior updates. It will be more of cosmetic changes with few updates like LED headlamps, may be EPS, and Level 2 ADAS.

So, it is good to buy now and do some nice monsoon trips. Let me know if you have more questions, happy to help Good luck with your shopping.

[diwakarmuthu]

@fusionbang, many congratulations on your Indominous (just trust kids to come up with a funky name and they give you pearls!). Brilliantly written too

I am on the fence right now. I am seriously thinking about the Safari. One question I have had which the showroom folks doesn't know the answer is if the car is comfortable for 6 footers like me. When I took a test drive, I noticed that my left knee was hitting the driver side dashboard or was scratching against the plastic. I tried multiple settings was unable to get it to the optimum setting. Is this something you have experienced too

For the back row, how comfortable is it for kids to sleep and come. I don't do it much often, but when I am travelling with my oldies, my son gets pushed to the 2nd row, so wanted to check.

How is the city driving experience, especially in BLR with the bumper to bumper traffic?

[fusionbang]

Originally Posted by diwakarmuthu

@fusionbang, many congratulations on your Indominous (just trust kids to come up with a funky name and they give you pearls!). Brilliantly written too

I am on the fence right now. I am seriously thinking about the Safari. One question I have had which the showroom folks doesn't know the answer is if the car is comfortable for 6 footers like me. When I took a test drive, I noticed that my left knee was hitting the driver side dashboard or was scratching against the plastic. I tried multiple settings was unable to get it to the optimum setting. Is this something you have experienced too

For the back row, how comfortable is it for kids to sleep and come. I don't do it much often, but when I am travelling with my oldies, my son gets pushed to the 2nd row, so wanted to check.

How is the city driving experience, especially in BLR with the bumper to bumper traffic?

Thanks Diwakar

1. I am 5'11" and even I have noticed that issue. But I have an habit to rest my left knee on the dash, from the time I started driving the Santro. Still, I pushed the seat a little back and lowered to find a comfortable position. With the surround view 360 camera available now, you have that extra edge to lower the seat a bit. And with the powered seats and memory function now, it is easy to set the seat to a perfect position. If you are skeptical, I would suggest you to take couple more longish test drives to make sure you are comfortable before going ahead with the purchase.

2. 2nd row comfort is the best in this segment IMO. My parents who are senior citizens and my son loves it behind. They sat comfortably on a 300km drive and no complaints whatsoever and they fresh after the journey.

3. City driving is good to some extent, more than the car itself, 2 & 3 wheelers make you scared in the city to take the car out. I think it will take sometime to get used to driving this car in the city driving conditions. And now with ADAS, you feel little confident maneuvering the car.

I use Tiago in city most of the time and try to avoid taking this car in the traffic often.

[fusionbang]

Partying with friends after marriage is always special and you get to recollect your bachelor life after a long time. Such was the plan and we bunch of friends decided do a trip to a homestay over the weekend. It turned out to be one of the best trips ever and had an amazing time, which I really missed when I was in the USA.

Also, got a chance to put the Indominus to test on different types of road and it passed with flying colours. Except for some body roll in the sharp turns, it performed brilliantly and all praises from our friends on the ride comfort. Everyone were as fresh as day one. But I feel the Safari can cover distances on highways and expressways effortlessly, but takes some effort to manoeuvre on the ghat roads.

We had been to Kodige Cottages and Homestay near Kodige falls, which is around 20 kms from Kottigehara and 40 kms from Mudigere. The roads are brilliant all the way from Bangalore till Kottigehara, except for few stretches from Hirisave to Hassan where couple of bridges are being completed. Also, the stretch from Hassan to Belur needs to be widened and the unmarked speed breakers needs to be removed. Coming to the homestay it was brilliant with amazing views from the cottages and best authentic Malnad style food. The hosts were brilliant as well and would recommend this place for a weekend get away.

Will not bore you guys with too much words, posting some pictures of the car and the cottages we stayed in.























Small video of the Indominus crossing the river stream

https://youtube.com/watch?v=QVbQRdesaWw?feature=share

[kartik_2502]

Took delivery of my Tata Safari Adv XZA+ a.k.a Phantom! (As I like to call it)
Drove it from Jaipur to my hometown Kota straight after delivery and loved every bit of the drive, how it handles bumps and curves, the sheer confidence it gives while driving it at highway speeds, much better than my Kia Seltos. I do feel Safari has come a long way from the old generation. It is infact a more value for money proposition than XUV700 which doesn't offer cruise control and reverse camera up until the top 2 variants in 2023 with the AX5 diesel auto costing about 24 lakhs, plus you have to wait for it.
Posting my 3 best angles of the beast. Just in awe of these ambient lights on the sunroof

[BleueNinja]

Firstly, congratulations Fusionbang and wishing you a many happy miles! I own an Orcus white XZA Harrier and have done 14,900 kms in 9 months. The car is a treat to drive.

Originally Posted by diwakarmuthu

I am on the fence right now. I am seriously thinking about the Safari. One question I have had which the showroom folks doesn't know the answer is if the car is comfortable for 6 footers like me. When I took a test drive, I noticed that my left knee was hitting the driver side dashboard or was scratching against the plastic. I tried multiple settings was unable to get it to the optimum setting. Is this something you have experienced too

How is the city driving experience, especially in BLR with the bumper to bumper traffic?

Knee console issue : I am 6’1 tall and if you are getting an automatic then with right seat adjustment the console hitting your knee won’t be an issue. It’s not an issue for me, my knee rarely touches the console. However I feel the under thigh support is just average in XUV 700 as well in Harrier/Safari for tall peeps like us.

Bumper to bumper driving experience: my experience as of now is based on driving in Pune. Trust me pune is no less than Bangalore these days. I mean we ranked 2nd just after Bangalore in terms of worsening traffic conditions.
Also my experience is based on my day to day driving with Harrier. The car creeps up at a very acceptable pace and there are no sudden jerks or aggressive creep up. I find the steering to be very precise and unlike common opinion I don’t find it heavy, never did but if you do then give it some time you will get used to it.
If this is your first 7 seater then it might take a week to get adjusted to size of the vehicle but you should be fine.

Originally Posted by Behindthewheels

1: Manual 2: Diesel 3: Fun to Drive 4: Proper Mile Muncher with adequate power on the tap

I’ve come down to XZ+ with the above preferences. Can you give some insights regarding my scenario like,
1. Should i go with my current decision?
2. Should i switch to automatic? (Which i have never dreamt of)
3. And with speculations going around, that a proper facelift is going to be out in the month of October 2023, Should i wait for the Actual facelift that has been spied enough till today( even i saw a test mule with a new Alloy wheel on the NICE road recently )

I would strongly recommend you to go with an automatic if you are going for Harrier/Safari. If manual is what you want then my honest advice is switch to XUV 700. I was of the belief manual is the way to go and had made initial booking for the same but changed my mind later and bought and automatic Harrier due to following reasons :

1. The pedal travel is too much and bit heavy for Harrier/Safari.
2. Unlike other diesel cars for some reason TATA has calibrated the car in a way in which the car will keep displaying notifications if try you to pick your car from 2nd gear if you are at a speed below 15 km/hr which means you have to continuously keep downshifting to 1st gear in a stop and go traffic situation else the car stalls. Maybe it’s to protect the car’s clutch plate from getting damaged.
3. Talking about clutch plates, There were many a reports for Harrier/Safari MT where in clutch burn was reported specially in ghat sections.
4. The traffic conditions are worsening throughout our country. When I had sold my car I was driving my wife’s polo in peak traffic conditions I realised what a boon an automatic car is. It just changed my perspective around the whole thing. These days automatic gearboxes are very well tuned and they can get you a good mileage plus let you have fun. Harrier/Safari’s gearbox is very well mated to kryotec engine that many a times in “city mode” you won’t even realise when your car shifted gears.


Cheers!

[fusionbang]

Originally Posted by kartik_2502

Took delivery of my Tata Safari Adv XZA+ a.k.a Phantom! (As I like to call it)

Congratulations on the Phantom Kartik This car is loved the most after a long drive on the highways and not in City. Glad you are loving it. Keep it a little tamed during the first 1000kms and you will see how smooth the engine is. Wish you many more happy miles with the beast.

Originally Posted by BleueNinja

Firstly, congratulations Fusionbang and wishing you a many happy miles! I own an Orcus white XZA Harrier and have done 14,900 kms in 9 months. The car is a treat to drive.

Thanks buddy Agree with the under thigh support, it could have been little better for us tall folks. I am still trying to figure out a perfect position and the powered seats with memory functions are really helpful in doing so.

[kartik_2502]

I'm 6 feet tall and I also agree with the under thigh support being an issue but I have also faced it Kia Seltos, Mahindra XUV700 and Mahindra Scorpio-N. So I've came to the conclusion that tall guys don't get good under thigh support with cars under 50 lakh in India.

I am hearing a trin-trin noise from the passenger side front when the car is cruising above 60 kmph with audio muted and AC blower at 1, has anyone else noticed it?(If yes, please share the solution, TIA) Will get it checked and hopefully rectified in the first service itself.

[fusionbang]

Faced a weird issue in the TPMS recently, where the low pressure warning comes up, even when the PSI is at the recommended setting. I have started ignoring it for now and planning to get the sensors checked when I go for balancing and alignment at 5k Kms.



Also, after the poor headlight throw which I experienced during one of my long drives, first thing I wanted to is upgrade the lights. Went ahead with the below for High beam and fog lights. I know using LED in the reflector setup is not a good idea, but I would be using it only on highway drives without any oncoming vehicles. Good thing is the auto high beam feature is always on and the high beam turns off at a slightest hint of oncoming vehicle.



Will post after pics and review on these lights, when I head out on a long drive shortly.

Me and my son, enjoyed a small treat after the light upgrade

[naadopaasaka]

I suppose I'm a little late to the party, but thank you so much for this wonderful thread and review. I began reading it casually a few days ago, thinking I'd quickly scroll through it and move on to something else, but you had my attention throughout. What is this nonsense about your writing not being good enough? A good raconteur needn't always be a brilliant linguist.

1. How different does the power/ torque feel when the car has 1-2 people as opposed to when the car is fully loaded?

2. I agree that the steering is well laid out. But do you like its shape - how it looks? Do you find it convenient to hold? I have driven my cousin's Harrier quite a bit and somehow, though mechanically the steering feels good albeit a bit heavy, I don't seem like how it looks.

[fusionbang]

Originally Posted by naadopaasaka

I suppose I'm a little late to the party, but thank you so much for this wonderful thread and review. I began reading it casually a few days ago, thinking I'd quickly scroll through it and move on to something else, but you had my attention throughout. What is this nonsense about your writing not being good enough? A good raconteur needn't always be a brilliant linguist.

A word of caution is always better I feel. Some might not like how I have written, hence

Originally Posted by naadopaasaka

1. How different does the power/ torque feel when the car has 1-2 people as opposed to when the car is fully loaded?

2. I agree that the steering is well laid out. But do you like its shape - how it looks? Do you find it convenient to hold? I have driven my cousin's Harrier quite a bit and somehow, though mechanically the steering feels good albeit a bit heavy, I don't seem like how it looks.

1. I didn't see much of a difference, the engine is smooth and pulls effortlessly even when full load. Only thing is you can hear the engine growl above 2500rpm, which is the case even when I am driving alone. May be with a negligible turbo lag, you might feel as if you have to press the A pedal hard to get the car going.

2. Initially I did not, but now I am liking it and it is growing on me. However, I would have preferred a smaller horn pad, which is a little cumbersome to press. Also, if the buttons could have been a little small the spoke would be smaller to grab it comfortably, which would have made the driving experience much better.

[Vicks79]

Belated Congratulations on your "Indominous" Sunay!
Surely one of the most comprehensive reviews for the Tata Safari at Team BHP.

I currently use the 2022 Maruti XL6 Alpha AT fondly called "Grogu". Its completed about 7k in 6 months of ownership and does its job just fine. Where it really falters is in the engine department. The engine/6 speed AT TC combination isn't particularly fun to drive and forces you into a sedate pace. One thing it specially hates is inclines/uphill sections and overtaking really needs tons of planning. Also on the now rapidly expanding Expressway/highway network the XL6 consistently feels underpowered, all this is compensated by superb fuel efficiency. In most other aspects "Grogu" gets the job done well.

We have been contemplating on a future upgrade and Safari (XZ+ 6S Adventure Persona) or Scorpio N (Z8L 6S Petrol AT) are both on my radar. I understand that these two are different in their construction itself. Each has its merits and demerits.

Looking for a 6 seater preferably in a captain seat configuration.
Powerful & Responsive Engine, Torque Converter preferred.
Petrol Engine is preferred.
Good suspension and GC to handle our roads / water logging conditions.
Good quality 360 degree camera is a must.
Seat ingress and egress should be easy, have senior Parents and Nephew who regularly love travelling with us.

As of now I have completed a 30 minute test drive of the Scorpio N Diesel AT, instantly felt the body on ladder construction in the ride quality. Did a mix of smooth highway & bad roads combination. Sadly no Petrol AT available for TD.

Yet to fix a Safari TD, one specific thing which troubles me is the lack of a petrol engine in the Safari. Not sure of the overall NVH experience in a Petrol vs Diesel. I have never used a Diesel car prior and wanted your experience specifically with this engine over long highway drives.
Your experience with DEF. Does it bother you, Do you need to carry a refill pack for 1000 Kms plus journey. (We are planning for Interstate journeys Maharashtra-Karnataka to begin with)
Also is there is any Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) scene on the Safari as is the case in the Mahindra Diesels.
The whole additional issues with DEF and DPF post BS 6 phase has kept me away from Diesel engines.

The only other petrol alternative is the Hyundai Alcazar 6 seater, but its available in a 1.5 Turbo Petrol mated to a DCT, which I am unsure about. I think there is a XUV Petrol also but haven't given it due research.

let me know what you think.
Cheers and thanks again for the wonderful review. May the Force be with U

[fusionbang]

Originally Posted by Vicks79

Belated Congratulations on your "Indominous" Sunay!
Surely one of the most comprehensive reviews for the Tata Safari at Team BHP.

Thanks buddy Glad to know you liked the review.

Originally Posted by Vicks79

Yet to fix a Safari TD, one specific thing which troubles me is the lack of a petrol engine in the Safari. Not sure of the overall NVH experience in a Petrol vs Diesel. I have never used a Diesel car prior and wanted your experience specifically with this engine over long highway drives.

If you are specifically looking for a petrol engine, I would suggest you to take a TD of the XUV7OO and you will fall in love with it. I am not sure if Tata would launch a petrol version of the safari, as part of the facelift. Even if they do, should wait and watch how the 1.5 TGDI engine performs on this heavy car.

However, talking about the NVH of this diesel powered car I don's miss a petrol engine. The engine is pretty smooth in the BS6.2 avatar, NVH is well controlled and it is well refined on the drives. This car is made for the highways and the ride comfort is amazing. I always wait for an occasion to take this beast on the highway. It masks the speeds very well and you have to look at the speedo to know what speed you are doing and overtaking is effortless, just a tap on the A pedal you will be flying.

Originally Posted by Vicks79

Your experience with DEF. Does it bother you, Do you need to carry a refill pack for 1000 Kms plus journey. (We are planning for Interstate journeys Maharashtra-Karnataka to begin with)
Also is there is any Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) scene on the Safari as is the case in the Mahindra Diesels.
The whole additional issues with DEF and DPF post BS 6 phase has kept me away from Diesel engines.

The only other petrol alternative is the Hyundai Alcazar 6 seater, but its available in a 1.5 Turbo Petrol mated to a DCT, which I am unsure about. I think there is a XUV Petrol also but haven't given it due research.

let me know what you think.
Cheers and thanks again for the wonderful review. May the Force be with U

Talking about DEF, touchwood I haven't faced any issue till date. I take the car out only on the weekends and once in a while on a weekday inside the city. DEF was topped up during my 1st service (2000kms) and nothing to worry about till 15000kms, if I do only highway runs. But yes, you will have this in the back of your mind every time you step out.

Solution would be to drive the car at 60kmph in 3rd gear for about 20 mins and the soot should be cleared. Another option is to visit the SC and have them do the regeneration.

Also, I haven't heard any issues from the Safari owners on the DPF.

Test drives cars are not well maintained and you will feel the engine is loud during the test drive, so be mindful of that. I would suggest to go with the automatic version and not the manual. Added bonus is you get ventilated seats in the 6S version.

Ultimately, if you are looking only for Petrol, I would suggest to TD the XUV7OO and forget about the mileage. It might cross double digits once in a while on the highway runs.