Bought a Tata Safari Dark: Delivery & First road trip observations

Got a fuel efficiency figure of 11.3 km/l via the tank-ful method, driving mostly on the highway and a little bit in the city.

BHPian sswaroop recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

After all the hardships faced with getting a test drive car from 2 different dealerships over 4 months and 2 different test drive requests, KHT Motors came through with a test drive vehicle after booking a test drive on the TMO website. Booked the XZA+ Dark Edition 7 seater in late March after all of us in the family loved the test drive. Had initially got an intimation from the dealership that the waiting period is 6 weeks but the sales guy had said it may come in 4 weeks. There were no discounts on offer apart from the 40K exchange bonus if we were exchanging a car.

To our surprise, got a phone call 9 days later saying the car is allotted and it was on the way to the dealership. Loan processing took about 12 days, and the registration process took about 13 days and we eventually took delivery of the vehicle on Akshaya Tritiya day. The delivery experience was smooth from KHT Motors.

Also, managed to do the first drive with my family from Bangalore to Shimoga and back. The comfort levels are excellent and there was no fatigue for anyone. Even on under-construction roads, the Safari managed with aplomb.

Saw a mileage of 11.3 km/l using the tankful method. But the MID was showing a mileage of 12.3 km/l. This is about 3/4th highway driving and 1/4th city driving, with some extended idling in between.

We chose the Safari over the Harrier for the added flexibility of the additional seats for short city commutes. With the 3rd-row seats folded down, the Safari can accommodate a lot of luggage. The photo below is for reference. It had 2 medium-sized suitcases, 2 cabin-sized suitcases, 2 duffel bags, a baby high chair along with at least 4-5 other carry bags with random items.

Along the lines of the many niggles reported, I'm facing my first niggle with one of the PEPS key remotes not working within 12 days of delivery. The walk-up unlock works correctly, but the remote unlock/lock features are not working. Planning to get it fixed when I go for the first service in the next month or so. Also planning to get the EW and/or AMC soon.

Here's what BHPian revved_up had to say on the matter:

Congrats on your new car! An extended warranty is a must, please take that asap. AMC is your choice, my suggestion will be to give it a pass.

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