My 2014 Safari Storme gets new clutch: Observations after 2800 km drive

I don't mind the new Safari, but as a 5+2 seater family SUV; not as a replacement to my Safari Storme.

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Recently crossed the 93,000 km mark on my 2014 Astern Black Storme VX 4*4. At about 90,000 km encountered the clutch slippage in the 3rd / 4th gear one day and decided to finally give it for clutch replacement/servicing at my FNG. I knew it was due since the TASS and the FNG had recommended getting the clutch servicing since about last year. The entire work took a couple of weeks of downtime (initially because of parts unavailability and then the gearbox dismantling and all took a lot of time) but the result was just something that I hadn't expected. The first time I pressed the clutch I almost fell over it because I had been used to putting so much pressure on it earlier. Didn't know a Storme's clutch could also be so light. I mean I have exaggerated a bit but I was so used to and comfortable with the earlier clutch that most likely I would have delayed the clutch replacement for another few months, so the new clutch was a different experience. All the servicing plus replacements, oil changes and alignment balancing cost me around INR 25k.

The very next day went on a 2,800 km drive. Drove from Navi Mumbai to Ooty & Coonoor including a detour to Coimbatore airport on the way to Ooty. The car performed well on the highways giving me a tank full to tank full mileage of almost 12 km/l. We left on 21st Dec from Navi Mumbai and reached Ooty on 23rd Dec. Took 3 days to reach at a gingerly pace since on all the days effectively started my drive around noon or post that. This time of the year the traffic in Ooty was crazy so the mileage during the hill drive came to less than 10 otherwise I believe could have extracted an even better overall trip mileage.

While the Storme performed well during the entire trip, there were 2 – 3 occasions when I couldn’t manage the steep climbs even in the 1st gear. Once it was a steep climb up to a parking entrance on a near hairpin bend from the road and twice it was a straight but steep incline (narrow alleys or lanes) and even while in the 1st gear just couldn’t generate enough power to complete the climb. In both cases had to resort to using the handbrake plus revving up in neutral to be in the higher torque band when moving to 1st gear. In all the instances the car was at full load on both occasions (5 or 6 passengers plus luggage)

Not sure if it was the wrong way that I encountered the inclines or if there is something wrong with the clutch. In fact, started recollecting some posts from earlier on our forum where people had commented about front-wheel drive vehicles or lighter vehicles performing better in the hills. Maybe I should have used the 4H or 4L in these conditions. Not really sure and so till I encounter such steep slopes next, would appreciate the thoughts of other learned members here. Shall help me encounter these steep inclines better the next time.

Dashboard Storage area lid – This has been a pain for quite a few members that I recollect. In fact, I had got the locking pin replaced just about 1.5 years back but even the replacement pin broke a few months back. Have been on the search for the replacement part since then but for this trip managed a very crude jugaad to ensure the lid doesn't create a blind spot (Front Left corner of the car), especially on the mountains. Just created some counterweight on the lid using some marbles + stones from the highway and putting them in one of those small string bags. Has been working well for me till now (15 days and 3000 Kms later). In the picture attached, the lid is raised a bit more than usual because the car was parked on a downward incline and hence gravity working against it but otherwise, it works well and helps unblock the blind spot for me.

The Ooty trip also turned out to be a Safari get-together as the cousins had driven in their new age Safari (Pre 2023 facelifts – 1 was an XZA + Dark and the other was an XZA + Adventure persona). Unfortunately, due to the small space didn’t get a chance to do a proper photo and the attached photos are the best and only ones that I could manage. We (self and family) did get a couple of hours of ride in the newer Safari when we went from Ooty to Coonoor one evening. Feedback from self & family – the comfort level is amazing in the newer Safari, the ride quality seems to be better and more car-like but the feeling of spaciousness that the Storme provides is not there in the Safari. When I moved from my usual driver’s seat in the Storme to the shotgun seat in the Safari Dark Edition, I felt that I was sitting in a car and not an SUV. It’s not a bad thing but just an observation having been used to the high seating of Storme for so many years now.

So, will I buy the new age Safari – Mostly Yes, but as a car to fulfil the need for a 5+2 seater tourer and not as a replacement for the Safari Storme. For that, it will have to be something else. But in the 5 + 2 seater tourer category, the Safari does make a very very strong case for itself. I think the only area of improvement needed is the ASS experience which will remain the most important thing for TAMO till their quality and reliability reaches the Toyota levels.

Talking about reliability, I feel the only reliability issues that I have recently faced are with the central locking system, window mechanisms, front dashboard top storage lid and fuel lid opening mechanism. In the initial days, the ORVMs were replaced on a couple of occasions but all that was warranty replacements. Another issue that is bugging me is the brightness of the odometer console. When I spoke to someone at TASS he mentioned that the entire assembly would have to be changed and hence never thought of any replacement but am really looking for a solution. The readability of the odometer is almost 0 in the nighttime. Any suggestions here are welcome.

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