2021 Tata Safari – 4 Reasons To Buy & Not Buy
Should one buy the car just for the name or look at it for what it is? Well, keeping the popular moniker aside, let us tell you what is good and what is not so good about the new Safari.
There are plentiful reasons why one would want to buy the 2021 Tata Safari. It might be because it is a 3-row SUV, or that it has a punchy diesel motor with an automatic gearbox option or simply because it is called the Safari.
Whatever one’s reasoning might be, it does not take away the fact that the 2021 Tata Safari is an accomplished product even when the name is taken out of the equation. But guess what, it too has things that are not that great and let us dive right in!
2021 Tata Safari 4 Reasons To Buy
Styling – There is no debating, the 2021 Tata Safari is one handsome vehicle to have in one’s garage. The slim DRLs which are connected with the grille, the stepped roof rail design, slim tail lights and the massive tail gate gives it a large SUV look and macho feel, something regular crossovers cannot achieve.
Comfort & Space – Due to the seats being good and the car being slightly longer than the Harrier, there is ample space inside. Choose the 6-seater version and the captain chairs in the second row with make the deal even sweeter. Then there is the boot space, which at about 450-litres, with the third row seats folded down, is quite ample.
Performance – The Fiat-sourced 2.0-litre diesel has good pulling power and enough grunt to enable the car to cover long distances with ease. Even with all the seats occupied, the SUV did the 0-100 km/hr sprint in about 13.9 seconds when we tested it, not bad for a tall-riding car.
Ride Quality – Tata does not muck about when it comes to ride quality and the 2021 Safari is no exception. Our road tester Parth found the suspension setup to be almost perfect as the car handled potholes with ease and was not unsettled even when he encountered a bad bit of road at speed.
4 Reasons Not To Buy
No AWD or 4×4 – Well, this would put off many potential buyers, for the 2021 Safari does not come with 4-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive. It is a shame that Tata is only offering Terrain Response modes in the car that seems to have so much more potential which will be unleashed if it had another set of driven wheels.
Certain Features Missing – Features like 360 degree camera, heated ORVMs and wireless charging could have been offered with the car for it is priced in the premium-end of the SUV spectrum. The Safari could’ve also done with an electric tailgate and hydraulic struts for the bonnet. But, there are plentiful other features that help make up for this oversight from Tata.
Third Row Space – Interestingly, the captain chairs in 6-seat version of the 2021 Safari make it difficult for tall or “healthy” people to access the third row. Even after one is in place, he or she has to sit knee-up and it generally is not a place for adults to travel long distances in.
Pricing Of Top Variants – This is one point that might really work against all of the 2021 Tata Safari reasons to buy pointers, for the top-spec models are rather pricey. The XZ manual variant costs Rs. 19.15 lakhs, while XZ+ manual costs Rs. 19.99 lakhs (all prices ex-showroom, Delhi). If one wants the Adventure Persona model, he or she has to shell out an additional Rs. 20,000/- while auto gearbox trims command a further Rs. 1.25 lakhs over the manual.
