While the spy shots of the Bolt and Zest models are a common sight on the internet, Tata Motors has also been testing the Safari Storme SUV, spy shots of which surfaced on Mr. Ejji K. Umamahesh’s facebook page being tested on the Ooty – Masinagudi road in the Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu with heavy camouflage. Now the question arises, what exactly is Tata changing on the Safari Storme?
Tata Motors is most likely testing an updated powertrain, the reason why its testing the SUV on the hills. The Safari Storme could get the 2.2-litre VARICOR diesel engine producing 150 PS of power that now powers the 2014 Aria facelift as well. Another possibility is that of an automatic transmission unit that the company could be testing. With the heavy camouflage on the Safari Storme test mule, the model could get an updated exterior design along with addition of new features that are being rumoured for some time now. Tata could also update the model with the same Harman infotainment system along with the new features seen on the Aria crossover.
The Tata Safari Storme was launched in 2012 after a gap of five years, but could not generate the kind of response that the company would have hoped for. While the test mule does not sport any visible cosmetic changes to the design, there could be some updates to the design as well. Moreover, with new models competing in the same segment, the Safari Storme has aged and would do well with some tinkering to the exterior design along with updates to the cabin.
The current generation Tata Safari Storme is powered by a 2.2-litre, 4-cylinder engine that produces 140 PS of power and 320 Nm of torque, paired to a 5-speed manual transmission. While details on the model are scarce as of now, we will keep you posted on Tata’s plans as more details emerge in the following days. We do hope the Safari gets updates from the Ladakh edition that was showcased at the 2014 Auto Expo, earlier this year.
Source – Ejji K. Umamahesh’s facebook page
