Tata Safari Storme V400 Long Term Review – First Report

The Safari Storme V400 sees enhanced character with the added punch

The Tata Safari Storme has been a hot favourite of ours for its driving feel, no other SUV gives us the feel that a Safari does and thus we all want to get behind the wheel of this ladder frame SUV. I remember going to a Tata dealership more than 10 years ago to test drive the Safari DICOR 2.2 which in its top spec trim was equipped with LCD screens in the middle row and a refrigerator in the last row, it also had a reversing camera which sadly today’s Safari doesn’t get, not even as an option. But the VariCOR 400 isn’t about fancy gizmos, it’s about raw power.

Being the torqueist SUV in its segment, the Tata Safari Storme V400 is not only fast but also furious. Be a bit aggressive with the throttle and it wheelspins! You read that right, a 2-tonne, 4-cylinder SUV spinning its rear wheels on tarmac! There is so good amount of punch that doing overtakes on the highway is a cake walk, simply downshift and voila, you leave the world behind. Stretch the legs of this beast and will go well past 160 km/hr but the charm isn’t to ride fast, it’s to cruise at 120 km/hr and know that if you need the added punch, the V400 motor will deliver it to you on a platter.

All that weight obviously results in a lot of body roll but that’s fine because you make that a part of you, take a corner hard (firstly why would you when you are sitting on the second floor) and the tyres won’t disappoint with the terrific grip levels. The steering too is well weighed at speed but a bit heavy at low speeds, making you take genuine effort while parking, one of the reasons why I have skipped the gym since the time the car has arrived. Ok, no excuses but driving the Safari in the city is akin to a workout, only thing is, unlike the gym, this one is quite fun.

The Tata Safari Storme might not make much sense when the more modern Hexa has been launched but we were driving both these cars back to back recently and I would still opt for the Safari as it is more fun to drive and has immense character. Sure it could do with more features, especially a reverse camera, given its huge dimensions but in all honestly, there is not much I would like to change about the V400, it’s fast, fun and go off-road without a second though and that is one of the reasons why I always wanted to quit on Monday mornings..

Further Reading –

Tata Safari Storme V400 Review
Tata Safari Storme Long Term Review