Tata Safari Storme V400 Long Term Review
400 Nm of torque on a 2-tonne SUV does bring a smile to our faces everyday
Big, heavy and slow are usually the three adjectives which are clubbed together to describe an SUV but I have to let go of the last one because the Tata Safari Storme VariCOR 400 is anything but slow with 400 Nm of torque on tap. What a punchy mid-range, I must admit and that’s an immediate reaction as I took our long termer out for its first outing, to the crowded streets of Mumbai, not the best place to test the mettle of what is a traditional body-on-frame SUV with our tester being a 4×4 model.
Beast in hiding, see it from anywhere and it still spells macho
A familar looking vehicle by all means of imagination, the outer shell of the Tata Safari has remained the same with minor botox injections keeping things fresh as the years go by. When Tata went from DICOR to Storme in 2012, the vanishing act of the tail-gate mounted spare wheel was a big setback for Safari owners and although time makes things grow on you, I still miss that machoness of the rear. Disappointingly enough, there is nothing to tell apart the V400 from the regular Safari, unless you glance hard on the front fenders! Some hints of the performance of this car should be visually striking, at least a different design of the alloy wheels or a hood scoop (Tata does offer is as part of its accessories pack).
Simplicity at its best, could do with more equipment for sure
Step inside and the familiarity to the Safari V320 is so striking that you have to pinch yourself to remind you that underneath that long hood lies much more twisting force. V400 badges on the inside might be too cheesy but the cabin has some sort of charm which only grows on you with time. Plain, simple and yet elegant, the Safari’s interior doesn’t scream for attention but it has the bare necessities which make driving easy like the nice to hold steering wheel with ergonomically placed audio controls to the AC which although not climate control (an ouch thought at this price point) is supremely functional.
The performance is good enough to leave everyone else behind at signals
This brings me to the biggest USP of the Tata Safari Storme, the 1 BHP of interior room. That is also a bane because every member of the MotorBeam team scouts for the keys of this vehicle when ever airport duty beckons them. Right from fitting 7 people in utmost comfort to storing a truck load of luggage in the boot, the Safari’s generous dimensions mean you pretty much move house. The last row of passengers do complain about the side facing seats and a front facing option should have seen the light of the day, considering the continous feedback from owners for this change.
There is an emotional connect with a Safari which happens very rarely with other cars
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.
Bullying other road users becomes an unintentional activity
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.
Time to recalim your life? Perhaps!
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.
There are SUVs and then there is the Safari, a genuine off-roader
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..
Intimidating? You bet!
Further Reading –
Tata Safari Storme V400 Review
Tata Safari Storme Long Term Review