The 2021 Tata Safari is all set to be globally unveiled on January 26, 2021 but pre-launch bookings have already commenced at select dealerships for a token amount of INR 51,000. Tata Motors dropped a bomb a few days ago when they announced that they will be resurrecting the 'Safari' nameplate in India. The 7-seater version of the Tata Harrier will be called the Tata Safari in India. The model that was showcased at the 2020 Auto Expo was only codenamed as the Gravitas. In fact, it was first called the Buzzard when it was showcased at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show.
Tata Motors have been playing around with the name for quite some time but Tata says that this upcoming 7-seater SUV was always conceived as the Tata Safari. The only reason why they did not name the Harrier as the Safari is because it was not a three-row SUV. The Safari always had to be a genuine three-row SUV and Tata say that the upcoming SUV will not have an apologetic third row of seats. In fact, there are several elements in the design that nod to the original.
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Just like the original, the new Tata Safari has a strong face, a high bonnet, the stepped roof, the rear three-quarter glass and stadium seating. The new Tata Safari sure looks very similar to the Harrier but there are some key differences to note. The Safari gets a new silver grille with tri-arrow elements and the rear end is already quite distinct. It will also be offered in new paint shades. Tata have also added 63mm to the Harrier’s length and 80mm to the height to make way for a decent third row. Just like the Harrier, the Safari too will be based on the Land Rover-derived Omega architecture.
But here's the thing. While the original Safari was a proper 4x4, the new Safari will be front-wheel driven, at least initially. Tata Motors have however assured that the Land Rover Discovery-derived D8 platform can be adapted to incorporate a four-wheel-drive system. Tata have said that based on customer feedback and research, they could actually explore the possibility of a 4x4 Safari sometime in the future. On the inside, the Safari will be offered with a dual tone black-creme color scheme and two seating configurations - a 6-seater with captain seats and a 7-seater with bench seats.
Stay tuned to IndianAutosBlog.com for Tata updates more and other four-wheeler news.
