Oct 08, 2016 07:13 PM
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Turn the chunky key in the ignition and you'll be pleased with the noise control of the cabin. Yes, you'll instantly know it's a diesel, but Tata has kept its mannerisms dignified(more on that later).
Slot the gear lever into first, ease off the clutch and you'll find the SUV moving forward with no sudden surge or shove(that you'd expect with this kind of torque). Power delivery from the bottom up is linear / gradual / predictable and very easy to get accustomed to. Tata has taken a very mature approach to power tuning the Varicor 400. Such is the low end torque delivery that we started from a standstill in 2nd gear on a slope and there was absolutely no roll back. This is the torque coming into play to add positively to the driving experience. You can upshift early and there's no turbo-lag to fight with.
Driving in the city is a breeze in the regular Storme, so it's no surprise that the Varicor 400 is a very tractable beast too. You never really feel the need to slam the A-pedal because of the low rpm pulling power. Even if you get generous with your accelerator input, there isn't any sudden'whoosh' or'surge' when the turbo kicks in. It's linear, well managed and the car feels composed. This is a heavy, rear-wheel drive SUV that delivers its grunt in a smooth manner - the dramatic XUV500(with its torque steer) is at the other end of the spectrum.
The Storme has always been a great highway cruise ship; the added power & torque of the Varicor 400 make the experience all the more enjoyable. The engine is fairly free-revving for a diesel and Tata says she'll do the dash to a 100 km/h in 12.8 seconds(a full second quicker than the Storme 320). She can cruise comfortably at 100 km/h in 6th gear at 2,000 rpm(100 revvs lower than the Storme 320), with 120 km/h seen at~2,300 rpm(200 revvs lower than regular Storme). There's plenty of torque available below 2,000 rpm, so downshifting isn't something you'll need to do very often during weekend trips on the highway. The Safari Storme has that old school SUV-like seating position where you can use your vantage point to scan traffic ahead of you, and thus plan the overtakes in a better manner. Additionally, I must mention that the imposing stance of the Storme makes traffic ahead of you move out of the way! The added 6th gear will aid fuel economy as well. Speaking of which, the Varicor 400 delivers 13.9 km/l vs the 14.1 km/l of the standard Storme(both ARAI figures).
Sound deadening within the cabin is very impressive. Road noise is controlled and though the Storme(235/70 R16) and XUV500(235/65 R17) use Bridgestone Dueler rubber, the tyres make quite a ruckus in the Mahindra, which just isn't the case here. Under most driving conditions, engine noise is muffled well and it's only prominent at higher rpm levels. On the flip side, there is a certain amount of vibration that can be felt through the steering wheel, gear lever, floor pedals and door panels. These are noticeable, albeit not excessive.
The 6-speeder's shift quality is rubbery; this still isn't a slick-shifting gearbox. It is liveable though and anyone who has driven Safaris will have no complaint. The gear lever has a medium length throw, but is a bit short in height. I sat with the seat height raised to its highest position and using the gear lever became a stretch. One dives down or leans into the gear lever to shift into first(short drivers, take note). Of course, this goes away if the driver's seat is kept at a lower position. Tata has probably kept the gear lever short on purpose. The 1st gear is already very close to the passenger(if he's tall, you'll be brushing your hand against his right leg). Given the lateral space between the gear gates on the left & right(i.e. 1st & 5th or 2nd & 6th), the gap would be magnified with a longer stick.
The clutch has a light action and the throw - though long - doesn't make the pedal cumbersome to use. By virtue of the torque available, you can cruise through heavy traffic in 1st or 2nd gear with little to no accelerator input. The car's resistance to stalling is noteworthy too. We came close to stalling on some occasions, but the powertrain would always ensure that it stayed running.
The Storme Varicor 400's ride quality is outstanding, planted and tangibly better than the first-gen Storme. It's excellent over imperfect roads and uneven patches, completely defeating bumpy SUVs like the Scorpio and Fortuner. No comparison. I found the ride quality to be superior to even the monocoque XUV500. The Storme flattens broken roads like few other cars can.
It is a bulky SUV and handles like one. The Storme isn't meant to be a corner carver, so don't drive like it's one. Be cautious and always keep the tall center of gravity in mind. Straight line stability is good and body roll is much better controlled now(thanks to the modern X2 chassis). That being said, high speed confidence is superior in the Aria than it is in the Storme Varicor 400. It's not just the engine, it's the way the car is built overall. The chassis is built for the purpose in the Aria.and feels like it has been adapted for the Storme. While you sit tall and look over the bonnet in the Storme, the Aria's dashboard cocoons around you. In terms of high speed confidence, the Aria comes first, followed by the XUV500, Safari Storme, Fortuner and Scorpio. This does indicate the tempting potential on hand with the Hexa!
The steering wheel is the same one as in the 2015 refresh model. Since this is a significant component of the driving experience, it has to be mentioned that, while the hydraulic unit is confidence inspiring at high speeds, it is quite heavy to use and requires a fair amount of effort to operate, especially at a standstill or parking speeds. Suffice to say that it feels nothing like an EPS and can get cumbersome to use in the city. This indirectly ensures that one would not be keeping one's hand on the gear knob for too long. Do note that we drove the 4x4 variant. According to BHPians, the 4x2 variant might have a lighter steering.
Ergonomically, the steering wheel gets a thumbs up. By virtue of its sizing, the way it's placed and how it has been designed, the steering doesn't interfere with your legs while driving, nor does it obscure your view of the instrument cluster(like the old steering wheel did). I noticed some vibrations coming through the steering wheel at speeds in excess of 100 km/h. Don't know whether it's there on all Stormes or just our test car(which was earlier used as a marketing / ad shoot vehicle). This needs to be watched out for as the vibrations will be an irritant in the normal course. Be sure to check it out in your test-drive vehicle too and report on this thread with observations.
The 200 mm of ground clearance is more than enough to take on the mountains that the municipality calls speed breakers. Inexistent roads should pose no problem at all. The Varicor 400 is a proper SUV that can be had with 4x4(electronic shift-on-the-fly mechanism), a low range transfer case and limited slip differential. If you intend to tour through the country or frequently access rural areas, 4x4 is a must-have option.
This SUV has disc brakes on all four wheels. The braking ability is reassuring. Since you only get the Varicor 400 tune on the top-end VX variant, ABS & EBD come as standard. Nose dive under braking is well managed and easily better than it is in the XUV500.
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