1.         I own a Mar 2005 Safari with a 90 bhp TCIC engine that has given me 65000 KM of trouble free driving.

          

2.        

The Safari is a lifestyle SUV based on a body on frame chassis and is available in a rear wheel drive or an all wheel drive option. The vehicle has 05 doors and can easily seat 07 people. The suspension is independent all around with coil springs in front and a torsion bar at the rear. With 205 mm ground clearance, it can easily tackle rough terrain and a fair amount of water.  Storage space is massive and with the rear seats folded one can probably move house.

          

3.         Engine & Mechanicals. Of the three engines on offer, petrol is smooth and refined but the running costs are prohibitive. The 90 bhp diesel is the older engine and although it is smooth and reliable, some people find it underpowered. The new 2.2 DICOR with 140 bhp addresses the need for those extra horses and makes the vehicle more eager to gather pace. Personally, I have never felt the need for a more powerful engine. I have maintained the vehicle single handedly and used it extensively for touring the country and have never been left wanting additional power. The older engine is an In-direct injection turbocharged engine with a fuel pump that runs lesser injection pressures. As a result, the engine can be fed any kind of diesel, even the badly adulterated fuel that is available on our highways and it will not complain and keep marching. The newer DICOR engine runs a common rail pump with injection pressures of 1600 bars and is susceptible to the quality of fuel. Adulterated fuel will adversely affect the fuel pump and injectors. Moreover, the newer engine requires proper diagnostic software and a laptop for defect diagnosis if any indication shows up on the display panel. The older one can be repaired by most roadside mechanics (if ever the need arises). However, both engines are reliable and do not require anything more that the recommended services as per manufacturer’s schedule to keep them running in top condition. I get an average of 9.5 KMPL in Mumbai with the AC on and about 10.5 KMPL on the highway with the AC running full time.

          

4.         Body & Interiors. Looks are subjective and what may appeal to one may be unappealing to the other. Having said that, most people like the rounded and proportioned looks of a safari. The body is bolted onto the ladder frame chassis and this gives the vehicle enough strength and rigidity to endure prolonged abuse on our rutted and pothole ridden roads. Body panels are not prone to rattling but the hard plastic used for the interior trim can squeak over time. But again that is easy to fix. The heavy spare wheel mounted on the tail-gate makes the hard rubber tail-gate boot squeak and can be a never ending headache. I cured mine by fabricating a rubber boot from neoprene rubber. The interiors are well designed and ergonomics are very good. One can travel fatigue-free for hundreds of kilometers at a stretch. However, one may get caught unawares by the electricals. Power window winders start to fail after 03 years of ownership (that’s when the extended warranty got over). The steel body shell is not prone to rusting and only requires a regular wash and an occasional coat of wax to keep it as good as new.

          

5.         Suspension. The suspension on the vehicle is a revelation in the way that it soaks up all road irregularities. Rugged and reliable, it does not require maintenance. I would say that if you get used to the ride and floating sensation in a safari, you can never like the ride of another car. Suspension travel is huge and one can venture into places that other pseudo-SUVs have nightmares about. I have put mine through sand, rough, slush and the rann of kutch and never got stuck anywhere. Word of advice – get tubeless tyres to get the best out of the suspension.

          

6.         Maintenance & Servicing. Contrary to popular belief, apart from regular servicing as recommended by Tata Motors, the vehicle requires no other maintenance. The vehicles are reliable and will not die out on you. I drive mine from one end of the country to another and have not had a problem so far. As a matter of fact, I owned a Tata Sierra prior to this vehicle and sold it after running it for 1,32,000 KM – trouble free. What gives the vehicles a bad name are the authorized dealer workshops and the service stations. The service staff either does not either know their job, or the vehicle, or due to inadequate experience they misdiagnose small niggling problems as major defects. The service centres are generally dirty (as compared to those of other car manufacturers), customer service lounges are full of taxi drivers (thanks to all the Indicas and Sumos/Spacios) and the service advisers and technicians have a ‘Chalta Hai’ attitude to everything. A rare exception may be there but the scene is repeated at all service centres that one may normally go to. Servicing is overall a frustrating experience.

          

7.         Cost and Availability of Spares. The spares are very reasonably priced and are available readily. However, body parts and body cladding may be an issue in smaller towns. But, these are things that one rarely requires and even if one does, the service people can indent and get it from the manufacturer in a couple of weeks. Replacement parts will not break your bank or force you to sell your soul.

          

8.         Safety. Very high on occupant safety is how I would sum up this vehicle. I have had a Mumbai Taxi plough into the rear, a Maruti 800 crash into the side and once I misjudged and rear-ended a Maruti 800. Result – No blemishes on the rear apart from a small scratch mark on the bumper as well as the Spare Wheel Cover, a scratch on the footrest and the right passenger door plastic cladding on the right side and a cracked ‘H-Bar’ in the front. These are apart from the numerous murderous bike-riders who keep scraping the footrests. Overall, full marks on occupant safety.  Can’t comment on the safety of the poor unfortunate who happen to be on the other side of the windscreen.

          

9.         Driving and Owning. A joy. Let’s be clear, this is an SUV and not a family or a sports saloon. If you want to race everybody on the road, buy a Skoda RS, if you want a family saloon, buy a Toyota Corolla. If you want to go and see the country and places where few others would ever go, buy a Safari. Drive it as you would an SUV, it will not disappoint. Agreed that it rolls, pitches and is not as fast as a saloon. But the point is that it has a high centre of gravity, is tall and is not meant to be a saloon. Revel in its off-road capability and highway cruising manners and the fact that even Mumbai rains cannot stop you reaching where you are going and you cannot go wrong.

Purchase Price (INR):	8,50,000.00
Dealer Name and City:	Wasan Motors, Mumbai
Model Year:	2005