Tata Safari

Infobox Automobile
name=Tata Safari


manufacturer=Tata Motors
production=1998–present
class=SUV
body_style=4-door station wagon
engine=2.2 L I4
2.0 L turbodiesel I4
3.0 L common rail turbodiesel I4
transmission=5-speed manual
similar=Mahindra Scorpio
Hyundai Terracan
Mitsubishi PajeroThe Tata Safari is an SUV produced by Tata Motors of India. It is the first SUV to be designed, developed and manufactured entirely in India [cite web
url = http://www.indiacar.com/maintain/safari.htm
title = Tata Safari
accessdate = 2008-01-02
publisher = India Car.com] . The Safari is said to deliver almost the same power and torque as the Mitsubishi Pajero, but available at 60% of the Pajero's price (although this hasn't been thoroughly confirmed). It was released in 1998 with a 1.9-litre Turbo Diesel engine.

The Safari was extensively modified in August 2005, which included the addition of a new 3-litre DiCOR engine along with modified interiors and exteriors. This 3-litre engine is the first diesel engine from Tata Motors with common rail technology. A 2-litre petrol engine was also added to the range that same year. It was this modified version that won the Motor Forum's Car of the Year for 2007, in the SUV category. Voted by the users, it beat out rivals such as the Toyota RAV 4, Land Rover Freelander and Honda CRV.

First generation

Launched in 1998 in Turbo Diesel form, the Safari had convert|87|PS|0|abbr=on power. It came with a synchromesh forward five-speed gearbox, with a 4X4 option. However, it was regarded to be grossly underpowered, with a heavy body rollover.

The new Tata Safari DiCOR (DiCOR standing for "Direct Injection Common Rail engine") is powered by a 3000 cc inline-four cylinder engine that develops convert|116|PS|0|abbr=on at 3000 rpm and convert|300|Nm|0|abbr=on of torque between 1600 and 2000 rpm. The engine is taken from the Tata 407, a truck manufactured by Tata Motors.

The new engine is mated to a five-speed gearbox, with a new, sporty gear lever. Tata recently displayed a EURO 4 compliant 2.2-litre DiCOR engine with convert|140|PS|0|abbr=on and convert|320|Nm|0|abbr=on of torque at the 2006 Bologna Motor Show [cite web
url = http://www.autocarindia.com/new/Information.asp?id=1624
title = Bologna Motor Show
accessdate = 2008-01-02
publisher = Autocar India] . It was launched on October 5, 2007. It has some improved interior features like two-tone upholstery and leather seats. The high end version of the Safari comes with full safety features like airbags and ABS with EBD.

Change

The main issue with the Safari is that it is quite a heavy vehicle; it tilts the scales at Auto kg|2115 (kerb); adding an extra Auto kg|110 for the 4WD variant [cite web
url = http://www.safaridicor.com/Dicor_specifications/specification.asp
title = Tata Safari specification
accessdate = 2008-01-02
publisher = Tata Motors] . The consequence of that is though the engine specifications sound great on paper — 30 kgf·m (290 N·m) of torque at 1600 rpm is decent by any standards — it is not a great leap in terms of outright performance [cite web
url = http://www.autocarindia.com/new/RoadTestDetails.asp?ID=1092
title = Tata-Safari DICOR road test
accessdate = 2008-01-02
publisher = Autocar India] . Nevertheless, with the DiCOR engine, the 4WD Safari is substantially quicker than the 2000 cc turbodiesel model.

References

External links

* [http://uv.tatamotors.com/newuv/safari/index.asp Tata Safari official website]
* [http://www.safaridicor.com/Dicor_specifications/specification.asp Tata Safari Specifications]