Tata Safari Storme Review

Big and butch, the dated Tata Safari Storme still has visual appeal to buyers for whom bigger is better. It’s quite a step up into the Safari’s cabin but once inside, as ever, the immense space impresses. Its front seats give a commanding view of the road, the middle row offers sofa-like comfort while the third row’s jump seats are best left folded away to free space for luggage. Note: the basic dashboard gives away the Safari’s age and you also miss modern features like a touchscreen infotainment system.
The Safari Stormes’s 2.2-litre diesel engine exhibits lots of turbo-lag – more so the 156hp, higher-output version – and this makes the Tata hard to drive in town. Both versions of the engine feel their best in the mid-range where they offer effortless performance. Refinement is nothing to write home about and both manual gearboxes – 5-speed on the 150hp and 6-speed on the 156hp – are cumbersome to use. The Safari absorbs bumps at low speeds well but its skyscraper-like height makes the SUV unnerving at high speeds. Where the Safari does redeem itself is off the road, where it feels capable.