Tata Safari Storme 4x4 VX: 1000km Long Term Review

  • Aug 25, 2014
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The Tata Safari Storme isn't exactly very popular. But, it has its own set of virtues.

Tata Safari Storme

It's large, heavy and a tad ungainly. But, then in the world of monocoque SUVs, the Tata Safari Storme still follows the old school recipe of a true blue off-roader. It uses a heavy body on ladder construction; it has handsome ground clearance; and in this top of the line version, it gets 4x4 complete with a low range.

There are positives and negatives to this approach. The Tata Safari Storme isn't great dynamically or the easiest to park or make gaps with in traffic. The ingress/egress can't be termed easy either. However, on pot holed roads, it is brilliant. It's also great to transport a family of five and lots of luggage. And because it is spacious with supportive and accommodating seats, not to mention a large glass area all round, one can easily spend long hours travelling in the Safari Storme without feeling boxed in. A great highway car then? It most certainly is.

It has other positives too. Operating the steering or clutch doesn't require you to be He-Man. And even after spending long hours driving it, chances are you wouldn't be dialing your masseuse for an appointment. It has great visibility too. In terms of equipment, there's leather, reversing aid, rear aircon and electric ORVM adjustment with fold function. It has armrests for the front two passengers and a central one with cup holders for the rear bench. Safety wise, there's ABS and front two airbags.

What the Tata Safari Storme could do with, nonetheless, is better ergonomics. The audio controls on the stalk instead of the steering are inconvenient; the seating position doesn't feel natural with limited adjustment for both the seat and the steering column; and though it has cup holders as part of the central console, these don't work. The aftermarket stereo system could have been better too; you can pair your phone over Bluetooth with the system but it won't play songs off it. That's just silly.

So, after over 1000km of driving the Tata Safari Storme in the city, on the highway and a bit off-road, we can tell you that you can certainly do better than the Safari Storme, but if you do decide to buy one, it's not a decision you would regret. But, will we stick to this stand as we rack up more kilometres on the Safari Storme? Tune into our monthly updates to find out.

Date Acquired: August 2014

Total km till date: 14,034km

On-test km: 1,024km

Fuel consumed:  100.3 litres

Efficiency: 10.2kmpl (As tested)

Cheers: Space, Visibility

Sneers: Ergonomics

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