Tata Safari Old Vs New: What’s Fresh on the Facelifted Model?

Tata Safari is a name of strong repute in the Indian automotive market. The name first came into existence in the year 1998 on a body-on-frame SUV from the homegrown brand. The Safari then received a slew of updates over the course of time to be taken away from the market in 2019, as the product life cycle came to an end. Well, Tata Motors got back to the drawing board and reincarnated the Safari as the 7-seater avatar of the Harrier. Fast forward to 2023, the second-gen Safari has now received an extensive mid-cycle update with enough changes to spice up the mid-size SUV market. But how different is it from the pre-facelift model? Read on to find out.

Tata Safari Facelift: Has the Design Evolved?

The Safari was designed on the baselines of the Impact 2.0 design philosophy of the brand. Now, the exterior of the SUV is thoroughly updated, and it borrows cues from the recently launched Nexon facelift. The front-end is heavily revised with a new grille, which cleverly merges with the body-coloured bumper that itself is an all-new unit. The headlamp design is altered too, and the LED DRLs are now connected to each other via a lightbar.

Sideways, the Safari retains its silhouette in this facelifted avatar, but the wheel size now goes up to 19 inches. The design is a refreshed affair, accentuating the SUV’s side profile. In contrast to the pre-facelift model, the rear fascia now looks more imposing with the tweaked bumper and connected tail lamps. Certainly, the new Safari does not just look9 butch, but more premium.

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Tata Safari Facelift: Feels Upmarket on the Inside?

A lot has changed on the Safari’s interior with the mid-cycle update, except for the space, which was in abundance from the start. Now, the Safari gets a slightly revised dashboard, featuring a larger 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment unit. The design for the centre pad, AC vents, and climate control panel is revised as well. The more prominent changes of all are - the new Curvv Concept-inspired steering wheel and 10.25-inch all-digital instrument cluster.

Talking of the feature list, it is now a couple of feet longer than the model it replaces. The Safari comes equipped with new dual-zone climate control, a 10-speaker sound system, a 360-degree parking camera, ADAS, wireless Android Auto & Apple CarPlay, a powered tailgate, ventilated front and rear seats, driver seat with memory function, and powered co-driver seat with boss mode. To reinforce the safety of the occupants, 7 airbags now come as a standard affair.

Tata Safari Facelift: Mechanically Superior?

Dimensionally, the Tata Safari facelift boasts a slight increment in width and height of 28 mm and 9 mm, respectively. Yes, the facelifted Safari is taller and wider, but the wheelbase is unaltered at 2,741 mm. Under the bonnet, it continues with the outgoing 2.0L FCA-sourced turbo-diesel that produces a peak power output of 170 PS and 350 Nm of max torque. Transmission choices aren’t updated either. Thus, Safari continues to offer two choices - a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed torque converter automatic.

Tata Safari Facelift: Pricier Now?

Earlier, Tata Safari carried a starting price of Rs 15.65 lakh (ex-showroom) for the base-spec XE variants and topped out at Rs 24.01 lakh (ex-showroom) for the range-topping variant. Now, the facelifted Safari is priced from Rs 16.19 lakh (ex-showroom) onwards, and it goes up to Rs 27.34 lakh (ex-showroom).

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