2023 Tata Safari facelift review: Family car with bachelor's spirit
- Decent styling updates on the outside
- Much more premium cabin than before
- No AWD or petrol engine option
- Tata Safari gets subtle but significant updates to its exterior styling while the cabin has been armed with newer features.
The Tata Safari is the flagship model for the Indian car maker that was first introduced in the country in 2021. At that time, the focus was as much on drawing inspiration from an iconic name as was on putting a brand-new model on a pedestal. This eventually resulted in the introduction of a three-row vehicle that promised SUV-like style but claimed MPV-like comfort. Fast forward just two years and the updated Tata Safari has a new wardrobe to show off in 2023.
Tata has been steadily increasing its focus on passenger vehicles that not just drive well and have top-notch safety credentials but look cutting-edge as well. Or at least extremely contemporary. Just look at the models like Altroz hatchback, the updated Nexon compact SUV and Nexon EV or even the latest Harrier SUV. Here are cars across different body types that showcase the current best that Tata Motors' designers have to offer. And it is a treat for sure. Towards this end, the new Tata Safari has been given a noticeable makeover as well even though it obviously retains its OG flavour.
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And then there is the pivotal factor of in-car features - the more, the better, even if you end up not using a significant chunk of these in the long run. The Koreans started the trend and rivals like Tata Motors are only too keen to hit back. The Tata Safari, therefore, was always going to be pampered and peppered with features galore. So how do all of these factors come together to manifest in the flagship product from Tata Motors? Here is the first-drive review of the 2023 Tata Safari facelift:
Also watch: 2023 Tata Safari review: Family SUV with bachelor spirit?
2023 Tata Safari facelift: Exterior
The updated Safari looks a tad bit more sporty compared to the outgoing model, while still retaining its largely sophisticated exterior design language. The face, for instance, has been reworked and now sports a new grille, a reworked vertical housing for the fog lamps and headlights, and a stretched DRL bar that connects the sequential DRLs on either side. In a nutshell, the comprehensive updates of the front fascia have given the SUV a butch yet premium look, making it significantly distinctive from the previous model which it has replaced.
There is not much change in the side profile of the new Tata Safari SUV, apart from the reworked alloy design on the 19-inch wheels. The design is likely to evoke different reactions from different viewpoints instead of inviting unilateral awe. But what works really well is how Tata Motors' designers have managed to snub the use of chrome elements and still come up with a visually striking profile. Overall, the side profile of the SUV looks slightly curvy and pretty clean. The subtly flared wheel arches give the SUV a bold and muscular look, while the new design alloy wheels enhance the premium sporty feel.
There are no chrome elements on the rear of the Safari either, where a stretched LED bar connects the two tail lights and runs all across the length of the trunk door which, by the way, offers powered powered-open option. Besides that, the tailgate looks pretty sculpted thanks to the glossy black panel running through the centre of the trunk that also houses the sleek LED bar. The integrated roof spoiler and chunky black bumper with a thick metal skid plate are other design elements that come enhancing the SUV's bold visual appearance.
2023 Tata Safari facelift: Interior
The new Tata Safari's cabin has become much more premium now and a slew of updates to the feature list as well as to the upholstery lend the vehicle a premium appeal that would have otherwise been restricted to models in segments above the one this car competes in. The top-end Accomplished variant - or persona, as Tata Motors refers to it, comes with a dual-tone colour scheme inside the cabin but the White theme on the seats would be quite hard to maintain in pristine condition.
The layered dashboard now gets an artificial wood panel which is a nice touch while the central section is dominated by a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment display unit that is intuitive, puts out clear feed from the 360-degree cameras and supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The map feed can also be redirected to the all-digital driver display screen for better navigation which now sports customisable layouts.
The steering wheel has also been updated and is now a four-spoke set with mounted controls and has an illuminated Tata logo on it. This is certainly another nice touch from Tata Motors enhancing the premium quotient inside the cabin of the new Safari SUV. The updated steering wheel is quite easy to operate and control the advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) functionalities that this car offers, courtesy of the layout of the control buttons on the wheel. On that note, the new Tata Safari SUV offers 11 ADAS functions in a further bid to aid driving safety and convenience.
There are plenty of other convenience features that the new Safari packs as well, whether it is the dual-zone climate control function, air purification system, ventilated seats at the front and middle, voice-activated panoramic sunroof, Alexa to Home technology or remote access to the vehicle.
Space remains the same inside the cabin of the new Tata Safari, which means that the SUV continues to be a decently spacious vehicle for passengers in all three rows. Space in that third row, however, continues to come at the cost of a compromised boot storage space. But that's really expected, right?
Overall, the new Tata Safari SUV come as a very well-appointed vehicle with quite a lot of space for comfortable long trips but now, at least in the top-spec version, is significantly more premium than before.
2023 Tata Safari facelift: Safety
Tata Motors has been taking the front row across different segments in the Indian passenger vehicle market over the last few years when it comes to making safe cars. While the modern Tata cars come with a wide range of safety features, they also come with robust build quality as well. The Tata Safari facelift too comes following the same strategy.
The Tata Safari comes well-equipped with a host of safety features designed to provide peace of mind to the occupants. Some of the advanced safety technologies available onboard the Tata Safari facelift include multiple airbags, electronic stability control, traction control, electronic parking brake with auto hold, rain-sensing wipers, rollover mitigation, hill hold control, 360-degree view HD camera system, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist and lane departure warning, front collision prevention function, blind spot detection etc. Moreover, it also gets features like ABS with EBD, Isofix child seat anchors etc.
Here are some of the key safety features onboard the Tata Safari.
- Seven airbags with six as standard
- Electronic stability control as standard
- Three-point seatbelts in all rows
- Seatbelt reminder for all passengers
- Isofix tethers
- Seatbelts with retractor, pre-tensioner, load limiter and anchor pretensioner
- Reinforced cabin structure promising to provide symmetric crash performance and side pole impact
Update: Keeping the trend of introducing safe cars in India, Tata Motors has delivered again with the new Safari and Harrier, as both these two SUVs have achieved five-star Global NCAP safety ratings for adult and child occupant categories. Besides that, the Tata Safari and the Tata Harrier SUVs scored a five-star safety rating at the Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (Bharat NCAP or BNCAP) as well. While announcing the test results Bharat NCAP authorities have announced that the Tata Safari and Tata Harrier have scored five-star ratings with top-notch adult and child safety ratings in frontal, side and pole side impact tests.
2023 Tata Safari facelift: Performance
Here is where the updated Tata Safari SUV could have been improved so much more. But isn't. So much has already been mentioned - and experienced - about the 2.0-litre turbo diesel motor under the hood and the choice between an automatic gearbox and a six-speed manual stick. Yes, the turbocharged diesel motor could have been refined further. Yes, the grunt is still uncomfortably palpable when pushing the vehicle to its limits. But yes, the new Tata Safari - especially with the automatic transmission - is still quite a fun car to drive and has enough power to get a move on when required. The suspension continues to hold its own on rough roads and the steering still has a nice heft to aid matters.
But why this otherwise very capable model does not also come with a petrol engine under its hood is beyond the comprehension of many. Tata Motors is almost snubbing the petrol-buying audience in the country, a group that is steadily increasing. There is also no 4x4 option for the updated version of the SUV because the platform on which the new Tata Safari is based on does not allow for it. But here is also a miss, especially as this model does go up against authentic off-road options in the market as well.
2023 Tata Safari facelift: Verdict
The updated Tata Safari is a big step up in terms of its exterior design and cabin features and quality when compared to the previous model. Space has always been this car's strength but the additions to the feature list arm this SUV to the absolute teeth.
The diesel motor and the automatic transmission work extremely well in tandem but as mentioned previously, Tata Motors ought to strongly consider a petrol option for the model as well, especially considering the number of buyers favouring the petrol engines are increasing across India over the last few years
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