Tata Gravitas SUV to be renamed as Safari

Tata Safari has been an iconic name for the homegrown manufacturer, but the SUV was killed because it was not upgraded to the BS6 emission norms. Tata Motors has now decided to bring back the Safari badge for its upcoming flagship that was called the Gravitas until now. The Safari will be the new 7-seater SUV from Tata Motors and will sit above the Harrier. The bookings for the SUV will start in January 2021 and the SUV is expected to launch on 26th January. The Gravitas was already showcased to us at the Auto Expo 2020. Before that, it was showcased at the Geneva motor show in 2019 as Buzzard. So, it has been in development for quite some time. Tata Motors has also launched a teaser video which shows us all the generations of the Safari.

Mr. Shailesh Chandra – President of Passenger Vehicles Business Unit (PVBU) of Tata Motors said “We are proud and elated to re-introduce our flagship SUV–Safari. The Safari, an iconic brand with a strong following, has been the most sought after SUV on Indian roads for well over two decades. In its new avatar, the Safari will appeal to the socially active, fun loving customers who seek out unique experiences and adventure. Its design, performance, versatility, features, and long lasting build quality, reinforce the SUV lifestyle to provide unending pleasure. We are confident that the launch of the Safari will once again re-energise the market, amplifying its cult status.”

Also read: Tata releases TVC of 6-seater Gravitas SUV

The new Safari will be based on the Harrier but it will be longer and taller. To be precise, it will be 63 mm longer and 80 mm taller than the Harrier. This has been done so that the rear overhang could accommodate the third-row seats. The roofline from the rear has been increased to offer better headroom to the third-row occupants. However, the width of 1894 mm and the wheelbase of 2741 mm will remain unchanged. The front of the SUV is expected to stay the same as the Harrier. From the side, the Safari will look longer and might get a different set of alloy wheels. From the rear, the Safari 2021 gets a steep boot and sleek looking LED tail lamps.

The interior of the SUV will also be changed and will be given a premium look. It will get a lighter beige upholstery and cabin to open up a sense of airiness. Whereas, the Harrier gets oak brown colour for the interior. Other then that, the interior will stay more or less the same. So, there will be a floating touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, TFT screen for the instrument cluster, multi-function steering wheel, wood finish on the dashboard, soft-touch dashboard, electric adjustment for driver seat, JBL sourced speakers, auto-dimming IRVM, tilt and telescopic adjustment for the steering, automatic climate control and much more. The Gravitas that was showcased at the Auto Expo 2020 came with captain seats for the second-row seats. However, we expect that Tata will be offering a bench seat for the second-row that will seat three people at once.

Powering the Gravitas will be the same 2.0-litre Fiat-sourced Kyrotec diesel engine that we have seen on the Harrier and some other SUVs. It will produce 170 bhp of max power and a peak torque output of 350 Nm. It will be mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed torque converter automatic gearbox. We expect that Tata will also offer a 4×4 powertrain as they themselves say that the OMEGARC is an adaptive architecture that allows for further drive train enhancements including all-wheel drive and possibilities of electrification in future. OMEGARC architecture was originally derived from Land Rover S8 platform so it makes sense that the platform is capable of housing a 4×4 all-wheel-drive system in future.