![]() A truck like rumbling follows as the beast wakes up from its slumber. The Safari needs a key to be inserted into a hole to get it started – the good, old fashioned way. Furthermore, there’s no leather upholstery, even on the top-end VX 4×4 variant. Also, there are no powered adjustments here. The front seats are fairly comfortable and supportive, but could have done with a little more bolstering. The high-set driving position makes one feel like a small king, with a commanding view of the road ahead – it doesn’t matter if none exists, though, but more on that later. The Safari’s side steps come in handy, because this is one vehicle where one has to literally climb up to access the cabin blame it on the 200mm ground clearance. ![]() Having said that, the Safari is more classical, more timeless in its design, and for those who like that form, the urbane look of the modern crossovers won’t probably do. ![]() While looks are subjective, we think that the Mahindra XUV500 looks more modern and contemporary overall and should have a bigger appeal to a wide majority. A new top-end W10 variant with all the bells and whistles has also been introduced. The sides are highlighted by new, 17 inch, 10-spoke alloy wheels and chrome lining below the windows, while the rear gets a new chrome appliqué over the registration plate recess. The bonnet design is cleaner too, and it’s hydraulically assisted for easier opening. The face-lift adds new static bending projector headlamps with S-shaped LED light guides, a new, evolutionary “toothy” grille with chrome inserts and new chromed fog lamp bezels on a freshly styled front bumper. Sure there are those unsophisticated lines on the surface, but we guess the overall design has gone down rather well with the Indians. The proportions of the Mahindra are very well balanced, and though we don’t buy the cheetah references, it does look like it’s ready to pounce, and is in a perpetual “full-attack” mode. While the Safari is relatively tall, the XUV500 has got a squatter stance, and definitely looks faster than the Tata even while standing still. The body cladding has matured and integrates itself better with the bodywork, while rear end has been cleaned up, and unlike the pre-Storme Safari, the external, tail gate mounted spare wheel has moved below.Ĭompared to the Tata, the new Mahindra XUV500 is fresh meat. Moving over to the sides and rear, nothing much has changed from the original Storme, or the original Safari for that matter. Elements from the new grille find their way inside the air dam as well. ![]() ![]() On the outside, the Storme face-lift (2015) adds a Land Rover inspired honeycomb-patterned front grille. The old-school appearance makes for a rebellious fervor, something that stands out amidst a sea of crossovers which, when shown a 60-degree incline, will curl up and die. Having said that, this decades old beats still has an allure and connects with the machismo seeking males like no other with its classic lines.įor a design that came out in 1999, its inherent handsomeness still appeals to contemporary taste buds. The Storme, and its subsequent refresh, could probably have been a bit more exhaustive in our humble opinion. The Tata Safari has been around for a while now, and whatever mid-life sheen it had gathered courtesy of those tasteful advertisements by Ogilvy & Mather, has started to wear off. On one hand, we have the newly updated Mahindra XUV500, while on the other we have the Tata Safari Storme, which also received mild updates a few months ago. We pit the two Indian, large 7-seater, thoroughbred SUVs to the test. ![]()
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