Tata Safari Storme following a 'better late than never' strategy

Following launch of the best-selling Mahindra XUV 500 Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), the speculations regarding the introduction of the Tata Safari Storme also gained momentum at that time. Earlier, it was anticipated that the car will spark at the India auto market in October 2011, though the launch was delayed. Reportedly, the new SUV was to be positioned on the top of the existing Safari line-up, in terms of price as well as performance; however the exact plans of the company have not been released till date.

Tata Safari Storme – following a 'better late than never' strategy

The yet-to-be launched Safari Storme was exhibited at the Delhi Auto Expo in January 2012 and there it managed to grab the limelight and impress the onlookers with its far much better-looking interiors against the outgoing Safari. Even the fit and finish on the new car was a notch above than that on the existing model. Yet again, the rumours about the launch date of the car gained pace after it made an appearance in the Auto Expo. However, since than a lot of time has gone by with the company extensively testing their upcoming car in and around Pune.

Meanwhile, Mahindra launched its XUV 500, which set new records one after another in terms of sales. The French car maker, Renault, also joined the league and introduced its new SUV Duster, which too generated buzz in the Indian auto market and has been currently doing a good business for the company. In spite of all these facts, the launch of the Safari Storme remains uncertain.

However, the fault does not lie on the part of Tata Motors, since they never disclosed any information regarding the launch date of their new vehicle. The leading automotive giant follows a pattern, which includes showcasing the model at the Auto Expo and launching the same towards the end of year in festive season. Going by this observation, Tata Safari Storme is heading towards its launch date, which could be slated in the last quarter of this year.

Tata Motors adopted this pattern with its crossover model, Aria and thus in most likelihood it will implement the same with its 2012 edition Safari Storme as well. The company officials have declared that the new car will be powered by a 2.2 litre turbo diesel powertrain, which will be capable of producing 140 bhp of maximum power and 320 Nm of peak torque. In order to enhance the performance of the new model Safari, the company has mated the unit with an all-new 5-speed G76 MKII manual transmission system, which will offer smooth and easy switching between the gears.

Analysts believe that with Renault Duster and Mahindra XUV500 already present in the market and Ford EcoSport slated to be launched at the same time with Safari Storme, the ride does look a little bumpy for the new 4WD model of Tata Motors.