Powering the Tata Safari Storme is Tata Motors’ old workhorse – the 2.2-litre Dicor engine, albeit in Aria guise and now called Varicor. As a result, it now puts out 150 PS, ten more than the predecessor’s 140 PS. Frankly, the extra 10 Pferde isn’t really noticeable in day-to-day driving conditions and only if you pay keen attention will you realise that some of the sluggishness of the old motor is marginally reduced. Gearing is on the taller side and this only helps accentuate the engine’s turbo lag, which exists till about 1,500 to 1,600 revs. Where the engine does feel much better is when you put the Safari Storme to highway cruising duties, which the mammoth SUV dispenses of with ease.
The other aspect of driving that is easily dealt with in the Safari Storme is badly surfaced Indian roads. Ride quality on this SUV is quite plush and most of the time the vehicle will almost totally isolate passengers from the irregularities of the road surface beneath. Potholes, ruts, bumps, nothing poses too great a hurdle for this big burly vehicle. Not to mention that nice off-road-ready ground clearance, which is a boon on those mountain-high speed-breakers that we sometimes encounter on our roads. However, when it comes to handling, you’ll find there’s some amount of body-roll and quick direction changes feel cumbersome.
