New spy shots of the new Tata Safari have surfaced on the internet which was apparently caught during its ad film shoot in Pune. The new Tata Safari is going to be showcased at the upcoming 2012 Auto Expo to be held in New Delhi from 7th to 11th January, 2012. It has been under test for quite some time now and will compete with the Mahindra XUV500 at launch. The changes are not drastic but the Safari now uses the Aria’s X2 platform. This will improve the ride and handling balance of the SUV drastically. This updated Tata Safari is likely to get the name “Storm” along with Safari and not the name Merlin as was rumoured earlier. Looking at the spy shots, some of the changes are quite evident. [click to continue…]
There have been lot of rumours floating in the internet for quite some time about Tata Motors coming out with a new face lifted version of its SUV, the Safari. Now according to recent media reports, the rumour turns out to be true. Code named the Merlin, the company is indeed working on the facelifted version of the Safari and plans to launch it very soon in the Indian market probably by next year. The Merlin would be the most thorough update brought out by the company for this vehicle since it was launched in 1998. The significant changes brought into the vehicle include the front fascia, interiors and the rear end. [click to continue…]
Tata Motors has confirmed that the launch of the Safari Merlin is just around the corner. At today’s Sumo Gold launch, the company told us that they will be launching the Merlin soon. However the company refused to divulge further details including the exact date of launch and the changes to the car. Tata Motors has upgraded its entire line-up this year. They started off by refreshing the the Indica and Indigo and then launched the two-wheel drive version of the Aria crossover. The company then upgraded the Vista and Manza and recently made some changes to the Grande as well. Today, the Sumo got its fair share of upgrades, leaving the Safari as the only vehicle in their line-up untouched. Thus, it is indeed the Safari, which will soon gets its due in the form of the Merlin. [click to continue…]
The Tata Safari Merlin has been coming for quite some time now, but Tata Motors is not yet done with its testing, or so it seems. The Merlin, is the facelift of the Safari and is expected to improve on various key areas by borrowing tid-bits from its elder sibling, the Aria crossover. Now, a shot of the interior has emerged, making us belive that the launch of the much awaited Merlin is just a few days away. This uncamouflaged shot of the interiors of the Merlin, showcases the rather convetional approach by Tata Motors with the Safari facelift. [click to continue…]
Finally the wait for the undisguised image of the Tata Safari Merlin is out. Caught several times by us, the SUV was always covered with camouflage all throughout. Earlier we showed you the rear undisguised image of the Merlin now with the front and side we have the whole car captured. First look and it doesn’t seem Raw or aggressive which is the current formula for selling an SUV. The Merlin is a rather toned down Safari with lean mass on it. We can also say that it is at the foetus stage of Land Rover design. [click to continue…]
The Tata Safari Merlin got spied yet again and this time we have got some interior snaps courtesy of our friends at IAB of the most awaited consumer level SUV. Tata Safari has always been a performer and being the first affordable SUV with its mighty road presence and sheer size enjoying the likes of Politicians and Bollywood somewhat to the status which the Toyota Fortuner enjoys now, as the years passed by the car did not undergo any major makeover which makes the Safari look very dated. [click to continue…]
Tata Motors has been testing the new Safari, the Merlin as it is called since a long time. We caught the Merlin testing in and around Pune. The Tata Merlin was heavily camouflaged and will take cues from Land Rover SUVs. The Merlin will sport the same 2.2-liter DICOR engine, which produces 140 PS of at 4000 RPM and 320 Nm of torque between 1700-2700 RPM. The Tata Merlin will have better quality plastics than the Safari and is expected to be launched in October, 2011. The Merlin will bridge the gap between the Safari and the Aria. It will be offered in both 4×2 and 4×4 variants but majority of the sales are expected from the 2-wheel drive variants. The Tata Merlin will face tough competition from the upcomong Force One SUV.
Tata Motors launched the Aria last year, but has not been able to get much market share in the segment. Now the company is planning to attract a significant chunk of the buyers with the launch of the refreshed Safari. The Tata Safari facelift, known as the Merlin, will be launched in October, 2011 and will be positioned right between the Safari and Aria. The current Safari will continue to sell as it is, while the Merlin will be a new model. Tata Motors strategy seems a bit weird, they want to evolve new models out of nowhere, just like they did with the Indica – Vista and Indigo – Manza. [click to continue…]
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