25/12/2023
Confused between Tata SAFARI and Mahindra XUV 700 ????
Detailed comparison By Rivan RS.
It’s not the destination, it’s the journey.’ These words are a universal truth, and they can be readily applied to the world of automobiles. Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra began as makers of commercial vehicles and rough-and-tough utility models respectively, a little after India declared its independence, and they’ve come very far since then.
The Tata Safari first. That’s a brand name that has been going strong for over 23 years. The second-gen Safari arrived early last year and, understandably, took some flak for not being in the same vein as its predecessor, which was quite a capable 4×4 machine. Tata’s new flagship SUV also faced some criticism for being an elongated and slightly more comfortable version of the Harrier. All that aside, if you see the Safari for what it is (and not what traditionalists think it should be), it’s a solid, spacious and comfortable SUV.
The fact that it shares little with the first-gen model, besides its name, is a good thing in the current scenario. This is underscored by its sales numbers — Tata sold over 1500 units every month on average in the August-December 2021 period. That’s not bad at all for an SUV for which people shell out between Rs 15 lakh and Rs 23.20 lakh, ex-showroom.
Safari’s cabin feels plush, but rough around the edges
Mahindra’s XUV nameplate isn’t as storied as the Safari’s, but when the XUV500 arrived in 2011, it was a massive step forward for the SUV specialist. Mahindra brought in what could almost be considered a svelte SUV, at least in comparison to its more utilitarian siblings. There’s no denying the new XUV700 is leaps and bounds ahead of its predecessor, and it’s interesting to see that the starting price is close to the XUV500, at Rs 12.49 lakh, though the top-of-the-line model retails at Rs 22.99 lakh, ex-showroom.
We’ll have to wait for the initial rush to wear off before we can determine how well it is actually doing on the sales charts, but the fact that the brand received more than 70,000 orders by November 2021 shows how much interest there is in it. That’s despite the semiconductor shortage stretching waiting periods to 18 months! I’ve seen very few on the road so far, but the trickle of deliveries goes on.
Standing next to each other, the XUV700 and Safari look large and in charge — the same feeling you get from behind the wheel of both — with the Mahindra seeming positively dominating. It got more than a few looks on the move and at signals, and a small crowd even gathered when I parked it at one of the rest stops on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. One curious bystander remarked ‘So proud of this! Look at them. Fully made in India, by Indian manufacturers. And to world-class standards.’ I can definitely see his point of view.
Are they completely Indian, though? Take a look at the Safari’s mechanical bits and underpinnings and you might think that it’s not. The monocoque chassis is derived from Land Rover’s D8 platform, the 168-bhp 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine has been borrowed from FCA and the 6-speed automatic gearbox has been sourced from Hyundai. They all come together to make for a surprisingly capable machine, which is the epitome of Indian jugaad. In sport mode, nothing hinders the Safari from leaping forward energetically, almost maniacally. It’s smooth enough in the city, especially in city mode, as long as you use the accelerator pedal judiciously. Multiple downshifts are not a particular forte of the automatic gearbox, but overtaking at highway speeds is a cinch. I’d recommend not using Eco mode, unless you really need to eke out every little drop of diesel.
Neither SUV is meant to be a corner-carver, but they both tackle bad roads with supreme confidence. The XUV700 is particularly adept at this task, both at low speeds and high. It lends a certain air of confidence when sudden direction changes are needed, but there’s no getting away from just how big it is. I was trying to squeeze into a narrow lane, at one point, next to a Merc GLC and I felt like I had the larger vehicle in that scenario. Still, it’s deft enough when there’s a certain amount of space. Likewise, the Safari feels like a lumbering giant in traffic, and tight turns take some strategic planning and more three-point turns than you’d think.
:The XUV700 goes beyond what you’d expect from something in this price range, by offering an almost Mercedes MBUX-like touchscreen and digital instrument cluster. It’s pretty simple to use, informative, and clear, even in direct sunlight. Further, Mahindra offers a 360-degree camera, blind spot monitors, autonomous functions such as emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition and driver drowsiness detection.
I’m a proponent of hatchbacks and yet, I can see the appeal of driving around, or being driven around in a massive, comfy, tech-heavy SUV. The commanding driving position, the luxury, the approachable price tags – they really do work. The sales and bookings figures speak for themselves. Mahindra and Tata have worked hard to get where they are, and it shows in their products; it’s understandable that national pride comes into the buying decision. Considering this wasn’t a direct contest — we’ll bring the XUV700 diesel-automatic next time — there isn’t an actual choice to make here. But there is a winner, and that’s the Indian consumer. I can’t wait to see where this journey leads.
