Upcoming Cars: 2012 Tata Safari Storme (Video)

For a longtime after its launch back in 1998, the Tata Safari was synonymous for SUVs in India. Being the only SUV of its kind back then, it became a status symbol almost instantly – also the fact that Tata had done a commendable job of indigenously developing the Safari and it did perform much better than most vehicles of its time. But a lot has changed over the last fourteen years, and the most evident change in this context is the fact that Tata Safari is no longer the best selling model in its segment. 

Although the Safari has got its fair share of upgrades and facelifts (including newer and better engines) over the years, its graph has not really made a comeback once it started declining in the latter half of the last decade. This is a peculiar case though - the Safari might not be the most sought after car to buy today, but the brand commands lot of respect nevertheless.  It is probably never been so simple for any manufacturer to market their product – build a car that has appeal in the current context and the brand name will do the rest. 

The new Tata Safari Storme was unveiled at the 2012 Auto Expo with the same purpose of bringing back its glory days. This SUV is certainly going to interest a lot of people, but does it have enough to dethrone the new segment leader, Mahindra XUV500? We had a close look at the new SUV during the Auto Expo and let us go a bit in detail to check if the Safari Storme has enough to deliver the goods.