Tata looks West
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• CM has long predicted that it is only a matter of time before Tata's vehicles reach a standard where they can compete with European and far-Eastern products on equal terms. And the giant Indian conglomerate has made another huge leap in the right direction with the launch of the Safari off-roader.
The Safari is the first Tata product to be specifically tailored for Western markets with significant input from UK design specialists IAD. The Safari looks totally unlike any previous Tata—in proportions it's closest to the five-door Nissan Terrano. A choice of four metallic colours and alloy wheels help give the Tata a contemporary appearance.
For the first time you could climb aboard a Tata with your eyes shut and open them without immediately knowing you were in a budget vehicle. The fit and fabric of the interior, if not challenging the very best Western standards, is certainly playing in the same league.
The standard equipment inventory includes air-conditioning, electric windows, mirrors and door locking, four-speaker RDS radio-cassette, power steering and adjustable steering column.
The tasteful cloth-trimmed accommodation includes bucket front seats with arm rests and lumbar support, height-adjustable seat-belts, 60/40 split folding rear seats and a pair of stowaway jump seats in the load space.
The warranty gives full cover for three years or 60,000 miles, with six years anti-perforation and a year's Green Flag breakdown service. But the best part of the deal is the price: £14,995 (including VAT), on the road. If Tata can translate the standards of the Safari into its light CVs, then some established players should be starting to sweat a little.