Tata Safari Storme facelift vs Mahindra Scorpio comparison

What’s new?

The Mahindra Scorpio and the Tata Safari have been on sale in India for well over a decade and the battle for supremacy has been fierce. Since the time of launch, both Tata and Mahindra have made it a point to update them regularly, to help them adapt to changing technology, customer demands and of course, to get a jump on each other.

The last time we compared them, the Scorpio took the crown back thanks to Mahindra updating it extensively, with a new chassis, better interiors and more features. It was much better to drive, the cabin was nicer to be in and it offered tremendous value. Now, Tata has given its Safari yet another update; along with mild design changes and a much better interior, the Storme also gets a more powerful engine. So, it was quite an obvious move to get them together yet again, to see if Tata has done enough to wrestle the trophy back from the Scorpio.

 What are they like to drive?

The key change on the Safari Storme facelift is the adoption of the more powerful 2.2-litre Varicor engine from the Aria. Start the Tata up and you’ll notice that the engine feels quite refined – it’s as quiet if not quieter than the Scorpio’s 2.2-litre unit. It’s also more rev happy and the power delivery is smoother than before. However, the engine still takes a bit of time to wake up from low speeds and it still isn’t as effortless to drive  as the Scorpio. Even the gearbox
feels a bit unpolished and transfers a fair amount of engine vibrations to your palm. What the 10bhp bump up in power has done is made the updated Safari quicker to  100kph by over a second, now completing the sprint in 14.06 seconds.

The Scorpio is the nicer one to drive of the two, especially in the city. The clutch and steering are light and easy to use. The engine’s ready responses coupled with the Scorpio’s lighter body means it’s quicker to accelerate than the Safari too, which is useful, especially in traffic. The engine pulls without fuss from as low as 1,500rpm and there’s a strong surge after 1,800rpm. The mid-range punch of the Scorpio is superb and you feel there’s surplus power. Overtaking,
as a result, is effortless and the Scorpio can be wafted past slow-moving vehicles quite easily. Unlike the Safari, the Scorpio’s mHawk engine doesn’t like to be spun hard though, so it’s best to shift up before 4,000rpm.

Ride and handling

The Safari’s suspension set-up feels much softer than the Scorpio’s, and as a result, it rides better over most bumps and it also feels more stable of the two. But there is a fair bit of pitching and body movement when you go over large undulations. Also not very good is the Storme’s steering; it feels a bit disconnected, with a lot of play in it, so it’s not nice to use. This is accentuated when you go around a corner owing to the fact that you sit so much higher up in the Safari than in the Scorpio.

The Scorpio, on the other hand, feels much more nimble and is the easier to drive of the two. Body movements are better contained and unlike the previous Scorpio, the new one is a lot more comfortable when driven at speed. What we really liked is the responsive steering, the Scorpio feels more agile than the Safari and it turns into corners far more enthusiastically.

The suspension of the Scorpio is stiffer than that on the Tata. While it works noiselessly and takes the edge out of potholes, the body movements are much sharper and it doesn’t feel as comfortable as the Safari over bumps; the ride is bouncy and the rear wheels hop over sharp edges.

What are they like inside?

With the facelift, Tata has made some significant changes inside as well. The dash now looks much neater and the revised centre console looks more modern and upmarket than before. The Safari still gets manual AC controls, though, the knobs have a nice feel to them. The new integrated music system still lacks a touchscreen but sound quality is genuinely good and feels a step above the Scorpio’s. The chunky steering wheel is all new too and it now gets integrated audio and telephony controls. You sit incredibly high up in the Safari which makes getting in and out, a bit of a task. Still, the large front seats are extremely comfortable and provide a commanding view of the road ahead. The Safari’s best seats, however, are in the second row, where the tall seating position, the large seats and acres of legroom make it extremely comfortable.  

Meanwhile, the Scorpio’s dash feels more modern and has some softer garnish to make it feel more like a family car. Quality is not that bad and the dashboard is wrapped in more attractive, higher-quality plastics in a pleasant black and grey shade; and the awkward- looking air vents have made way for smarter rectangular ones. There are some nice details in the cabin, like the instrument cluster with its cool-blue illumination and the touchscreen, which is loaded with features. There are some foibles worth mentioning though like the dearth of bottle holders at the front, the tall gear lever and the absence of any space between the front seat and the doors. The front seats of the Scorpio, though comfy, are a bit on the narrower side and even
in the middle row, it can’t match the space and comfort of the Storme.

Cabin quality in both cars has come a long way since their original versions from over a decade ago, but both still have certain bits that are rough around the edges and there’s an inconsistency to the overall fit and finish. These are both seven seaters, but while the Safari is restricted to side-mounted jump seats for its last two passengers, the Scorpio can alternatively be optioned with a conventional bench for the last row. 

Buying & owning

The Safari Storme is available in LX, EX and VX trims, with four-wheel drive being an option only on the VX. The range is estimated to cost from Rs 10.5 lakh to Rs 14.5 lakh, with this VX 4x2 expected to be priced at around Rs 13 lakh.

The Scorpio is offered in six different variants — S2, S4, S6, S6 Plus, S8 and S10. The S2 comes with the more basic, 75bhp 2.5-litre m2diCR engine, while all the rest get the 2.2-litre mHawk motor. Two-wheel drive is standard, but 4x4 can be optioned on the S4 and S10 trims at a cost. The S10 4x2 in this test is priced at Rs 12.32 lakh which makes it about Rs 70,000 cheaper than the Safari.

Equipment & safety

The Safari Storme, despite the facelift, is still a little sparse as far as standard equipment is concerned. It does get the basics right, but even then, you feel like their functionality is limited and a bit last generation. The trip computer is small and basic, there is Bluetooth, but you
can’t stream music and the new music system still lacks touchscreen and feels old-school. It’s a good thing it has parking sensors though, because this big SUV is difficult to reverse. The Safari also gets auto-folding mirrors which is a boon when you consider the width of the car.

As compared to the Safari, the Scorpio is very well equipped. It gets a large touchscreen system with loads of standard features. There’s sat-nav, auto climate control, auto wipers and headlamps, follow-me-home lamps, a tyre pressure monitor, cornering lamps, basic voice commands, a DVD player, all of which the Safari Storme does without. We will also say that the Scorpio’s larger 17-inch wheels look a lot better than the Safari’s 16-inch ones.

On the safety front, both cars get dual airbags and ABS in these top trims we have tested.

Verdict

The Tata Safari has a lot going for it. It is a very capable and spacious SUV that looks imposing on the road. And now, with improvements to the cabin and engine, it’s better than ever before. What lets it down is that it feels too cumbersome to drive in traffic and despite plenty of new bits, its age is starting to show. Despite additional features, it’s still poorly equipped and the subtle design changes aren’t exciting enough to make the car look fresh.

The Scorpio’s extrovert styling may not be to everyone’s taste but it does look more modern. The cabin feels more contemporary and is far better equipped too. Yes, the ride is still not perfect and overall space is not as much as in the Tata. Still, it is easy to drive, has a punchy engine and we expect it to be much cheaper than the Storme. So overall, the Scorpio comes across as a better package.