May 2023 - Tata Safari Diesel Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

Updated: This update of the Tata Safari diesel variants explained article includes the buying recommendation and feature details as of May 2023.

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What Are The Pros And Cons Of Tata Safari Diesel?

The pros or advantages of Tata Safari diesel are:

• Best-in-class ground clearance of 205mm
• Respectable mileage numbers for diesel-manual and automatic powertrain
• Offers ventilated 2nd row captain seats as segment-first feature for a negligible incremental cost over XZ Plus 7-seat variant
• Automatic transmission is available in all variants but XE and XM variants
• Choice of getting the fairly loaded XZ variant without the sunroof
• ADAS features in top-spec XZ Plus (O) variant

The Tata Safari diesel has the following shortcomings or problems:

• No petrol engine option
• Overpriced XM and stripped XE variants don’t justify the ex-showroom price for the features they offer
• No 4-wheel drive option
• The value-for-money XMS variant doesn’t get several must-have features we expect from a car at this price point
• ADAS features are only available with automatic transmission
• A rare car with ADAS but no adaptive cruise control feature

What Is The Price Of Tata Safari Diesel Variants?

The Tata Safari is available in 7 main variants — XE, XM, XMS, XT Plus, XZ, XZ Plus and XZ Plus (O). Except for the top model, all of these are available with a manual transmission. Meanwhile, the automatic transmission is available in all but lower XE and XM variants. The automatic transmission carries a flat Rs. 1.30 lakh premium over the comparable manual transmission variant.

The higher end XZ Plus and XZ Plus (O) trims are also available with 6-seat option for an additional Rs. 10,000. 

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Tata Safari Diesel XE - Base Model Features & Review

The base XE variant of the Tata Safari diesel costs Rs. 15.64 lakh (ex-showroom) and is only available with a manual transmission. The most notable features of the Safari XE are:

• All disc brakes
• Sunglass holder
• Manual central locking
• Split 2nd and 3rd row seatbacks
• 2nd row seatback recline
• 16-inch steel wheel with covers
• Black outside mirrors
• Body-coloured door handles and bumpers
• Halogen projector headlamps
• Tilt and telescopic steering
• Front armrest
• ESC, HSA, TC
• All power windows
• Day/night inside mirror

For the price and segment of the Safari, the base variant is missing several must-have features like:

• Touchscreen music system
• Steering-mounted controls
• Power mirrors (must-have for a wide car)
• Height-adjustable driver seat
• Auto AC
• Remote central locking
• TPMS

With so many features missing in the base XE variant of a car, we can’t recommend anyone to buy this variant. It’s even more disappointing to see that a car costing Rs. 15.64 lakh (ex-showroom) is missing these features.

Tata Safari Diesel XE vs XM Variant - Price, Feature Comparison

The XM variant costs Rs. 17.15 lakh and it’s Rs. 1.51 lakh more expensive than the base model. This one is also available with a manual transmission only.

For the additional cost, it adds the following notable features:

• 7-inch touchscreen
• Steering-mounted control
• 4x speakers and 2x tweeters
• Display for rear parking sensors
• Rear washer wiper
• Front fog lamps
• Remote central locking
• Power mirrors
• Drive modes
• Height-adjustable driver seat

While it offers some must-have and some good-to-have features, it still doesn't offer following features we expect from a Rs. 17.0 - 18.0 lakh SUV:

• Android Auto
• Apple Carplay
• Cruise control
• Alloy wheels
• Rear armrest
• Auto AC
• Keyless entry with push-button start/stop
• Rear camera
• Sunroof (any size)
• Cruise control
• TPMS

Considering the Rs. 1.51 lakh price gap, the list of additional features is too short while also missing several must-have features. It also offers the lowest value for money score among all Safari variants. So, we can’t recommend the XM variant of the Safari either to buyers.

Tata Safari Diesel XM vs XMS Variant - Price, Feature Comparison

The XMS variant costs Rs. 18.46 lakh and it’s Rs. 1.31 lakh more expensive than the lower XM model. This is the most affordable variant of the Safari with an automatic transmission, which costs Rs. 19.76 lakh. This price is Rs. 1.30 lakh more than that of the XMS diesel-manual.

For the additional cost, it adds the following notable features:

• Panoramic sunroof
• Wired Android Auto and Apple Carplay
• Auto headlamps and wipers
• Rear camera

Even the XMS variant is missing some features like:

• Cruise control
• Alloy wheels
• Rear armrest
• Auto AC
• Keyless entry with push-button start/stop
• Tyre pressure monitoring system

Because of a high-value feature like the sunroof, the XMS variant better justifies the price gap over the lower variants. So, it’s worth buying if you don’t want to stretch your budget further. However, we will strongly suggest stretching your budget for a higher variant.

Tata Safari Diesel XMS vs XT Plus Variant - Price, Feature Comparison

The Tata Safari XT Plus variant is the next in line with an ex-showroom price of Rs. 19.63 lakh for the manual and Rs. 20.93 lakh for the automatic transmission. This variant is Rs. 1.17 lakh pricier than the lower XMS variant. Here too, the automatic transmission carries a price premium of Rs. 1.30 lakh over the manual transmission.

The XT Plus variants add the following notable features:

• 18-inch alloys
• Soft-touch dashboard
• Lumbar adjustment for driver seat
• Rear armrest with cup holders
• Keyless entry with push-button start
• Air purifier
• Cruise control
• Auto AC
• Tyre pressure sensors

It’s worth noting that this variant still doesn’t offer the following features:

• Wireless Android Auto and Apple Carplay
• LED or HID headlamps

The XT Plus variant is suitable for you if you want a decent ownership experience but don’t want to compromise on value either. However, the sunroof is one of the features, with a high perceived value helping it justify the incremental cost over the base model. The XT Plus variant is also our top recommendation for all Safari buyers looking for a nice balance of value and ownership experience. If you want more features and have a higher budget, then you should consider one of the higher variants.

Tata Safari Diesel XT Plus vs XZ Variant - Price, Feature Comparison

The Safari XZ variant costs Rs. 85,000 more over the XT Plus. The XZ diesel-manual costs Rs. 20.48 lakh while the automatic carries an ex-showroom price of Rs. 21.78 lakh.

For the higher asking price, the XZ variant adds the following notable features over the XZ variant:

• Machined alloy wheels
• Wireless phone charger
• Wireless smartphone connectivity
• Leather upholstery
• 7-inch full-colour LCD instrument cluster
• Auto-dimming inside mirror
• JBL sound system with subwoofer
• +4x airbags
• 6-way power driver seat

Most of these features are good-to-have. But the asking price is reasonable for these features. It’s worth noting that the XZ variant doesn’t get the sunroof, which is available in the XT Plus variant. So, the XZ becomes an easy recommendation for buyers who want the upmarket features but without the sunroof.

Tata Safari Diesel XZ vs XZ Plus Variant - Price, Feature Comparison

The Tata Safari XZ Plus trim is the next in line with an ex-showroom price of Rs. 22.17 lakh for the diesel-manual powertrain and Rs. 23.47 lakh for the diesel-automatic. This variant is Rs. 1.69 lakh pricier than the lower XZ variant. For another Rs. 10,000, you can also buy it with a 6-seater layout, which gets captain seats in the 2nd row instead of a bench.

The XZ PLus variant adds the following features over the XZ:

• 360-degree camera
• 4-way power front passenger seat
• Electric front seat slide forward
• Optional captain seats
• Ventilated front seats
• Ventilated 2nd row seats (with 6-seat layout only)
• Memory and welcome feature for power driver seat

The XZ Plus variant is for buyers who want a higher-end experience without compromising on the ownership experience and value. If you want ADAS, then the XZ (O) becomes your only option. Let’s see what features it adds over the XZ Plus.

Tata Safari Diesel XZ Plus vs XZ Plus (O) Variant - Price, Feature Comparison

The Safari XZ Plus (O) variant costs Rs. 1.0 lakh more than the XZ Plus variant and it’s only available with an automatic transmission. Just like the lower variant, this one is also available with the 6-seat configuration for an additional Rs. 10,000. It carries an ex-showroom price of Rs. 24.47 lakh if you opt for the 7-seat setup and Rs. 24.57 lakh (ex-showroom) if you buy it with the captain chairs in the 2nd row.

The XZ Plus (O) top model gets the following notable features:

• Auto emergency brake assist
• Forward collision warning
• Rear cross traffic alert
• Lane departure warning
• Traffic sign recognition
• Lane change alert
• Rear collision warning
• Blind spot alert
• High-beam assist

Even with so many features, you may miss the most obvious ADAS feature in this car - adaptive cruise control.

The XZ Plus (O) variant is only available with the automatic transmission and it’s the only choice for Safari buyers who want ADAS. We wish Tata also offered the adaptive cruise control feature. But, even without it, this variant justifies its cost because of high-value ADAS safety features. On the value front alone, it’s a solid choice among the Safari automatic variants.

Which Variant Of The Tata Safari Diesel Should You Buy?

Among Safari's diesel-manual variants, the base XE and even the XM are too basic. So, we’ll suggest you skip these 2 options. From there, the XMS justifies the incremental cost with the sunroof. So, if you absolutely don’t want to stretch your budget further, then the XMS is a good option. However, if you can stretch your budget further, then you should absolutely make the jump to the XT Plus variant. It’s our top recommendation and it offers a good balance between value and ownership experience with must-have as well as good-to-have features.

The XZ variant is for buyers who want an upmarket ownership experience but don’t want a sunroof. While it seems to compromise on the value front, this is mainly because it doesn’t get the sunroof, which is a high-value feature. Finally, the XZ Plus is also a good option if you want good value and all the high-end features. Moreover, it’s also the only Safari variant with a manual transmission and ventilated captain chairs in the 2nd row.

For the Safari automatic buyers too, we’ll strongly suggest buying at least the XTA Plus variant for its balanced set of features and value. From there, the jump to XZA is suitable for buyers who don’t want a sunroof. The XZA Plus is also a suitable upgrade option with a decent value score and so is the XZA Plus. The top 2 variants of the Safari diesel-automatic also get the option of captain chairs in the 2nd row, which also get 4 ventilated seats. Thus, these 6-seater versions carry a higher recommendation for buyers who are going with the XZA Plus or the XZA Plus (O) variants of the Tata Safari.

What Are The Engine Specifications Of The Tata Safari Diesel?

The Safari is a D1-segment SUV with 3-row of seating. It offers optional captain seats in the second row with the XZ Plus and XZ Plus (O) variants. Hector Plus and the 3-row XUV700 are its prime rivals offering a similar seating configuration and a diesel engine option. However, among these, the XUV700 doesn’t have a captain seat option.

The Hector Plus also has a 2.0L diesel engine, which makes the same power and torque output with similar mileage figures too, with the manual transmission. So, the Safari beats it with the option of an automatic transmission.

The Tata Safari’s other prime rival is the Mahindra XUV700, which has a 2.2L turbo diesel engine. The XUV700 diesel makes a higher 185PS of power and a considerably higher 420Nm of torque with the manual transmission. With the automatic, this engine makes an ever higher 450Nm of torque. While we don’t know the efficiency numbers of the XUV700 diesel, for a D1-segment diesel SUV, it has considerably better performance. In terms of fuel efficiency, the fact that Mahindra haven’t revealed the figures suggests that they are probably considerably lower than those of the Hector Plus and Safari.

*Estimated

You can use our Fuel Cost Calculator to see how much any petrol, diesel or CNG car will cost to run based on the latest fuel price in your city.

Fuel Cost Calculator in India

What Are The Dimensions Of The Tata Safari?

The Tata Safari is shorter than the Hector Plus and XUV700 but it has the segment-best 205mm ground clearance. Just like the mileage figures, Mahindra haven’t revealed the ground clearance and boot space numbers either. They are most likely less than stellar for this segment but until we get official figures, we can’t comment on them. With the information we have right now, it looks like the Safari has the credentials to offer an imposing road presence.

Find out how you can get the best mileage or fuel efficiency from your car:

10 Tips To Get Better Mileage From Your Petrol, Diesel Or CNG Car

What Are The Colour Options Of The Tata Safari Diesel?

The Safari diesel is available in the following 7 exterior colour options:

• White (XE variant only has white colour option)
• Dark blue
• Light blue
• Grey
• Black (dark edition only)

Note: Here is a quick look at our length-based segmentation of cars to give you an idea of how we are classifying cars based on their size.

Also Read: Car Segments Explained - With Body Styles And Example