May 2022 - Tata Safari Diesel Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

Updated (April 27, 2022): This update of the Tata Safari diesel variants explained article includes the buying recommendation and feature details after the recent price update.

Also Read:

Mahindra XUV700 5-Seat Diesel Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

Mahindra XUV700 7-Seat Diesel Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

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 variant
• Automatic transmission is available in all variants but XT and XE variants
• Choice of getting the fairly loaded XZ variant without the sunroof

The Tata Safari diesel has the following shortcomings or problems:

• Too many variants (including special editions) may confuse potential customers
• No petrol engine option
• Overpriced XM and XT variants and stripped XE and XM variants; in fact, over the base XE variant, none of the higher trims justify the incremental cost with features
• No 4-wheel drive option

What Is The Price Of Tata Safari Diesel Variants?

The Tata Safari is available in 5 main variants — XE, XM, XT, XT Plus, XZ and XZ Plus. A manual transmission is available in all main variants as well as special editions. Automatic transmission is available in all except XE and XT variants.

The main Safari diesel-manual range costs between Rs. 15.25 lakh and Rs. 20.95 while the diesel-automatic variants start at Rs. 18.0 lakh and top out at Rs. 22.25 lakh. If you also consider the special editions, then the prices go up to Rs. 22.16 lakh for the Gold diesel-manual and Rs. 23.46 lakh for the Gold diesel-automatic. Automatic transmission itself carries a flat premium of Rs. 1.30 lakh over the comparable manual variant.

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.

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Tata Safari Diesel XE - Base Model Features & Review

The base XE variant of the Tata Safari diesel costs Rs. 15.25 lakh (ex-showroom) and is only available with a manual transmission. The most notable features of the Safari XE are:

• Halogen projector headlamps
• All power windows
• Dual-function DRLs
• 16-inch steel wheels
• Tilt and telescopic steering
• Front armrest
• All disc brakes
• Split folding 2nd and 3rd row seat backs
• Reclining second row seat backs
• Front passenger seat slide lever in 2nd row

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

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

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. 15.25 lakh (ex-showroom) is missing these features.

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

The XM variant costs Rs. 16.70 lakh and it’s Rs. 1.45 lakh more expensive than the base model. With the automatic, the XM costs Rs. 18.0 lakh (ex-showroom).

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

• 7-inch touchscreen
• Steering-mounted controls
• Height-adjustable driver seat
• Remote central locking
• Drive modes
• Follow me headlamps
• Rear washer wiper
• Power mirrors

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
• Small sunroof
• Cruise control

Considering the Rs. 1.45 lakh price gap, the list of additional features is too short while also missing several features. So, we can’t recommend the XM variant either for Safari manual as well as automatic buyers. This is the most affordable Safari variant with an automatic transmission. The XMA is Rs. 1.30 lakh more expensive than the XM diesel-manual powertrain. This price gap between the manual and automatic variants is consistent across all variants of the Safari and it’s a bit higher than the usual Rs. 1.0 lakh we have come to expect for TC, CVT and DCT automatics.

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

The Tata Safari XT variant is the next in line with an ex-showroom price of Rs. 15.93 lakh This variant is only available with a manual transmission and costs Rs. 1.29 lakh more than the XM manual. It adds the following notable features:

• Android Auto
• Apple Carplay
• 18-inch alloys
• Soft-touch dashboard
• Lumbar adjustment for driver seat
• Rear armrest with cup holders
• Keyless entry with push-button start
• Air purifier
• Power folding mirrors
• Auto AC
• Auto wipers
• Auto headlamps
• Tyre pressure sensors

It’s worth noting that this variant still doesn’t offer wireless Android Auto and Apple Carplay, LED or HID headlamps. While the additional features of the Tata Safari XT over the XE don’t justify the incremental jump, it offers features that warrant an upgrade from the XM for a decent ownership experience. You should compromise a little bit on the value for money front and at least buy the XT variant as the lower variants don’t have several must-have features while the XT has a balanced feature set.

If you want a sunroof in your car, then the XT Plus is suitably priced costing Rs. 80,000 more than the XT. The XT Plus is our top recommendation for buyers, who are considering the Safari and don’t want to stretch the budget any further. For buyers considering the Safari automatic, the jump from XMA to the XTA Plus variant will cost Rs. 2.30 lakh as the XT variant is not available with an automatic transmission. But this upgrade is also worth the cost for Safari automatic buyers.

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

The Safari XZ variant costs Rs. 95,000 more over the XT Plus. The XZ variant costs Rs. 19.95 lakh with the manual and Rs. 21.25 lakh with the automatic. 

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

• Power driver seat
• HID headlamps
• Side and curtain airbags
• 7-inch full-colour LCD instrument cluster
• White leather upholstery
• White interior
• Shark-fin antenna
• JBL sound system with a subwoofer
• Wireless Android Auto and Apple Carplay
• Leather steering and gear knob
• Auto dimming inside mirror
• Larger touchscreen

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, it’s fair to compare the XZ to the XT variant, which also doesn’t get the sunroof but has everything else that the XT Plus has to offer. In that case, the upgrade to the XZ variant is easily worth the incremental cost.

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

The Safari XZ Plus variant costs Rs. 1.0 lakh more over the XZ. The XZ Plus manual costs Rs. Rs. 20.95 lakh (ex-showroom) and it costs Rs. 22.25 lakh with the automatic.

The XZ Plus variant adds the following additional features:

• Ventilated front seats
• Optional captain seats
• Ventilated 2nd row seats (with captain seats only)
• Panoramic sunroof

Considering the incremental asking price, the XZ Plus easily justifies the upgrade for the features it offers. If you’re buying the XZ Plus variant, then we strongly recommend getting it with the captain seats in 6-seater layout. It’ll cost you Rs. 10,000 more but it also adds rear seat ventilation, which more than justifies this cost.

Tata Safari XZ Plus Kaziranga, Dark, Gold vs XZ Plus

These special editions offer visual design differences for an additional sum. In terms of features, they’re identical to the regular XZ Plus variant. The only notable feature differences are that the Gold edition offers genuine leather upholstery while the Dark edition removes wireless phone charger. The additional asking prices for these variants are reasonable and you can consider Dark or Kaziranga editions. The Gold edition is the only expensive one costing about Rs. 1.0 lakh more for the visual changes and real leather upholstery. Since none of these special editions offer any must-have features, we’ll leave it up to you to decide if you should make the jump to these variants over the regular XZ Plus variant.

Which Variant Of The Tata Safari Diesel Should You Buy?

The XE base and XM variants miss out on so many must-have features that you’ll end up compromising greatly on the ownership experience. So, you should at least buy the XT or the XT Plus variants as these variants offer better value than the XM and have a balanced feature set.

Between the XT and the XT Plus, you can choose the XT variant if you don’t want the sunroof or the XT Plus if you want the sunroof.

From there, the XZ also offers good value for money over the XT variant and is a perfect upgrade for those who want a feature rich car. But the XZ Plus now seems like an easy-to-recommend car, especially with the captain seats. In the 6-seater layout, even the second row seats get ventilation for an additional Rs. 10,000 only.

For the Safari automatic buyers, the XMA is worth skipping for the XTA Plus. It offers better value and enough features for a significantly better ownership experience. From there, the XZA seems like a good upgrade for buyers who want the Safari without the panoramic sunroof. It is also our top recommendation for Safari automatic buyers.

But, if you want the car with the sunroof, then you’ll have to compromise a little bit on the value front compared to the XZA and go with the XZA Plus. Just like the diesel-manual variants of the Safari, with the automatic too, the Dark, dual-tone and Kaziranga editions are worth the incremental asking price for the unique style elements they offer.

What Are The Engine Specifications Of The Tata Safari Diesel?

The Safari is a D-segment SUV with 3-row of seating. It offers optional captain seats in the second row with the XZ Plus variant. Alcazar and Hector Plus are the other 2 cars offering this feature but the 3-row XUV700 doesn’t have this option at all. 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 D-segment diesel SUV, it has considerably better performance.

Meanwhile, the Alcazar serves as a slightly affordable alternative to the larger SUVs with far better mileage figures from its smaller 1.5L turbo diesel engine.

*Estimated

What Are The Dimensions Of The Tata Safari?

The Tata Safari is shorter than the Hector Plus and XUV700 but considerably longer than the Alcazar and wider than the XUV700. While the Safari has a segment-best 205mm ground clearance it has the smallest fuel tank in its class, which can carry 10 litres less fuel than the Hector Plus and XUV700 5-seat.

Just like the mileage figures, Mahindra haven’t revealed the ground clearance and boot space numbers either. They could be 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 Diesel, Diesel Or CNG Car

What Are The Colour Options Of The Tata Safari Diesel?

The 2022 Safari diesel is available in the following exterior colour options:

• Dark blue
• Light blue
• White
• Grey
• Beige/gold (Kaziranga edition)
• Black (Dark and black gold edition)

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