2008 = 1 New Car Launch Every 6 Days!!!

The Economic Times says 60 new car launches in 366 days. Wow!!! Am keenly looking out for the Hyundai Santa Fe and the GM Captiva. Their feature set and price point should be of interest to many a SUV enthusiast in India.

Car Fun - What?

Sorry been away from blogland for a few weeks. Just as I was getting ready to storm into the dealers one day to let them know what I thought of the squeaks that were driving me mad I got an invitation to visit a customer forum - Carfun organized by them on the 22nd.

In the meantime I have confirmed that the rear squeaks are only tailgate related. So now it should be easier to fix. So off I went to Carfun. The start was 45 mins late due to technical faults with laptop and projector. Not good.

Anyways we got going and the Indica owners started things off. Finally after a few minutes got my turn with the mic and I brought to their notice 3 points.

1. Why did the truck need 2 liters of engine oil in its first service and why did I pay for it? Also, why did I get a recite that mentioned "Petrol Engine Oil"?

2. The squeaks were never really fixed in that service despite the 48 hour service period. What did they plan to do about this?

3. The Protective Engine Coating that I paid Rs.900/- for was botched. The hood was shut before the coating could dry and some of the insulation wool from under the hood is now stuck to the black plastic engine cover. (The Beast is now Hairy!!!) What action would be taken for such shoddy work?

On point No.1 they did the usual merry go round and word juggling. On realizing that they were not really taking any meaningful measures to calm me down the dealer as well as the TML guys agreed that I should not have paid for the 2 liters.

Point 2 & 3 was accepted straight away by the dealer who has assured me that the squeaks will be dealt with in a day. The "Hair" in the engine bay will also be seen to and I await a call from Pandit Auto soon to get this mess sorted.

All in all I did find the forum very useful in getting the customers grievances across. Finally TML has realized the importance of this. No longer are they burying their heads in the sand and pretending to be the best car makers of the land.

Carfun is a monthly affair and any Tata Car customer can attend. This is a good start!

Report @ 2000kms!

Just finished the second thousand kilometers and just wanted to share the status of the Beast.

1. Engine is settling down well.
2. Gear shift is crisper and slots in well.
3. The Ride is less bouncy and seems to absorb bad roads better.
4. The rear is squeaking away. Could be tail gate or the boot floor/side panels. Not any of the seats though.
   
5. Have got used to the dimensions of the battleship and is a doddle to drive in city traffic now.
6. Pick up is much better now. The "Lunge" is more noticeable now than before especially in the third gear when I suddenly need to overtake.
7. Easier to park in most places now as I use the camera to better results now.
8. Planning a trip to Goa once the squeaks are arrested. :-)
   

Squeak Monsters - The Battle!

Have not had the time to take the beast in at the dealers to get de-squeaked yet. So have been keeping a keen eye/ear out for the squeaks. Well, to put it simply here is the story so far:

1. The noise only begins about 10mins into a drive, not at the start.
2. Occurs only on bad and uneven roads. (In Pune that being almost everywhere!
3. The other day had a few bags of shopping at the back and the squeaks never reared their ugly head. So again could be the boot space/floor rather than the door.
4. Everything seems in its place. All the panel screws seem tight. There is no vertical play in the tail gate. It all seems to be noise free when one shakes things around manually.
5. The intensity of the noise is not consistent. Some times it is more than others.
6. All the plastic sticker sheets that covered the carpets have now been removed completely.
7. The spare wheel yet to be checked for loose bolts.

So, all in all the squeaks remain but have reduced in intensity a bit. Will give it another week before taking it to the doctors, unless of course the wild band comes back and then it will have to be taken in ASAP.

Squeak Monsters - The Return!

About 70 kms after the first servicing the squeaks are back. Today while on a drive they got really loud and very irritating. So much so that my wife decided to help me investigate the source. She got into the back and on to the jump seats.

All this time I have been thinking that it is the middle seat causing the ruckus with the clicks and squeaks. Well today we found out that I was wrong all along. It is not the seats but the tail gate and/or the area around it that squeaks and clicks. Once my wife sat on the left hand side jump seat all these excruciating sounds disappeared. Even the jump seats are totally silent over bumps whether open or folded. The rear door on the other hand is emitting gut wrenching squeaks that make Guantanamo Bay a better place to be in.

I will probably have to send the truck back to the dealers to have it sorted. Since the sounds seem to be plastic panel related not much I can do to help the situation.

It is sad that TML has put a beautiful diesel engine that purrs into a beast that still rattles. Do any of your Safari's have a squeaking tail gate? Is this a design issue that will never go away or is this fixable? Are there any home remedies to fix this?

Do drop in a line if you can share your experiences with the squeaks and clicks of your own beast!

List of Known Issues! Updated 26/11/07

So the list is now created for all future owners to look out for these specific problems regarding the 2.2.! Please look for these problems before you take custody of your Beast!

1. Loose battery cables.
2. Pieces of Cardboard in the engine bay.
3. Loose wheel nuts.
4. Some vehicles have left the factory with low engine oil levels.
   

First Service - The Cost!

The first service cost me 1220/-. The engine coating was 900/- and they added 2 liters of engine oil for 320/- . I hope to add a photo of the "Coated Engine" soon.

I asked why the oil was added and didn't really get any thing meaningful out from the guy at the workshop other than that I must check engine oil levels once a week. Anyways as I said all seems well for now. Also the clicking completely stops if the seat behind the driver is occupied so am hoping to find the source and kill it once and for all.

If any of you are familiar with the Safari's middle row seats and could help me start somewhere particular please do let me know.;-)

First Service - The Results!

Last night I got the truck back home. On the 6km journey from the service station could notice that the noise from the engine was further reduced. As it was getting close to closing time I was in a rush to get the truck back home. "Everything has been checked", was what I was told. Waited till I finished about 50kms of mixed city/highway driving to see what exactly was fixed from the list given to them. Here is what happened:

1. Rubber Bushing under the bonnet to be added as it was missing at the time of delivery. DONE
2. Steering wheel needs to be centered. DONE
   
3. All the seats are squeaking and there is a "Clicking" sound in the middle seats that need to be fixed. SQUEAKS DONE / CLICKING NOT DONE
   
4. 4th vent on the right hand side of the Roof mounted A/C is very loose and keeps dropping down. Needs fixing. NOT DONE
5. 2 plastic screw caps in the door panels have to be replaced as they are currently very loose and drop off at the slightest door closing. DONE
6. All the doors need to be aligned and set properly. NOT DONE

At last the Beast is quite inside. Really enjoyed my drive out on the highway minus all the squeaks. The clicking is somewhat muted now but still exists. Will have to fix that myself I have a feeling. All else is mostly better than before the service. The Beast is settling down well!

CAR India Review - November 2007

While talking about reviews this one is rather glowing in its nature. It starts off," This is what the Dicor 2.2 VTT does to you, once you climb in, it makes you feel like an Emperor. Period".

I must say I do agree with that. Their FE figures are even lower at 7.8kmpl in the city. I am sure I am getting much more than this on my beast. They clocked a max speed of almost 159kmph.

Wow, must try this out soon!

It got 4 out of 5 Star rating here. The 3 months I waited for the beast instead of getting the 3.0 version seem justified now. Yippee!

The Autocar Review - November 2007

The 2.2 Safari has got a 7/10 rating in this review. Pretty much the usual lack of fit and finish holding the beast back from scoring higher. Other than that the review is quite favourable. The one thing mentioned was the Fuel economy figures of 8.7kmpl in the city which I find hard to accept. I am getting 10 with the A/C always on in the city so I don't know why they are getting a lower FE.

I like this one quote,"We were shocked by the flat out performance of the car which powered its way from 0-100kph in 15.1 seconds."

Finally the beast gets the engine it deserves. ;-)

First Service - As I Blog!

The beast is in the workshop getting it's squeaks and clicks dealt with. It will be back hopefully tomorrow as it had to be taken to the company that manufactures the interiors. The dealer offered to do the protection coating on the engine bay. It costs Rs.900 and does help in keeping the engine exterior look shiney and new so am having that done.:-)

Overall the first trip to the dealers workshop was quite straight forward now lets see what they end up doing with the truck.

First Service Coming Up!

Have just booked the first service for my Tata Safari Dicor 2.2 VTT. A few things have to be sorted as seems to be the Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI) was not done very well on my beast if in fact it was done at all. After the loose battery cable that stranded me on the 2nd day of ownership let me just say that the bad taste in the mouth after that episode is just about leaving me now.

The list of things to be done apart from the usual 1st service stuff is as follows:

1. Rubber Bushing under the bonnet to be added as it was missing at the time of delivery.
2. Steering wheel needs to be centered.
   
3. All the seats are squeaking and there is a "Clicking" sound in the middle seats that need to be fixed.
4. 4th vent on the right hand side of the Roof mounted A/C is very loose and keeps dropping down. Needs fixing.
5. 2 plastic screw caps in the door panels have to be replaced as they are currently very loose and drop off at the slightest door closing.
6. All the doors need to be aligned and set properly.

On the bright side @ 1500 kms the engine is purring and the surge in the 2nd and 3rd gears is more prominent now!

Finally A Few Pictures!

"Made In Germany"

Some time back I had found a part on the exterior of the Safari that actuall was Made in Germany. Here it is...the top tail light made by Hella! Do let me know if you find any more foreign parts on the beast!

Pune-Mumbai-Pune

Just got back from a trip to Mumbai. It was done within 24 hours. My first venturing out on the Highway/Expressway with the Beast.

The Good:

• Effortless cruiser.
• No chance of getting fatigue while/after the journey.
• A/C worked well in both dry and humid climes.
• At 120km/h the engine noise cannot be heard at all.
• The Bridgestone Tubeless tires did their job well.
• ABS and EBD were indispensables when slowing down from high speeds.
  
• Have crossed the 1000km/h mark and so will get the 1st servicing done ASAP.
  

The Bad:

• Since it is still in the run-in period did not thrash it about too much. On the way out kept it around 2500 RPM in the 5th which got it to do 110km/h.
• On the way back let the beast open up a bit more and stayed around the 3000 RPM. The engine felt better now and peppier but as soon as I crossed 140km/h there was like a hollow sound coming from the engine like someone left the door open in a storm.

The Ugly:

• Wind noise reared its ugly head at about 90km/h.
• The squeaks in the cabin came and went during the trip. On smooth roads the car is completely silent but as soon as you hit bad roads the squeaks and clicks start their cacophony.

My First FE Figures!

Just filled up for the second time since buying the Beast. The average has been 10km to the liter of HP Turbojet Diesel.

All in the city with A/C always on.

I am Off Center! What About You?

Ok in "the never a dull moment" with the Tata Safari Dicor VTT spirit have just confirmed another "Problem" that I am sure didn't exist till yesterday. Driving back home today and noticed that the steering wheel was not pointing North when actually the SUV was traveling straight as an arrow.

I did check to see if this was a my imagination playing tricks. But there was no drift the vehicle was moving straight and the steering wheel is now in the 13:00 position instead of 12 0'clock. It is definitely loosing the plot and hopefully the 1st servicing can also sort this out.

Coming Soon: Complete list of things to get fixed in the 1st service.

The List of Known Issues!

Today the guy who washes the Beast every morning turned up at the door blue-faced to tell me that the front wheel had a loose nut!!! I went to check and it was true. One of the nuts was only two full rotations away from falling off. Went straight to the tyre shop where they tightened and checked every other screw to make sure.

So the list is now created for all future owners to look out for these specific problems regarding the 2.2.! Please look for these problems before you take custody of your Beast!

1. Loose battery cables.
2. Pieces of Cardboard in the engine bay.
3. Loose wheel nuts.
   

The Economic Times Says...

Just read that Tata Motors Ltd. sold 1716 Safari 2.2's in Oct. 2007. That is a 20% increase compared to last Oct. The more the merrier I say.

Don't Be Shy!

If you have any burning Questions about life with the 2.2 then please go ahead and ask them. I am online most of the day and you should have a reply within 24 hours in most cases. Just my way of paying it forward to the Tata Safari present/future owners community. ;-)

Don't Follow Me Home!

All future 2.2 owners please get ready for the following phrase:

"Saab, aapka light chaloo hai!" (Sir, You have left your lights on!)

Almost every where I park the beast especially in the basement car parks in the city almost all attendants will come running after you, armed with the above line. At this point I whip out the good old Safari Dicor 2.2 VTT Brochure and educate them about the new "Follow Me Home Lights". (Just Kidding) :-)

It will take a few more 2.2 in the city for these guys to get it I guess.

Shake Rattle & Roll!

The Autocoat coating both inside and out was finished yesterday. Took 9 hours! Today the beast looked new for the first time! I know I am running a bit late with uploading pictures on here but please be patient. I shall do so soon. On the update front all is well. The many clicks and rattles have disappeared by themselves. the only occasional sound now left is that of the fronts suspension squeaking a little when going over the rumbles.

Had another day in bumper to bumper traffic in Pune and the drive is so relaxed. One arrives at ones destination quite refreshed having sat on high ground and the film+A/C combo does work very well and need to run the A/C on only number 1, to stay quite comfortable inside.

Still getting used to using the reverse camera thingy. The screens pretty small and there is no way of telling where the spare tyre is when reversing but it is still better to have than not I think.

Other than that the one odd bit I have noticed is that if you jam the brakes and honk at the same time the horn sounds as it its talking rather than beeping. It seems the ABS sucks a lot of juice from the electrics making everything else electrical kind of fluctuate. Don't know if this is a known issue or not. The 1st service should help clear this up.

1st Week Done Feels Good - But what's this?

Have finally got a number plate on. Took a week to get the beast registered. Now the car feels complete. Just done an hours driving over bad roads and inclines of upto 25 degrees on ghat sections. And as if on cue I am now sitting in an aviary. Don't get it? Well let me explain. I am now hearing chirps, squeaks, clicks and taps all over the place. The front shocks seem to be squeaking, the little back seat at the rear right is clicking away in its closed/folded position and few other minor sounds have developed but can't figure out where.

To be fair I only took this road today to get all these "sounds" out before the first service. The truck seemed too quite for it's own good and reputation.:-) I have clocked about 500kms already and in about a weeks time the beast should get its first service/sorting out. The handling on steep inclines coupled with bad roads was flawless. It feels very planted and the new tubeless rubber (Stock Bridgestones) do their job well.

Also some plastic bits from the doors have started to come off. These are little round things that go over screws in the doors. Some of them seem to fit very loosely and hence drop off when you go off-roading.

All else is ok. Nothing major to report yet.

Guess what I found!

Today while giving the beast a quick clean up I noticed something that I was quite surprised about. There is a external part/component on the Safari that is "Made in Germany". I had to look twice over because that is the last thing I was expecting to find on the Beast. Take a guess and lets see if you can find it too!

The things I like!!!

So as to complete the picture and to balance things out a bit here is a list of all the stuff I really like about the Safari 2.2:

• Refined Engine.

The reason for waiting for 3 months to get the Beast was for it's new heart. The 2.2ltr engine is a beauty. Easy enough to drive in the city and an effortless cruiser on the highway. Just waiting for the "Run In" to finish before taking off on long drives out town.

• Road Presence.

This is my first SUV in India and suddenly the bad roads and chaotic traffic seems to have become a thing of the past. The noise levels inside are low and the aircon is very effective now after V-Kool on the windows. The trucks and buses seem to notice you now and it feels good sitting on top of most things on the road.

• Leather Seats.

The quality of the leather used is quite good and the seats feel very plush. In Fact both the front and the middle seats are very comfortable for even "large" people.

The First List of Irritants!

Mostly I am very happy with Safari 2.2. But nothing in life is perfect and here is a list of what I find most irritating about the truck in the very first few days of ownership.

• Position of Audio System.

This is the biggest gripe so far. The gear lever completely obstructs the face plate of the music system when in the 1st and 3rd gear. Very dangerous positioning too as the deck is at the very bottom of the center console you have to look away from the road to do anything with it while driving. Looking at this as a probable work around.

• Ignition Key hole position.

The key goes in at a very weird angle. At first it was very difficult to get it right but over the days have gotten the hang of it plus the quality of keys does not help. They seem flimsy enough to break at any point while struggling to get them in.

• Missing "Dead Pedal".

This is more of a personal thing as all my cars up till now have had dead pedals it just feels odd not having one. Nevertheless the driving position is just fine and this point will not be such an issue as time goes by.

• The "Diwali Bar".

Yes, I know this is cryptic in nature but kindly bear with me for a minute. You know the Roof mounted A/C in my Safari whenever switched on makes occasional whistling/gurgling sounds. First time I heard them it sounded like crackers/rockets going off in the distance. Hence the name. These sounds come and go and are thankfully not constant. Hope they can be reduced or done away with in the 1st service.

My First Total Shutdown!!!

Today at 14:30 after leaving the car parked for about 20 minutes returned to the most amazing 50 minutes with the beast as yet.

Had gone shopping and returned with bags in hand. Unlocked the car, opened the tail gate and put shopping in. Sat in the drivers seat and put the key in. The seat-belt beeper started to go and so fastened the seat belt. Then cranked the key and all the lights on the dash went off. Wow! only two days old and my first kick in the gut from TML. The car at this point was completely lifeless. I got out and pressed "lock" on the remote and it locked ok. Then pressed "unlock" and it did that ok too. Got in once again, put the key in and cranked and all the lights went off again. Tried different combinations of this routine but eventually the car would not even lock and unlock anymore.

Called the Dealer at 14:35. The tech head also asked me to repeat lock, unlock and other variations of the same theme and eventually said that the recovery guys were on the way. At about 15:15 the guys arrived. Went straight to the fuse box. No issues there. Opened the hood and guess what the battery cable had come off. In fact it looked like it was never really tightened before the vehicle was handed over to me. Yes the great PDI check failed. The guy was extremely embarrassed and said he would make sure the concerned persons were brought to book. took down the chassis number and started looking for other loose cables all over the place. That didn't help in me regaining any more trust yet. He was gone by 15:20.

So next time I shall lift the hood up to see if there is a simple solution before calling for help with anything to do with this 300 crore wonder.

V-Kool Installed - First Learnings!

The V-Kool film was installed on Saturday night. Have never installed this film before and was quite impressed with the service. The car is parked in a brightly lit room with A/C on and the film is applied by trained staff that received a year of training at the Mumbai head office.

The one thing I did not know was that every door panel needs to be removed to install the film. This is dangerous territory. After all the beast is not known for its cabin plastic quality. Each door has a total of 12 screws that need to be unscrewed. The Innova and Swift have just one the staff tell me. Well somehow everything was put back together but it took longer than 3 hours mentioned to me before taking the car in. I guess the bits take longer to go back together because of the low quality.

All said and done the film is now in place. The windows cannot be rolled down for a week. Have also decided to give it a Poly Coat next Sunday, inside and out. The beige interiors are looking a few months old already and could do with some surface protection.

What Car - Review (Oct-Nov 2007)

Just checked out the review. They gave it 4 out 5 Stars. The update on the car is - it is in the shop getting V-Kooled. Went with the Diamond series which provides 99% heat reduction for the sides and back. V-70 for the wind screen. Drove in the heat today and boy does this SUV need proper film. Should be a "cooler" ride from tomorrow. Phew!!!

The first 50!

The story so far...

Have just done a little over 50 km since I got the beast yesterday. All of it in the city. The clutch is fine. The gear shift (Incl. the first) is very smooth and no sounds from the power steering. Pictures will follow soon. Have had the opportunity to engage ABS a few times thanks to combination of traffic and bad roads and it works flawlessly.

The Beast is Here!!!

Drove out of the dealers at around 17:45 today. The Beast is finally here. The wait for it now has become a distant memory. She had done 132kms when she became mine. Looks like TML are making sure that the thing does not fall apart. :-)

No issues with anything. The only thing installed today was the all important iPod Interface and tomorrow it will get V-Kooled. After that will leave it like it is. Just took the family out on a little drive and it is really effortless to drive in the city. Boy am I in for a ride or what.

STOP PRESS!!!

Just got a call from the dealer he is ready for me to take delivery tomorrow (19/10)!!! Finally the phone call I have been waiting for. Stay Tuned!

Dussera = D Day!

Yes, what the TML guys prepared me for on the Launch night is coming true. Delivery now slated for Dussera Day. Will it happen? Your guess is as good as mine!!!

So near and yet so far!

Just got off the phone with the dealer. He says 99% delivery will be done tomorrow. He sounds upbeat so let us see. One more day ....sigh! Come on guys get your act together.

Spotted the first 2.2 Today!

Almost forgot to mention saw the 1st 2.2 on the road today. Driven by driver with owner in the back it was in the metallic off white and a VX 4X4. Funny the owner seemed very happy and didn't seem to have any blown gaskets on his mind. ;-)

Also it had a temp number plate and was a Mumbai car.

The Payment Done - Now a step closer!

Yes, in spite of all the rumours/gossip/speculation I am not putting off getting the beast. People who drive 4X4's are not be little nancy boys who are afraid of what problems the future holds. We are a brazen lot that say,"Bring it ON!!!".

So another step out of the way. The full payment has been made. One new development at the dealers was that because of the car being over 10 lacs an additional 2% of Octroi had to be paid. That took the OTR price in Pune to 12,65,000/-.

Also the delivery could be Wednesday now as I don't have enough time in my schedule for tomorrow to give the beast the welcome it deserves! I am nevertheless hoping to shift a few things around to see if we can do this sooner, than later.

Delivery Date Secured!!!

Have confirmed with Pandit Auto for delivery on the 16th (Tuesday). Now we are in the final stages before lift off. Stand by guys the beast cometh!

The Waiting Game!

The wait continues....the latest on the delivery front is that it will happen in a weeks time. In the meantime due to this delay speculation is rife on the Internet about possible causes for this delay. Some say it's gasket problems, others simply say that the engine is so bad that even some TATA employees are not looking forward to the Safari's new heart!

Geez guys calm down I say. Let the product at least play in the "real world" before you run it down. Also what is interesting is that a lot of the 2.2 haters are 3.0 owners - tch tch!!!

Pune Launch - Been there done that!

Ok now the 2.2 is officially launched in Pune and all that - hooray!!! Sorry if I sound a little blase about it but not returning with a delivery date put the dampener on last nights events. Having said that I am sure I shall be getting one of the first cars to roll off the dealers floor so not long now - I hope.

Time to say - Cheers!!!

Got an invite to the official Launch of the Tata Safari Dicor 2.2 VTT today. Tomorrow at the Taj Blue Diamond (Pune) at 7.30pm the bubbly shall flow...;-)

Ok - Drove the Beast Today!

Yes after all that waiting I finally got to take the beast for a short Test Drive. The engine is in one word - Refined! Very quite, smooth and able to carry this two and a half ton monster around with aplomb. The vehicle was a VX 4X2.

This was the first ever time I have actually gotten behind the wheel of a Tata Safari and it felt good. The gear shift was smooth and devoid of any drama, the seating position and comfort were excellent. The only grudge was the omission of a dead pedal. Kinda gotten used to that in my present Hyundai Santro.

Also saw the 2.2 for the first time in broad daylight. The quality of plastics still remains on the lower side and though the fit and finish of the vehicle seems some what better than before it still is not up to international standards. Having said that the "Value For Money" deal is unbeatable.

The new fake wood finish is slightly on the lighter side and would have looked better had it been darker. Although the dash is now beige some how the two middle air vents on it are still black. This looked a bit odd since the vents on the sides of the dash are now also beige.

I know I am being too nitty gritty here because all-in-all the New engine has given the Beast a fresh new lease of life.

Got the On The Road (OTR) Price!!!

Finally got the OTR pricing from the dealer today. The magic figure is Rs.12,43,286/- for the VX 4X4. TD is also scheduled for today. Delivery status is now approx 7 days from today.

No Price list yet from Dealer!

Spoke to the dealer again. He sounded a bit hassled, poor guy must be getting calls all day now. He says he cannot confirm prices yet. Also cannot confirm delivery date. The ex-showroom price is available on their newly updated website.

Seen , Touched but Not Tested!!!

One day before the launch have finally been able to get up close and personal with the New Tata Safari 2.2! No Test Drive yet but got to sit inside with the engine on idle. It was in a dark under ground car park so did not get a good view but everything seemed "in place". The vehicle was in EX trim. The engine sounded sweet and absolutely no vibrations carried forward to the gear shift. The noise levels at idle were also way down from before.

The best part of the trip to the dealers today - He is looking to deliver my Silver VX 4X4 in a matter of 3 to 4 days from launch. WOW now that sounded better than even the new engine!!!

D-Day = 4th Oct!!!

Finally have a firm launch date. Confirmed with On-Air News and the dealer. He is only getting vehicles by tomorrow (2/10) evening and can only promise a TD on the 4th. Now the date is set it waiting for a few more days does not matter.

Another Day Older and still the Beast Eludes!

The latest now from the dealer is that they will not get any cars till Monday the 1st and TD's will only start then, I shall believe this when it happens. Until then it's speculations and disappointments galore!

One step closer....finally!!!

Ok spoke to the Dealer here in Pune today. He is getting his TD vehicles tomorrow (28th) after 4:00pm. So will either check them out then or maybe on Saturday when he has promised me a Test Drive.

Not long now....;-)

Launch Delayed and a few juicy bits!

Just got off the phone with the dealer. He was gushing over the phone telling me how good the Safari 2.2 is.

Here are the few bits of info I could extract in the few minutes:

1. Beige Interiors with wood finish on the Dash for the VX.
2. Tubeless Tyres.
3. Basket/Net to keep stuff in place in the Boot.
4. New Redesigned and "Better Looking" Stepney Cover.
5. Back fold up seats with better cushions.
6. Launch delayed by a few days and the dealer still does not have any stock or Demo/Show car yet.

So the wait continues...

Peek-A-Boo

Fellow bhpian adc from team-bhp found me out!!! I must be googlized already!!! U the man adc!!! Standby for more on the 2.2.

The Booking

Paid the booking amount today. The launch is scheduled for September 25th 2007 here in Pune.

The Test Drive (TD) is booked for some time next week. As soon as the Dealer has the stock shall get one. Have yet to confirm on the price list and test drive it but what the hell. Live on the edge I say!!!

Before I start on the journey with my new Stead or "Beast" as it is endearingly called let me give you the various reasons that brought me to this decision.

1. Needed an Indian SUV that was built for India. (Our Roads, Drivers and Traffic.)
   
2. Needed room for the family and the dog to go on weekend runs into the countryside.
3. The new 2.2 Litre engine is built to be cracker. (That is what everyone says.)
4. The only other competition the Mahindra Scorpio is not built for 6 Footers like me in mind.
   
5. The overall design of the Safari is much better in my opinion.
6. TATA is working hard to improve its After Sales Service (ASS) and I hope to get good value servicing and care after my purchase.
7. In the end you cannot beat TATA's Value For Money (VFM) deal.