Recently, Tata Motors took the covers off of its flagship offering, the Safari. And got the new version of it in public. A lot has changed, so without wasting any time, let us dive into the matter by learning all details about the 2023 Tata Safari got unveiled with new design and features.

About the 2023 Tata Safari facelift

The Tata Safari is Tata Motors’ flagship vehicle, as said earlier. Tata Motors got the Safari out for the first time about 2 years ago, and since then, the vehicle has been rivaling the likes of the Mahindra XUV 700, Jeep Compass, MG Hector, and Hyundai Alcazar. The Safari was considered special or maybe lucky because it got the privilege of having a hold of JLR technology. And what do we mean by that? Basically, Tata Motors placed the Safari above all these competitors because it was sitting high up over the OMEGA-ARC platform. The same platform that was used in the Land Rover Discovery Sport. 

From the time of its launch, Tata Motors did not really update the SUV much, due to which it was lagging behind its competitors. Especially when the XUV 700, from Mahindra, came in, things got out of hand, as its launch had set the bars way high for the Safari. So, Tata Motors had to do something real quick.

But now, as the 2023 Tata Safari facelift has been unveiled, the brand now seems to have its vehicle ready for any sort of challenge. 

The 2023 Safari still has got hold of its LR-provided platform, the OMEGA-ARC. Which, in fact, is a very good sign, as it was already a robust and planted chassis.

Exterior of the 2023 Tata Safari facelift

The exterior of the new 2023 Tata Safari Facelift is something that has clearly re-shaped itself. Earlier, when the pre-facelift Tata Safari missed a lot of usual bits, this new vehicle seems to have grabbed them. Well, to talk about the problem, the main actual issue was ‘distinction’. Yes, the distinction between its 5-seater variant, Tata Harrier, and itself. Tata Motors did make a good design with whatever was available, but they did not bother to distinguish their SUVs.

Front of the 2023 Tata Safari facelift

The front of the Tata Safari facelift is identical in terms of its shape, but it has received a lot of cosmetic changes. 

First is the Grille. The grille of the 2023 Tata Safari facelift is a lot more sophisticated, thanks to those neat inserts. Unlike the pre-facelift Tata Safari, where it had the tri-arrow thrown all over the grille, this new design features suit the overall aura and presence of the vehicle. 

Coming down, there is a black line which runs between the LED headlamps, which will be spoken more about later. This black line kind of divides the whole front fascia, the upper half, and the lower half. It is a clever insert, as it gives a sense of a well-put-together design. Basically, makes the design easy to understand.

Lower down, the air dams have also been changed; they are much bigger now. These much bigger air inserts are a well-thought input, as earlier in the pre-facelift model, there were two or three air dams, which really gave a messed-up look to the front. This single air dam unit is very neat and clean, as it has a uniform design flowing inside it. 

Right in the lower half inside the air dams, we can also spot a big Radar sensor for the ADAS.

Speaking of the headlamp units, the DRLs, instead of changing them, Tata Motors opted to enhance their existence. The DRLs are the same as before, but now they have been connected to each other. So, there is a long LED light strip running from one end of the vehicle to the other end of the vehicle.  

About the Headlamp unit, they now finally go with the entirety of the vehicle. They are bold, properly designed, and most importantly, they pack LED lighting now. So, remember the Tata Curvv concept ? The headlamp design has come from that idea. And it is good, as Tata Motors now could create a very well-going design heritage in between their SUVs. Going deeply into the headlamp’s design, the housing of the headlamps has a boxy shape to them, inside which they pack a total of 3 LED beams - one for the main projector beam and other two for work as foglamp units with the cornering feature.

Side of the 2023 Tata Safari facelift

The side of the vehicle has been kept almost as similar as the pre-facelift model. There are not many extensive design changes or additions made to the side profile of the 2023 Tata Safari facelift. So, let us just dive into what has been changed - 

The only change which has been made to the vehicle from the side is the set of Alloys. The 2023 Tata Safari facelift now packs a set of three Alloy designs; the most prominent of all is the one with the 5-spoke or Jeep Compass-like Alloy wheelset on the Accomplished variant ( Top variant ). And they go well with the design of the vehicle. Well, the three new Alloy wheel designs can be seen in the table below -

This is the only change made on the side of the vehicle. Despite this, the rest has been kept exactly the same.

Rear of the 2023 Tata Safari facelift

The rear end of the Safari facelift is identical in terms of its overall posture; no such structural change has been made. But quite a few design changes or updates have been added in terms of the equipment on the rear of the vehicle.

Starting off with the Tail lights, they look sick! They have been completely changed, and now their appearance has just boosted the look of the vehicle from its rear. Basically, the primary black bar, which used to hold the tail lights on the pre-facelift model, is still there, but the tail lights underneath that black bar have been changed. The lights now have a 3D look given to them, which makes tier presence very real. Like on the front DRLs, as they have now been connected to each other, the same case is with the tail lights. They have now been connected to each other, too. At both ends of the tail light, the LED strip kind of takes a complete U-turn and moves towards each other again; all this happens below the primary bar of the brake light. This addition now has made the vehicle look more broader from the back.

Coming down, there is a little change. The Safari font has also made its way onto the facelift, but the rear lower bumper has got a design change. This design change has made them look more straightforward, with basic lines running over them. 

Like on the front of the vehicle, the headlamp housing design has also been carried forward on the rear in order to create symmetry. Thankfully, the fake exhaust tips, which really took away the show of the design on the pre-facelift Safari, have been discontinued and have not been carried forward on the 2023 Tata Safari facelift.

Interiors of the 2023 Tata Safari Facelift

The interiors of the Tata Safari Facelift have been redesigned completely, except for the doors. The cabin now feels much more up-market and premium than before. The elements of design and feel used do justice to the vehicle’s purpose of a smooth and plush experience. 

Commencing with the dashboard, it has been heavily revised, whether it be in terms of design or technology. The wooden finish, which the pre-facelift Safari used to get on its dashboard, is continued on the facelift as well. This time, the brand has re-shaped it, as it still continues to start off from the left and move towards the center, but then it shrinks itself and continues moving forward as a line between the Infotainment system and the AC vents. The middle AC vents have also been redesigned and given an angular look to them.

Below this, there is the newly introduced touch-sensitive AC unit. This AC unit was first showcased on the Nexon, and now it has made its way onto the Safari as well. This unit, is basically a glossy black screen that displays AC controls and a few utility features like the 360-degree camera, Boot opening, Hazard button, etc. But, if you will notice sharply, then unlike in the Nexon facelift, there is a touch-sensitive Fan Speed adjuster placed between two Temperature-adjusting push buttons. It further means that the 2023 Tata Safari facelift will get a Dual Zone Climate Control system.

Going down, we can see an LED light strip running throughout the dashboard; hence, an ambient lighting feature has also been added. Most probably, this ambient lighting will have different colors to change itself in.

After that starts the Centre console, which, too, has gone through a series of changes - 

The new re-designed centre console consists of a new rotary dial, which is brought in the 2023 Tata Safari from the pre-facelift Tata Nexon EV. Over here, as seen in the pics, it is being used for selecting various terrain modes - Rough, Wet and Normal. 

We can also spot a Drive selector stick, which was seen in the 2023 Tata Nexon facelift’s DCA variant. It is very similar to that; more about the DCA gearbox is discussed in the Powertrain section.

Following this, there is a button for the Electronic Parking Brake and Auto Hold function, and then the usual equipment of the center console, like in the pre-facelift model, has been used over here, too - Cup holders and Armrest.

Now let us move on to the main talking point of the car - The Technology. 

The screens in use are large and contain high-definition displays. 

Starting off with the Infotainment system, it is a 12-inch unit. It packs the new UI / UX introduced by Tata Motors in the Nexon facelift. This interface is very crisp and simple to understand. It also packs a slew of features, like Wireless Android Auto & Apple CarPlay, Various Music modes - which are connected to JBL speakers, and Rest of the vehicular information. Recently, a similar unit was also seen in the newly introduced TATA Nexon.ev. 

Moving onto the Driver’s display ( Instrument Cluster ). It is also a fully digital TFT 10-inch unit, which is rich in terms of usability and features. It is unlike any other fully TFT display in the segment; it packs features that nowadays only premium-end cars like AUDI and Mercedes offer. Its interface can be customized according to the terrain mode or Ambient lighting selected. It is a very well-made unit!

Next up is the new addition of the four-spoke steering wheel in Tata Safari. A similar unit was seen in the Nexon facelift, but it was a two-spoke unit. Over here, it is a four-spoke unit, as said. It is similar to the two-spoke unit, just with two extra spokes attached in the shape of an arc. Talking about the steering wheel, it consists of a screen that illuminates the Tata logo it. So, Tata is trying to get rid of using the usual 3D logo piece. Adding more to it, it also consists of steering-mounted controls, whose finish is also very similar to that of the illuminating screen. Thus, ultimately, it all seems to be a one-piece glossy black unit. 

The Safari contains the assistive features of ADAS already, but this time, Tata Motors has introduced the ‘Adaptive Cruise Control’ feature, too. 

The rest of the interiors are the same as before. It continues to get the segment-only feature - Ventilated feature for the Middle Captain seats. The Sunroof has not been changed, but there is a slight visually pleasing and experience-enhancing feature: Ambient lighting at the borders of the sunroof. These light strips will surely be connected to the ambient lighting on the front, so it will change accordingly as per the settings.

Overall, we can say that Tata Motors has lifted the game even further up than Mahindra. Earlier, when the XUV 700 debuted with dual-connected screens, everyone thought this was the epitome of coolness and luxury one could have in this particular segment. But Tata Motors has proved that Dual screens are not the ultimatum, but a neat and cleverly put-together interior is the answer to get the sense of comfort and premium factor. Moreover, the Safari was already trying to have a different purpose; it never wanted to be an SUV that could go off-road, but it wanted to be an SUV that could make its movers feel the optimum ease in its usability and have a plush journey throughout. And maybe Tata Motors has finally reached up to that mark.

Engine options of the 2023 Tata Safari facelift

Well, this case was very simple when it came to the Safari, as it just had one engine to offer. And it still does… unofficially. Yes, the Diesel Kryotec engine is still in use - 2.0 L, MultiJet Diesel engine, which pits out 170 hp and 350 Nm of Torque. But there is something else cooking in Tata’s kitchen. As the Nexon DCA Drive Selector-like shifter was seen in the pictures. 

To be honest, it is not confirmed that the 2023 Tata Safari facelift will get a DCA gearbox for its gearshifts. It is very tentative to confirm it, as Tata Motors has just confirmed the Diesel engine’s continuation. Still, we presume that the 1.5 L Petrol engine might get introduced with the Safari facelift; this engine was showcased at the 2023 Auto Expo, which was held in Delhi.

Color options of the 2023 Tata Safari facelift

All the color options for the 2023 Tata Safari are shown below in the table -