Tata Safari DICoR review - Engine and Transmission |
Engine and transmission
The engine once again, forms the crux of the matter for this Tata car. DICoR actually stands for Direct Injection Common Rail. In contrast to the agricultural origins of this engine, an ultramodern Delphi Multitec 1600 bar fully electronic Common Rail Direct Injection System does the job of supplying fuel. This is able to provide the consumer best all round performance in acceleration, noise reduction and overall control patented adaptive learning technology (ALT). Believe it or not, this 32 bit microprocessor controlled system is so advanced, thanks to technologies like the APC( accelometer pilot control) and 12C (Individual injector characterization); it actually compensates for the age of the engine, the wear of the engine and so on; delivering stunning performance. Tata has made some changes like a larger oil sump, a new top profile for the crown of the piston and a redesigned head.
The solenoid-controlled injectors are even designed to optimize the shape of the injection spray, among a host of other electronically-governed features like pump pressure and multiple injections of fuel per stroke.
If all that sounds like gibberish to you, here's the deal. This engine is excellent. Until the safari reaches its threshold of about 1500rpm, which could sometimes takes an eternity; its rather boring. But, once you let the turbo spool up and allow that intercooler to pound the atmosphere in; you really begin to motor. Improvement over the old safari is most definitely felt. This engine generates 115bhp at 3000rpm, and 300Nm of torque between 1600 and 300rpm, which is a bit more than the Scorpio, which generates 278Nm. The power is well spread, but the rev range is appallingly low. The engine really strains itself past the 3000rpm mark and since power begins at around 800rpm, you have to keep shifting constantly to keep this 3000cc engine on the boil and your 2+-ton SUV motoring along nicely. The new safari has been told to control its drinking habits so, the fuel injection system makes sure that you don't burn too much diesel while puttering around. This inturn means that low rev throttle response feels but lethargic, which changes once you're past the 1500rpm mark though. Overtaking is a breeze and the engine is able to cruise comfortably even at speeds beyond 130kph; the noise from the engine isn't much of an intrusion at these speeds, with just the whine of the turbo intruding into the cabin.
The gearbox now has been totally revamped and as the Tata engineers explained is a grounds up effort. The Safari uses double-cone synchro rings in the gearbox, hence shifting is much easier; Tata could now work on reducing the travel perhaps. The clutch though as good, its quite heavy and is unable to keep the vibrations of the motor at bay. Overall though, if you're able make sure that the engine is above the 1500mark, the safari is good fun.
Design and interiors
Ride and handling |
