Tata Q501 (Next Gen Safari) rendered

Tata Motors has commenced the initial stage testing for the next generation Tata Safari, codenamed Q501. The Indian carmaker has exported a few prototypes of the upcoming SUV to the USA for testing. Tata Motors will use the Land Rover Discovery Sport’s L550 platform for the next generation Safari, which will be a monocoque SUV and not a body-on-frame vehicle.

We have come up with the Tata Q501 rendering that tells us the design direction of the new Safari. It will be crafted in the latest Tata design language that we have seen on the Hexa crossover. Along with that, the new Safari will be heavily inspired from the Discovery Sport. It’ll not have a boxy design anymore, which is a good thing for many but sad for Safari enthusiasts.

The next gen Safari will be positioned at a premium so you can expect the similar huge dimensions but with new styling details such as muscular cladding all around, sharp lines on the side, fancy lights with DRLs up front and sizeable grilles. Since it will be a monocoque SUV, there might be a slight drop in height and for keeping the body roll in check, it won’t be a top-heavy SUV like the current model.

The lighter and more spaced out frame will help the carmaker add a front facing third row of seats. The interior is expected to get drastic changes in terms of quality and features. The dashboard will come with high-end infotainment system having a sizeable screen and Harman sound system. You can expect Tata to borrow some Land Rover features including the Terrain Response System with advanced AWD mechanism.

Tata Motors is said to source the 2.0-litre MultiJet diesel engine from Fiat for the new Safari but still the engine options for the new SUV are unclear. It will definitely get an automatic transmission along with a manual gearbox. The new SUV is expected to be launched by 2018 and we might start spotting the test mules on Indian roads from next year.