Tata Motors is reviving the popular Safari nameplate. It will launch the Tata Gravitas as the new Tata Safari this month. The bookings for the new SUV will begin next week and the deliveries will commence in January as well.

According to Tata Motors, the Gravitas was always going to be launched as the Safari. And the cues to that were in its design. The stepped roof and the theatre-like seating - not to mention the glass panels in the roof - are traits that the Safari has always been known for. And that’s equally evident in the Gravitas which was last showcased at the Auto Expo.

The new Tata Safari will sit above the Harrier - on which it is based - in terms of pricing. It will get the same drivetrain options as well. It will come with a 170bhp diesel engine mated to both a six-speed manual and a six-speed automatic gearbox. It will, however, not come with all wheel drive (another strong Safari trait). What’s more, the new Safari will also not come with the much-talked about turbo-petrol engine at launch.

Tata Motors says both these are options the new Safari can sport if the demand so arises. The platform on which the new Safari is based is after all a Land Rover platform which is designed and executed for all wheel drive. The all wheel drive can also be achieved by electrification says Tata, with motors running its rear wheels. But that’s a story for another day.

The new Tata Safari will compete against the likes of the MG Hector Plus and the Mahindra XUV500. And we expect its pricing to start at Rs 15 lakh ex-showroom if it comes in the base XE trim. But spec for spec, expect the new Safari to cost around a lakh more than the Tata Harrier.