Tata Motors has officially unveiled the new avatar of the iconic Tata Safari and begun production of the resurrected nameplate. Tata Motors has rolled the first production model off the assembly line at the company’s manufacturing facility in Pune, Maharashtra. Bookings for the 2021 Tata Safari are set to commence later this month, and the launch is expected to take place in February in India.

Tata has also released the first official images of the new Tata Safari which confirm that it will be largely similar to the Gravitas concept seen at the Auto Expo. However, there are some key differences to note. The Safari boasts a unique grille upfront with Tata’s signature tri-arrow motifs finished in chrome. There’s more chrome encasing the split headlight clusters and on the door handles. The Safari also boasts of a new Harbor Blue paint shade but the alloy wheel design remains identical to that of the Harrier (H5).

The rear end of the Safari is unique with a full rear-quarter glass, a stepped roof, and a more upright rear section. The tail-gate is entirely new and the taillights are slightly different as well. The Safari also gets new roof rails with silver inserts bearing the Safari inscription. There are several elements in the design that nod to the original. The high bonnet, a strong face, the stepped roof, the rear three-quarter glass, and stadium seating – all hark back to the original Safari.

The interior of the Safari has an Oyster White interior theme, paired with an Ash Wood dashboard. It will come in two seating configurations – a 6-seater with captain seats and a 7-seater with bench seats. Although Tata has not released any official images of the interiors yet, the basic dashboard layout and features list will remain more or less identical to the Harrier (H5). The Tata Safari will be powered by the Harrier’s Fiat-sourced 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder diesel engine that produces 168 bhp and 350 Nm of peak torque. The engine will come mated to a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed torque converter automatic gearbox.

Just like the Harrier (H5), the Safari too will be based on the Land Rover-derived Omega architecture. Tata Motors has said that the Land Rover Discovery-derived D8 platform can be adapted to incorporate a four-wheel-drive system. Tata has said that based on customer feedback and research, they could actually explore the possibility of a 4×4 Safari sometime in the future.