Tata Motors is very soon going to launch the Safari Facelift which will come with major changes, and so we thought why don’t we compare it against the Toyota Innova HyCross to see if booking Safari Facelift is the right choice.
So, from the outside, the Safari Facelift has undergone big exterior changes such as the ront fascia as been changed completely with changes to the grille, bumpers, and headlamps. A full-width LED strip is above the grille that spans across the front body, an significant features of the Curvv concept. It has split LED Projector headlamps positioned vertically, ADAS Radar panel at the bottom grille and the camera at the top of the windscreen from the inside. Moving to the side, it has simple look with creasing, chrome on the window beltline, thin wheel arches and rides on the new 19-inch alloy wheels. Moving to the rear, changes extend to the bumpers, skid plate, and new Audi inspired LED taillights connected by an LED strip.
Front the outside, the Innova HyCross has an LED headlamps with a huge front face with chrome line around the grille and at the bottom, it has LED DRLs that act as a indicators as well. The bonnet of the HyCross has cuts on it to give it a meaner or sportier look. Moving to the side, it has cuts as well, chrome line that runs at the bottom of the window frame, wheel arches as it rides on 18-inch alloy wheels. Moving to the rear, it has LED taillamps with roof spoiler, shark fin antenna on the top, and the bumper are skid plate.
Talking about the interiors, the Safari Facelift undergone some changes as well like the new 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system which is sleek, thinner, and very responsive; new 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster that is configurable, and displays navigation maps while driving; in front of the cluster is the new four-spoke steering wheel with display at the center that illuminates the Tata logo, and ambient light across the dashboard, and around the voice-assisted panoramic sunroof. Below the AC vents, it features touch-sensitive panel to control the dual-zone climate control, and other things.
In front of it is the rotary dial for the drive and terrain modes, steptronic gear shifter, and electronic parking brake with auto hold function. It features an fixed armrest but the space inside is good enough to store two cans. On the leather seats, it features huge adjustable headrests to keep you comfy, and further enhances the luxury appeal. Both the seats are electrically adjustable, and comes with ventilated seats. Moving to the rear, the seats are split in 60:40 ratio if you opt for 7 seater, or if you go for 6 seater config, you get captain seats that comes with ventilated seats, and the SUV it’s equipped with 10 Speaker JBL sound system.
From the inside, the Innova HyCross has a 10.1-inch infotainment system placed above the rectangular shaped AC vents and the AC vents at the sides are positioned horizontally. It has the dual-tone dashboard theme option and has leather seat upholstery. The HyCross has the three-spoke multi-function steering wheels with a digital instrument cluster and the push start/stop button is placed on the left side near the infotainment system. It has a huge panoramic sunroof, two charging ports at the front, two charging ports in the second row and third row. Around the gear lever, it has buttons for ventilated seats, electric parking brake with auto hold, EV mode (drives on electric power) and other things as well. The second row gets the captain seats with under thigh support as well, and between the two captain seats is the table with two cupholders. The third row is not great and it’s better for children or adults for short journeys. It also has 9-speaker JBL sound system.
So, from the outside, and the inside, Tata Safari Facelift just looks way too good, spacious, and luxurious, while the Hector interiors is good, but I might prefer the Safari for now.
| Tata Safari Facelift | Toyota Innova HyCross | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 4668 MM | 4755 MM |
| Width | 1922 MM | 1845 MM |
| Height | 1795 MM | 1785 MM |
| Wheelbase | 2741 MM | 2850 MM |
| Ground Clearance | 205 MM | 185 MM |
| Boot Space | 420 L (3rd Row Folded) | 300 L 991 L (3rd Row Folded) |
| Fuel Tank Capacity | 50 L | 52 L |
When it comes to Dimensions, the Safari Facelift measures 4668 MM in length, 1922 MM in width, and 1795 MM in height. The Toyota Innova HyCross on the other hand, measures 4755 MM in length which is 87 MM longer, 1845 MM in width that is narrower by 77 MM, and height of 1785 MM that is shorter by 10 MM. The Safari Facelift features a wheelbase of 2741 MM, and ground clearance of 205 MM where as the Innova Hycross measures 2850 MM that is longer by 109 MM, and ground clearance of 185 MM which is lower by 20 MM. The Safari Facelift is offered a 50 L fuel tank and 420 L Boot Space (3rd Row Folded), while the Innova HyCross features 52 L (bigger by 2 L), and Boot Space of 300 L, and 991 L (3rd Row Folded) (Bigger by 571 L).
| Turbo Diesel | Tata Safari Facelift | Toyota Innova HyCross |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 2.0 L 4 Cylinder | – |
| Displacement | 1956cc | – |
| Power | 167.67 BHP | – |
| Torque | 350 NM | – |
| Transmission | 6 Speed MT / AT | – |
| Fuel Efficiency | 16.30 KMPL – MT 14.50 KMPL – AT | – |
When it comes to Engine Options, the Tata Safari Facelift is the only SUV to be offered with Turbo Diesel Engine. The Innova HyCross is offered with only petrol engines, so there’s no point of hoping for diesel engines in the Hycross. Anyway, the Safari Facelift is powered by the 2.0 L 4 Cylinder Turbo Diesel engine generating 167.67 BHP and 350 NM of torque, it’s mated to 6 Speed Manual Gearbox with 16.30 KMPL fuel economy, and 6 Speed Automatic Gearbox with 14.50 KMPL fuel economy.
| Petrol | Tata Safari Facelift | Toyota Innova HyCross |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | – | 2.0 L 4 Cylinder |
| Displacement | – | 1987cc |
| Power | – | 172.99 BHP |
| Torque | – | 209 NM |
| Transmission Type | – | 7 Speed CVT |
| Fuel Efficiency | – | 16.13 KMPL |
| 0 – 100 kmph | – | around 11 seconds |
The Toyota Innova HyCross is offered with 2.0 L 4 Cylinder Petrol Engine generating 172.99 BHP and 209 NM of torque mated to 7 Speed CVT Gearbox with a fuel efficiency of 16.13 KMPL, and can go from 0 – 100 KMPH in around 11 seconds. The Tata Safari Facelift isn’t offered with this engine.
| Petrol Hybrid | Tata Safari Facelift | Toyota Innova HyCross |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | – | 2.0 L 4 Cylinder Petrol Hybrid |
| Displacement | – | 1987cc |
| Power | – | 183.72 BHP |
| Torque | – | 188 NM |
| Transmission Type | – | eCVT |
| Fuel Efficiency | – | 23.24 KMPL |
| 0 – 100 kmph | – | 9.5 seconds |
Other than the Petrol Engine, the HyCross also comes with a 2.0 L 4 Cylinder Petrol Hybrid engine producing 183.72 BHP and 188 NM of torque mated to an eCVT Gearbox, and gives fuel efficiency of 23.24 KMPL. It can also accelerate from 0 – 100 KMPH in just 9.5 Seconds. We don’t think Tata Safari Facelift will get this engine anytime soon.
| Features | Tata Safari Facelift | Toyota Innova HyCross |
|---|---|---|
| Headlamps | LED Projector | LED |
| Taillamps | LED | LED |
| Wheel size & Tyre | 19-inch, alloy wheels | 18-inch alloy wheels |
| Auto Power Window | Yes | Yes |
| Seat upholstery | Leather | Leather |
| AC | 2-zone | 2-zone |
| Rear AC vent | Yes | Yes |
| Instrument cluster | Digital | Digital |
| Infotainment System | 12.3-inch | 10.1-inch |
| Android Auto, Apple CarPlay | Wireless | Wireless |
| Air Purifier | Yes | – |
| Ambient Lighting | Yes | – |
| Voice Control | Yes | Yes |
| Sound System | 10-speaker JBL sound system | 9-Speaker JBL Sound System |
| Cooled Glovebox | Yes | Yes |
| Auto Dimming IRVM | Yes | Yes |
| Wireless Charging Pad | Yes | Yes |
| Height adjustable driver seat | Yes | Yes |
| Ventilated Seats | First Row Second Row (Only for 6 Seater Variant) | First Row |
| Electric Parking Brake with Auto Hold | Yes | Yes |
| Powered Tailgate | Yes | Yes |
| Powered Seats | 6-way Power Adjustable Driver Seat 4-way Power Adjustable Front Passenger Seat | 8-way Power Adjustable Driver seat |
| Sunroof | Panoramic | Panoramic |
In Features, the HyCross misses out on Second-row Ventilated Seats, Co-Driver Powered Seats, Ambient Lightings, 10 Speaker Sound System, Air Purifier, and bigger alloy wheels.
| Safety Features | Tata Safari Facelift | Toyota Innova HyCross |
|---|---|---|
| Airbags | Seven Airbags | Six airbags |
| Camera | 360 Surround View Camera | 360 Surround View Camera |
| Parking Sensors | Front and Rear | Front and Rear |
| Rain-Sensing Wipers | Yes | Yes |
| TPMS | Yes | Yes |
| Auto Headlamps | Yes | Yes |
| Traction Control | Yes | Yes |
| ADAS | Level 2 | Level 2 |
| ABS with EBD | Yes | Yes |
| ESC | Yes | Yes |
| Hill Assist | Yes | Yes |
| Hill Descent Control | Yes | – |
| ISOFIX | Yes | Yes |
| All 4 Disc Brakes | Yes | Yes |
In Safety, the HyCross misses out on Seven Airbags, and Hill Descent Control.
| Model | Price (Ex-Showroom) |
|---|---|
| Tata Safari Facelift | Expected Rs. 16.85 L |
| Toyota Innova HyCross | Rs. 18.82 – Rs. 30.26 L |
The Innova HyCross starts at Rs. 18.55 lakh for the base ‘G’ variant and goes up to Rs. 29.72 lakh for the ZX (O) Hybrid variant which is top of the line variant in the line-up. As for the Tata Safari Facelift, it’s expected to be priced from Rs. 16.85 L.
As for the warranty, Tata offers 3 years/1,00,000 km warranty period for the Safari that can be extended up to 5 years/unlimited kms and the Innova HyCross has a warranty period of 3 years/1,00,000 km that can be extended up to 5 years/2,20,000 km.
In the end, the decision to buy which SUV depends totally on you, however, if you ask us the upcoming Tata Safari Facelift looks very promising as it’s got a new makeover, new features, good engine and performance, spacious, and feels very luxurious. Although, the Toyota Innova HyCross is affordable and offers similar features, and a hybrid powertrain, great performance and efficiency, spacious, and premium. So, if you ask us, we recommend to wait for the Tata Safari as it’s going to be worth buying, or you can buy the Toyota Innova HyCross, your call. Which SUV are going to buy?