Based on what we’ve seen from Tata Motors in the recent past, we thought a #Dark Edition of the Safari was inevitable. And why not! The blacked-out Nexon, Altroz and the Harrier look great. Well, that hasn’t happened. Yet. Instead, Tata Motors has decided to liven up the festive mood with what you see here – the Safari #Gold Edition. You can have it in manual and automatic guises, with seven or six seats. It doesn’t matter which seating layout you opt for, as the manual derivative costs Rs 21.90 lakh and the automatic one Rs 23.18 lakh.

Now, if you compare those prices with the seven-seat Safari Adventure, there’s a price difference of Rs 1.16 lakh. The six-seat version increases that gap by Rs 15,000. And, if you peg the new variants against the standard XZA+, the difference rises further by Rs 21,000.

So, what has Tata Motors done to justify the extra demand? First of all, there are two new finishes on offer – White Gold and Black Gold. The former takes advantage of a black-and-white dual-tone finish and adds a dash of golden-colour accents. For instance, the studded grille, door handles, and headlamp surrounds are gold in colour. Tata has pulled off the same trick with the Black Gold option, with a “Coffee Bean inspired” body colour. And to add the extra punch, the Safari #Gold Edition will have 18-inch charcoal black alloy wheels.

The interior boasts a few golden elements as well. Those include the door handles, and AC vent surrounds on either side. In addition, the Black Gold colour adds a dark marble finish on the mid pad, which has a Mont Blanc marble treatment in the White Gold option. However, it isn’t just the garnishing that Tata Motors has added. The Safari #Gold Edition also gets some new toys, including wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Oyster White diamond-quilted leather seats, wireless mobile charger, ventilated seats for the front two rows and an air purifier.

The wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, wireless mobile charger and air purifier have also been added to other variants, including the Adventure edition. However, the rest of the portfolio remains unaltered.

The Safari competes with other three-row SUVs in India, such as the Hyundai Alcazar and the MG Hector Plus. Soon, the Mahindra XUV700 will enter that space and, with a starting price of Rs 11.99 lakh and most powerful engines, it could shake things up. Tata Motor says that the Safari has a 39 per cent market share at the moment. And with the #Gold Edition, it sees a further rise in that number. How do you like the new glittery Safari?