Auto-major Tata Motors has received over 6,000 bookings for its latest upgraded Sports Utility Vehicle variant "Tata Safari Storm", a senior company official said here today.

"This comes with the new VariCor engine, offering better refinement. We have got over 6,000 bookings (since its launch)," Tata Motors Head (Utility Vehicle Product Group) Ashesh Dhar told PTI after launching the variant in the Tamil Nadu market.

The company has launched the vehicle in the Northern and Eastern markets and it is gradually launching the Storm in the Southern and Western markets, he said.

Noting that the company has been making 'significant' investments to develop this variant at its Pune facility, he said the latest product would not cannibalise its other SUV Tata Aria.

"This will be for those who look for better refinement offering sporty performance. That is a premium SUV loaded with luxury features", he said.

Observing that the Tamil Nadu market constitutes about 17 per cent of the company's total SUV sales, he said the other product "Sumo Gold" has got encouraging response since its launch last year.

"Sumo Gold has been very well received (in the market). It has surpassed sales of double its volumes since its launch", he said.

To a query, he said the company would simultaneously retail its existing Safari equipped with Di-Cor engine starting from Rs 8.44 lakh along with Safari Storm at Rs 9.95 lakh (Ex-showroom Chennai).