Tata Harrier - The New Age of TATA
Back in 2018, the new and improved Tata Motors introduced a concept car by the name of H5X that gave the spectators an idea of what the future holds. Building on that concept, Tata launched the Harrier in 2019 with single diesel engine. In the early days there were some big flaws in the face of missing features that the competition with the likes of MG Hector, Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos were offering in the market, Tata saw the problem and made changes over past 2 years enabling the Harrier to give a tough fight. Available in 18 variants with the starting price of ₹ 14.39 lakhs for the base model to ₹ 21.09 lakhs for the latest Dark Edition, all prices ex-showroom New Delhi.
| Variants | Prices |
|---|---|
| XE MT | ₹ 14.39 Lakhs |
| XM MT | ₹ 15.79 Lakhs |
| XT MT | ₹ 17.04 Lakhs |
| XMA AT | ₹ 17.06 Lakhs |
| XT Plus MT | ₹ 17.84 Lakhs |
| XT Plus Dark Edition MT | ₹ 18.04 Lakhs |
| XZ MT | ₹ 18.34 Lakhs |
| XZ Dual Tone MT | ₹ 18.54 Lakhs |
| XTA Plus AT | ₹ 19.14 Lakhs |
| XTA Plus Dark Edition AT | ₹ 19.34 Lakhs |
| XZ Plus MT | ₹ 19.59 Lakhs |
| XZA AT | ₹ 19.61 Lakhs |
| XZ Plus Dual Tone MT | ₹ 19.79 Lakhs |
| XZA Dual Tone AT | ₹ 19.81 Lakhs |
| XZ Plus Dark Edition MT | ₹ 19.89 Lakhs |
| XZA Plus AT | ₹ 20.81 Lakhs |
| XZA Plus Dual Tone AT | ₹ 21.01 Lakhs |
| XZA Plus Dark Edition AT | ₹ 21.09 Lakhs |
The Harrier is the first car from Tata that is built on the Land Rover platform which means great things are expected and it has delivered. August 2021, Tata decided to increase the prices by ₹ 17,500/- for the top variants, now what made the automobile giant increase the prices? What made a not so successful launch of the brand's newest offering such a big hit eventually? Let us find out.
Engine and Technology
In 2019 the Harrier was launched with only 1 engine option which was a Fiat borrowed 2L 4-cylinder Turbo diesel engine producing 140hp and 350nm of torque combined with a Hyundai borrowed 6-speed manual gearbox, now the engine numbers are not very good as most of the competition provides an engine with same HP except MG Hector which produces 170hp. Tata felt the flaw and in 2020 introduced an upgraded engine which is basically the same Fiat borrowed 2L 4-cylinder Turbo diesel but now it produces 170hp with same 350nm of torque, this is the same engine which is also available in the Jeep Compass. With the 2020 variant, the Indian automobile giant also introduced a 6-speed automatic transmission for the customers who prefer comfort. The Harrier has a terrain response system which makes it a great companion for adventurous trips, 5 driving modes to select - Eco, Off-road, Wet, City and Sport. Hydraulic Power Steering is offered in the car which gives ample amount of heaviness for a long drive but can cause problems when parking or taking short turns. Tata introduced the AdBlue tank in the Harrier which is now also seen in the new Safari, this liquid is used to absorb most of the harmful substances from the engine which leads to lesser air pollution, this is a 15L tank which needs to get replaced after every 15,000 KM and costs around ₹ 1000 to replace.
Design
Coming to the design of the car, with the Harrier, Tata has completely revamped the aesthetical features offered from its historical offerings. Cars like the Sumo and Indica which were known for their boxy design, straight lines and single color body made them pretty much basic and readable. The Harrier on the other hand has taken inspiration for its tail lights from its distant cousin Jaguar and LED DRL strip from Nissan Juke, these LED DRLs double up as indicators in the front making the front profile absolutely phenomenal and futuristic. While the LED DRLs are at the top, the Xenon projectors and Halogen headlights sit low on the front bumper. 4.6m long, 1.9m wide, 1.7m high with a ground clearance of 205mm and a wheelbase of 2.74m, base variant gets 16-inch steel wheels and the other variants get 17-inch allow wheel with an option of 18-inch, this is something which could have been improved considering the size of the car, 18-inch should have been standard with an option of 19-inch allow wheels. The C-pillar of the car has a beautiful mix of black glass and a metallic plate which has Harrier badging on it making an overall premium feel. 4 color choices to choose from staring with Orcus White, Daytona Grey, Calypso Red and the Oberon Black which is offered in the dark edition of the car where the body and the allow wheels are covered in black. In 2019 the Harrier was launched in an Orange color but later in 2020 it got discontinued along with a Camo version which was Green color on the body with Black alloys.
The revamped design continues to the interior of the car, everything is upmarket and premium so much so that the only thing carried from the historical Tata cars is the logo design on the steering. With wood finish on the dashboard and chrome finish on the air vents and door handles. The overall look and feel of the interior is top notch and the cherry on the top is aircraft throttle inspired handbrake. As for the practicality, there are big enough cup holders and door pockets, decent space in the glove compartment and cooled storage under the arm rest, 425L of boot space which transforms to 810L after folding the rear seats. The 2019 model had USB port in the glove compartment which was very difficult to access, this got improved in the 2020 variant that now offers an easy USB access with Quickcharge 3.0 facility.
Features
The Harrier offers major features offered in the segment but misses out on the premium features which make the competition at an advantage. The 2019 variant had no sunroof and it came with a manually adjustable seat with no option for height adjustment, Tata Motors faced a lot of criticism over these issues and they introduced power adjustable seats with rain sensing anti-pinch panoramic sunroof. Speaking of sensing features, the Harrier includes automatic headlamps and auto dimming IRVM which is very useful while driving after sunset. 8.8-inch infotainment screen supporting both Apple Carplay and Android Auto combined with JBL's 9-speaker system, a 7-inch screen for semi-digital instrument cluster. LED DRL's, Cruise Control, Xenon Projector headlamps are a nice touch with Puddle lamps on the doors which is something should be made mandatory in India. With a big list of features however, the Harrier only offers Single Zone climate control instead of a Dual Zone available in almost every car now with a price tag of more than ₹ 15 lakhs.
Safety
Built on the Land Rover platform, the Harrier reaps many benefits for it, a strong and heavy built proves to be high in safety, it has not been tested yet but it is evident that Harrier is a very safe car since its cousins the Nexon and the Altroz all scored 5 star in the Global NCAP rating which is a huge deal considering the Japanese and Korean cars scoring 0 star not even in Latin and Asean NCAP. 6 airbags, Traction Control System (TCS), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Hill Hold and Descent Control, Rollover Mitigation and Corner Stability Control raise the status of the Harrier as even more safe.
Verdict
Despite big changes from the previous version in 2019, the new Harrier has still gaps to fill. Absence of an All-Wheel Drive, a petrol engine for the Urban population and small looking 17-inch alloy wheels can hurt many automobile enthusiasts. Tata has sort of compensated this gap with a great cabin look and quality, ample space for 5 passengers and a real safe car for dangerous Indian roads overall proving to be a great value for money. As far as picking one from the lot is concerned, we would suggest to go with the manual XZ Plus Dark Edition with optional 19-inch allow wheels.