Tata Harrier Review – Has Tata Managed To Hit The Sweet Spot?

Tata’s penchant to give away too much in too less continues with the Harrier SUV. Is it true or there’s a catch? We find out in this Tata Harrier review.

Tata Motors takes the credit of a carmaker that revolutionised segments be it with the sophisticated Safari at the 1998 Auto Expo or the ahead-of-time SUV like the 3-door Sierra and the Sumo MPV. After sluggish sales in the passenger car division, the homegrown automaker didn’t back out, instead, it unleashed the IMPACT design philosophy in 2016. The major grudge before the introduction of IMPACT philosophy was the Tata cars’ styling.

The fresh design approach did create an impact with most Tata cars receiving good feedback. The initial chunk of cars boasting IMPACT philosophy includes Tiago, Hexa, Tigor, and Nexon. Two years later in January 2018, the design became more impactful with the release of Impact 2.0. At the 2018 Auto Expo, Tata Motors’ stall was filled with stunning concepts which created ripples in the automotive arena. Right from the enthusiasts to the media, everyone had their heart in the mouth. It was the dawn of a new era. It was the resurrection from the dead (read outdated). The two most popular concepts of 2018 Expo were the Tata H5X and 45X. The concepts have now taken production route and are called as the Tata Harrier and Tata Altroz.

The Harrier is the first product to roll out under impact 2.0 design philosophy and today, we’ll get to know it in detail. For oblivions, the Tata SUV got a comprehensive update in early 2020 along with a BS6 FI engine. What more has changed in the new car? Time to find out in this Tata Harrier review.

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Should I buy Tata Harrier?

Addressing the pressing question first before we elaborate on each of the aspects. Well, the Harrier packs an intimidating and beefy design which gives you immense road presence. Besides, the luxurious interiors remind you of German cabins. Although there are some glaring omissions, Tata SUV is equipped with a decent list of comfort and convenience features. Engine selection is limited to only diesel but you now have the option to choose an automatic gearbox. Given the cost to value ratio, the Harrier gets a thumbs-up from CarBikeIndia.

ALSO READ: 2020 Hyundai Creta Review

Design

It’s admirable. There are no two ways about it. Tata Harrier pushes the envelope when it comes to appearing muscular. The glossy black grille is flanked by LED daytime running lights, which double up as turn indicators. The unique positioning of the DRLs and headlamp makes for the gorgeous design. The HID projectors on the bumpers with fog lamps underneath look neat. The sculpted bonnet along with faux skid plates add some muscle to the appealing Harrier’s fascia. The 2020-update gets black coloured skid plate.

The profile view of the Harrier is spot on. Its Discovery Sport’s DNA is evident from this angle (It shares the platform with the Land Rover SUV). The black cladding cleanly goes around the car. The wheel arches are big and the 17-inch diamond-cut alloys do an excellent job to absorb most of the section. By the way, the 2020 Harrier gets new dual-tone alloy wheels. Lower variants make do with 16-inch steel ones. There are subtle contours and a shoulder-line which meets the extended tail lamps. The stance of the SUV is more on the lines of the crossover. It gets a quarter glass area with blackened B, C and D pillars. The use of a black stripe on the D-pillar is to mimic the floating roof effect.

Another noticeable fact is the chrome garnish on the top of the windows flowing into a thick chrome strap on the D-pillar. The 2020 iteration features redesigned ORVMs which negate the blind spot issue. Earlier, they used to house puddle lamp inside them which come into action whenever the vehicle is unlocked. It is not available anymore. The use of thick black cladding makes the Harrier appear to have higher ground clearance than it has.

Turning to the back, the Harrier boasts one of the most striking rear design seen in the current tribe of SUVs. Rear LED tail lamps bulge out a bit with a clean black strap joining the two. The TATA insignia sits in the centre above the number plate while chrome-dipped HARRIER lettering sits below the plate. Cutting the bulk is the smart rear bumper and black cladding. The latest update axes the faux skid plate. The rear spoiler goes in-sync with the design and houses the high mounted stop lamp. The only downside is the small rear windshield area which limits the visibility of the driver.

Dimensions

Despite being a five-seater SUV, the Tata Harrier is bigger than most 5-seaters and on par with 7-seater SUVs (read Mahindra XUV 500). Have a look at how Harrier stacks against the Hyundai Creta, Jeep Compass and the Mahindra XUV 500 in terms of proportions.

Looking at the measurements, the Harrier can anytime be converted into a 7-seat SUV. Tata is doing just the same. The upcoming Tata Gravitas is essentially a Harrier with an added pair of seats.

While boot space of Harrier is marked at 425-litres, it can be increased by folding the rear seats to 810-litres. Only the Compass has a bigger boot of 438-litres in its segment.

Colour Options

The 2020 Tata Harrier gets new shades in the form of Calypso Red + Black roof and Sparkle Cocoa. Other colours include Camo green, Orcus White with Black roof, Atlas Black and Telesto Grey.

Interior

Get inside the Harrier. Yes, you don’t need to climb in as the doors open wide and the floor is not too high. However, the seats are positioned higher which helps one get a good view of the surroundings. The interiors give you a premium feel with the use of fake oak wood finished dashboard. The perforated leather upholstery on the seats, door pads, steering and other areas look super-rich. The amalgamation of piano black, silver inserts and faux wood has been instrumental in lending the Harrier a pukka premium SUV cabin.

Storage Spaces

As goes with every Tata car, the practicality and space are evident inside the Harrier. You get loads of room to seat three passengers abreast on the rear seats with no complaints. Moreover, you get tons of storage spaces such as two 1-litre bottle holders on door pads along with a third bottle holder which could engulf a 500ml one, maybe. Mobile storage space, two cup holders at the front, storage bin under the centre armrest with cooling vent and storage pockets at the back of front seats. Another hidden storage space is inside the boot, which can be used to keep cash or other valuable assets.

Finding the right driving position isn’t a hassle in the new Harrier as you get tilt and telescopic adjustable steering along with a 6-way power-adjustable driver’s seat (newly added feature). Earlier, it had a manual seat height adjuster. Besides the large 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment unit, you get a 7-inch screen in the instrument cluster.

2020 Tata Harrier additions – Interior

With the 2020 Harrier update, Tata has ironed out many small yet significant issues from its SUV.

The 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment unit now gets more themes. The number of themes has gone to 3 – red, blue and green. Auto-dimming IRVM finally gets a place in the Harrier cabin. The top two variants also get a 6-way power-adjustable driver’s seat compared to the manual one in the 2019 version. You also get slightly reworked MID with the addition of DEF gauge level and new themes.

The USB and AUX-in ports, which were placed very deep below the console, have now been raised so reaching them is easy now. Moreover, you get a USB port in the storage space below the driver armrest for charging.

How does the Panoramic Sunroof work in Harrier?

You get a king-size (1,240mm x 870mm) panoramic sunroof. The sunglass holder is now swapped with sunroof switch console. It gets rain-sensing closure and anti-pinch as well. The electrically-operated sunroof is available with the top two trims – XZ+ and XZA+. The cover of the sunroof is powered too. The “Global Close” option activates and closes sunroof when the ignition is turned off and doors locked.

The sunroof is divided into two sections with only the one near driver openable. It moves above the other section and rests parallel to it. To ensure the opened glass is protected while in motion, a wind deflector pops out at the front of the sunroof.

Engine and Specifications

Tata Motors has stuck with a single-engine option for its Harrier SUV. The 2.0-litre diesel engine was updated early this year to comply with the mandatory BS6 emission norms. Termed as Kryotec170, the power figures now see a massive bump of 30PS over the previous model! With raised power, the vehicle offers better power to weight ratio. The automatic Harrier gets Eco and Sport modes which changes the dynamics of the vehicle once switched.

Let’s have a look at how Harrier’s engine stands in front of its peers.

Tata Harrier Vs XUV 500 Vs Creta Vs Compass – Engine Comparison

Since Tata Harrier is only available with a diesel engine, we have only considered the same in other SUVs. Hyundai Creta and Jeep Compass are offered in petrol variants as well.

If you want to brag your vehicle but also want to keep a check on fuel efficiency, the Creta is the option for you. However, you lose out on the unprecedented power available with other rivals. It also has the least capacity engine.

The Compass and Harrier use the same 2-litre diesel engine but the Jeep SUV produces slightly more power. It is the most powerful vehicle here.

Features

Tata Harrier is laden with creature comfort features including HID projector headlamps, LED tail lamps, auto-dimming IRVM, 6-way powered driver seat, 9 JBL speakers, 40:60 split rear seats, tilt & telescopic adjustable steering, 8.8-inch touchscreen unit with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, panoramic sunroof, 3 USB ports, rain-sensing wipers, cruise control, push-button start-stop and dual-tone diamond-cut 17-inch alloys.

For added oomph, the SUV gets leather wrapping on steering, gear knob, door pad inserts and seats.

Safety

The mid-size SUV from Tata gets 6-airbags, perimetric alarm system, front fog lamps with cornering function, Electronic stability program, hill descent control, hill hold control, ABS with EBD, traction control, rollover mitigation, rear parking sensors, reverse parking camera and several more. The unavailability of a tyre pressure monitoring system is a glaring miss.

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Want to know how Kia Sonet fares in the review? Head over to Kia Sonet Review

Price

Talking about the prices, the Harrier’s has seen a consistent rise since its launch. More or less INR 1.5 lakh have been increased in this period. Currently, it is tagged in the range of INR 13.84 – 20.30 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). You can have a look at the prices of each Harrier variant.

Tata Harrier Manual Prices:

Tata Harrier Automatic Prices:

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