Tata Harrier Review
Car Tested: Tata Harrier; Road Test No. 1032; Test Location: Jodhpur
Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 15.61 – 19.87 lakhs
The Tata Harrier feels like a baby Land Rover with a lot of premium appeal
When you think about the 2018 Auto Expo, one of the cars that comes instantly across your mind is the Tata Harrier concept christened as H5X. I feel it was the showstopper of the biennial event. After 10 years of Land Rover acquisition, this is the first Tata product getting LR technology. There is a lot of curiosity amongst the Indian audience to know what the Harrier is all about. We drive the new SUV on the rough and smooth terrain of Rajasthan to find out.
Motor Quest: The Tata Harrier is based on Land Rover’s D8 architecture which underpins the Discovery Sport as well. This is a monocoque platform and is christened as OMEGARC (Optimal Modular Efficient Global Advanced Architecture) by Tata Motors.
[flickr size=”center” float=”medium”]http://www.flickr.com/photos/motorbeam/44389055570/[/flickr]
The side profile might remind you of the Discovery Sport
Exteriors – The Harrier stays true to the H5X concept in many ways. What stands out in the design of the Harrier is the headlight treatment. The DRLs are positioned above and the main headlight cluster (Xenon HID projectors) is below. There is a lot happening in the front and it all looks interesting. From the side, the Harrier feels grown up and the stance is accentuated by the flared wheel arches. The 17-inch wheels look a tad small and even the alloys could have had better design.
[flickr size=”center” float=”medium”]http://www.flickr.com/photos/motorbeam/31267068317/[/flickr]
The floating roof and the huge spoiler lend a sporty appeal
The production model is very close to the H5X concept styling
There are a lot of lines flowing around the side and what we like is the blackened C pillar which gives it that floating roof effect. The slab of silver that is placed above also makes the car look upmarket and there are interesting details like the Harrier motif on that silver accent. There are many curves at the back. The taillights look sharp and very angular keeping with the overall sporty theme. The heightened black portion of the bumper, large roof spoiler, and the bold Harrier badging all make the car look taller than what it actually is from the back. All in all, a great effort to retain the concept styling.
[flickr size=”center” float=”medium”]http://www.flickr.com/photos/motorbeam/44389054120/[/flickr]
Pleasant colour combo of brown and black with a touch of silver
Interiors – The interiors feel very upmarket and we’d say they are the best we’ve seen from Tata. The oak brown theme on the dashboard and the seats looks refreshing compared to the usual beige and black. The dashboard is clutter-free thanks to the large 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with minimal buttons on the centre console and a layered styling of the dashboard. The top section of the dash comes with an anti-reflection soft touch material while the middle layer gets oak wood styling and you get satin chrome at the bottom. There are some interesting elements such as the aero-throttle styled parking brake, drive mode selector, etc. The steering wheel is new and feels good to hold that gets controls for the infotainment, cruise control as well as MID control. The instrument cluster is a semi digital unit that has a huge 7-inch TFT screen displaying a lot of info related to the car.
[flickr size=”center” float=”medium”]http://www.flickr.com/photos/motorbeam/32334142528/[/flickr]
Neatly integrated floating touchscreen with simple layout
The interiors look rich and premium, thanks to the neat design
The 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system in the Harrier is provided by the same supplier of the unit found in the Range Rover Velar. The UI is quite smooth and easy to use and it offers a lot of features such as Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Navigation system, Video Playback, Voice Recognition, etc. The screen also doubles up as a display for the reverse camera which shows dynamic guidelines for better accuracy. The 9 speaker JBL audio system that comes with amplifier as well churns out great acoustics. Some of the key features of the Harrier include auto headlamps, auto wipers, keyless entry with push button start/stop, rear AC vents, auto climate control, puddle lamps with logo projection, etc. However it misses out on auto dimming IRVM, electronically adjustable seats, wireless charging, sunroof and height adjustable seatbelt which is offered with some of the close rivals.
[flickr size=”center” float=”medium”]http://www.flickr.com/photos/motorbeam/32334142718/[/flickr]
Acres of legroom for the rear passengers
In terms of practicality and comfort, the Harrier scores quite high. It gets smart storage spaces which includes sunglass holder, 1-litre bottle holders, umbrella holder, sizeable glovebox with tablet stowage, phone holder, cooled box under arm rest and cup holders. The ergonomics could have been a little better, the USB port at the front is a bit cumbersome to reach, while driving the left leg brushes against the dashboard and the massive ORVMs hinder visibility near the A-pillar. However, the seats are very comfortable and supportive both at the front and the rear. There is fantastic legroom and headroom even for 6 footers at the rear. The boot space is large and accommodating and it also gets covered storage spaces. The spare wheel is not an alloy and it sits under the body, which is accessible from outside.
