New-generation Toyota Harrier Coming In June 2020. Will It Come To India?

Toyota’s version of the Harrier is far unlike anything that we have seen from Tata

• Toyota has had the Harrier name in its ranks far longer than the Tata Harrier has existed.

• The design of the Toyota Harrier features sharp elements in a flowing fashion.

• The interior is done up in black and chocolate brown leather.

• Feature list includes a 12.3-inch touchscreen and an electro-chromatic panoramic sunroof.

• Engine options include petrol and hybrid options.

• It is set to launch in Japan in June 2020; no plans for India as of now.

Toyota’s new Harrier is set to be launched in Japan in June 2020. Confused? Well, Toyota also has a model by the name of Harrier and has in fact had the model on its roster long before Tata Motors did. But in its newest avatar, will the Toyota Harrier come to India to lock horns with India’s own Tata Harrier and other mid-size SUVs?

The design of the Toyota Harrier is unlike that of the Tata Harrier. It features flowing yet sporty lines and sits quite low. It has a Lexus-like swooping roofline which will keep your eyes hooked on it. The design looks quite premium overall. Let us know what you think of its design in the comments section below.

Its interior looks quite upmarket too, done up in black and lavishly draped in chocolate brown leather. There are upmarket features such as a panoramic sunroof with a dimming glass. Then there is the 12.3-inch touchscreen that sits on top of the dashboard. The interior layout looks clean although we could spot what looks like two dials in the instrument cluster for the speedometer and tachometer. However, these could be digital screens with an analogue layout, kind of like the ones seen on the previous generation of BMW models.

Also Read: Citroen’s Made-In-India Car On Track For 2021 Launch Despite Coronavirus Pandemic

On the powertrain front, the Harrier will be available as a petrol-only or hybrid offering. There will be 4WD available with both, but using different systems. The petrol-only model will get a 2.0-litre engine that makes 171PS and 207Nm of torque. Here, the gearbox options will be limited to a DirectShift-CVT, although you can choose between FWD and 4WD variants. The hybrid offering gets a 2.5-litre petrol engine that on its own can make 178PS and 221Nm of torque. The electric motors on both axles take the combined power output to 218PS in the FWD variant and 222PS in the 4WD version, 

Apart from the usual bells and whistles, the Toyota Harrier will get advanced safety features as well. It will be offered with ‘Toyota Safety Sense’, which Toyota says is a ‘pre-collision safety system that detects pedestrians during the day and at night, as well as cyclists during the day.’ Then there is sonar tech that can help mitigate or decrease the damage from accidents at low-speeds.

It is highly unlikely that Toyota will introduce its Harrier in India. But if it does, it would compete with the likes of Hyundai Tucson, Jeep Compass (higher variants) and the upcoming Citroen C5 Aircross. Even if Toyota were to bring it to India, they couldn’t do so with the ‘Harrier’ name as the name is registered with Tata Motors here.