Tata Harrier Launch Tomorrow: All You Need To Know

Bookings for the Harrier are currently open and can be made for a sum of Rs 30,000 at Tata dealerships across the country

• The Harrier will not be offered with a petrol engine or an automatic gearbox at the time of launch.

• Instead, it will only get a single powertrain options - a 2.0-litre diesel engine mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox.

• Also, the Harrier will not get a four-wheel drive variant any time soon.

• Most of the Harrier’s active safety features are only offered on the top-spec XZ variant.

Update: The Tata Harrier has been launched in India and is priced between Rs 12.69 lakh and Rs 16.25 lakh (ex-showroom Mumbai). Read the launch story to find out more.

The Jeep Compass has dominated the mid-size SUV segment for quite some time now. But not for long. As of tomorrow, Tata Motors will be rolling out its much-awaited SUV, the Harrier, from its showrooms across the country! And thanks to trickles of information that we’ve gathered from various teasers and spy shots of the SUV over the months, there’s not much else that we don’t know about the Harrier. But if you’re still in the dark, we’ve compiled a list of everything you must know about Tata’s flagship SUV.

Dimensions

The Harrier is significantly larger in proportions compared to its main rival, the Jeep Compass. Even the Hyundai Tucson pales in comparison. Have a look at our spec comparison to get a better idea.

Powertrain

At launch, the Harrier will only be available with a diesel engine coupled to a manual transmission. Also, four-wheel-drive is not on the cards for now. So, the only choice of powertrain you get across all four variants (XE, XM, XT and XZ) is a 2.0-litre turbocharged unit mated to 6-speed manual. This same engine also powers the Compass. However, unlike the 170PS this Fiat-sourced engine makes in the Compass, it will only churn out 140PS and 350Nm of torque under the Harrier’s bonnet. An automatic option is expected to be offered in mid-2019. The Harrier also gets drive modes (Eco, City and Sport) and they work in tandem with terrain response modes (Normal, Wet and Rough) to help the SUV tackle the rough stuff.

Features

Tata has equipped the Harrier with a host of features. The party piece is an 8.8-inch floating touchscreen infotainment system placed at the centre of the dashboard. It takes care of all the infotainment duties, including audio and navigation. Although the Harrier will get Android Auto at the time of launch, Apple CarPlay will be brought in at a later stage. On the top-spec XZ variant, the touchscreen unit is complemented by a 9-speaker JBL sound system that also includes a subwoofer. The screen is also paired to a 7-inch MID (multi-info display) in the instrument cluster. Apart from things like trip meter and tachometer, it also shows navigation and audio updates as well.

Read more: What colour looks best on the Harrier?

Another interesting feature in the Harrier is the cooled storage compartment present underneath the front armrest. Apart from this, all three rear occupants get a dedicated smartphone stowaway spot. Other bits like cruise control, automatic headlamps, push button start-stop and auto climate control make a presence from XT variant onwards. The top-spec XZ variant also comes with HID projector headlamps instead of regular projector units. LED tail lamps are standard across the range, while LED DRLs are only available from the XT variant onwards.

Safety tech

On the safety front, the Harrier comes equipped with six airbags in the passive safety department. As far as active safety features are concerned, it gets ABS with EBD, ESP, Hill Hold Control, Hill Descent Control, Roll Over Mitigation, Corner Stability Control, Electronic Traction Control, and more. However, apart from ABS with EBD, all these features are present on the top-spec XZ trim only. Dual front airbags are also standard across the range.

Pricing

Tata has already hinted that the Harrier will be priced in the Rs 13 lakh - Rs 18 lakh price bracket (ex-showroom). While it might be priced a little conservatively, it will go up primarily against the Jeep Compass. There are also the likes of Mahindra XUV500 which will divert the attention of buyers. Even the Hyundai Creta will pull away a few who don’t really need a very big SUV. But the Compass and the upcoming MG Hector are two cars that the Harrier will truly find itself up against once its sales begin.

We know how the Harrier looks. We know the different variants of the Harrier and the features they will get. We know how the Harrier drives and we even know the price bracket it will fit in. Well, now all that remains to be revealed are the price of all four variants. And that we will find out tomorrow. Till then, stay tuned to CarDekho for more updates on the Tata Harrier.