Tata Harrier Petrol Spied Testing, Launch Expected In 2020

It is reportedly getting a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine

• Harrier spied with emission testing kit, BS6 diesel already on sale.

• Petrol variant for Harrier was confirmed in early 2019.

• It is reportedly getting a 1.5-litre direct-injection turbo-petrol engine.

• The Harrier petrol variant is expected to launch in the second half of 2020.

The Tata Harrier has been the brand’s flagship SUV since its launch in early 2019. It has only been offered with a diesel engine since but it could be getting a petrol engine soon. A Harrier kitted out with an emission testing rig has been spotted testing. Given that the 2020 Harrier has already been launched with a BS6-compliant diesel engine, this test mule must have a petrol unit under its bonnet.

Tata will reportedly fit it with a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine, developed for its OMEGA ARC products like the Harrier and Gravitas. This engine will be a direct-injection unit and is expected to offer around 170PS of power, same as the 2.0-litre diesel on offer. Other updates on the 2020 Harrier included a new top-spec variant that added a panoramic sunroof to its feature list.

A petrol variant of the Harrier could help improve its sales by making it more affordable as the BS6 diesel engine has made it pricier than ever. Rivals like the MG Hector have offered both petrol and diesel options since launch and are enjoying better monthly sales figures than the Harrier. On average, the Harrier shipped less than a 1000 units a month over the last six months as compared to the Hector’s average of over 2500 units over the same time period, as per SIAM data. Tata is likely to introduce a dual-clutch automatic transmission with the petrol Harrier too.

The Tata Harrier’s petrol variant is expected to be launched by September 2020. It would likely be priced between Rs 12.5 lakh and Rs 18 lakh while the diesel variants currently range from Rs 13.69 lakh to Rs 20.25 lakh. The lower pricing of the petrol variants would bring it into closer competition with premium compact SUVs like the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos.

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