Tata Harrier

Baby Range Rover

The Tata Harrier is among the larger compact SUVs in the Indian market, which makes it an appealing choice for prospective buyers. While the high safety rating and Tata’s reputation of exceptional ride quality carried the Harrier for long, the compact SUV was overdue an update. The facelifted Harrier has taken multiple strides forward in terms of design, equipment, finish quality, and driving tech, increasing its appeal by a significant chunk. Is it ready to take the fight to segment leaders like the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos? Here’s what we think.

Tata Harrier Pros and Cons 

Tata Harrier Exterior Design 

As far as facelifts go, the Harrier has received quite a significant update. It is not as significant as that of the Nexon, but the facelift does make it look futuristic. Changes are restricted to bumpers and lighting elements though, and the basic Harrier silhouette remains the same. But the small changes do a big job of making it look fresh. The grille has grown in size, so has the air-dam, and both get metallic embellishments that are colour coordinated to the persona (variant) you choose. The split headlamp design remains, but the lighting elements are now considerably different than before. LED DRLs have been pinched to look even sharper, and they are now connected with a light bar that has sequential LED lights, which show welcome animations when unlocking the car. Headlights are now all-LED too, and are housed in a much sleeker and angular fog-lamp housing. The housing also has active aero elements to divert airflow to the front wheel wells, improving aerodynamic performance. 

Speaking of aero, the Harrier now gets wheels that are designed to cut drag, much like the wheels seen on most EVs. Interestingly though, while the wheels are alloys, the aero elements in them are actually made of plastic, in order to reduce unsprung mass (and some cost too). The wheels are also a size larger than the pre-facelift model, with the base variants getting 17-inch wheels, and mid and top variants getting 18-inchers. The dark edition takes it even further, and comes equipped with 19-inch wheels, which take a toll on the overall bump absorption. Wheels and badges aside, the profile of the Harrier has remained largely unchanged. Along the rear too, the major change is in the lights, with the Harrier now getting a light bar at the back. The tail lights are also largely blacked out.

Tata Harrier Interiors 

The Harrier’s interior has been thoroughly reworked to deliver a premium experience. The interiors now also get colour-coordinated themes depending on the personas, with some variants getting body coloured panels and stitching on the inside. And with the existence of a host of variants and a variety of themes, finding an interior theme which appeals to you will be easy. The dashboard design is also new, and all the elements are aligned horizontally, delivering a sleek appearance. The four-spoke steering wheel is also new and feels great to hold, and gets a gloss black panel in the middle that houses an illuminated logo, similar to that of the Nexon. The dashboard and centre console also get a few piano black panels, but they attract fingerprints and may be prone to scratches. The AC control unit is part of these panels, and while the capacitive touch buttons are great to look at, they are not easy to use when driving.

Overall fit and finish levels on the interior of the Harrier have taken a big step forward. While there are some hard plastics, most of them are hidden away, and almost all of the touchpoints are finished in some form of premium soft touch material. However, while the appearance and feel is beautiful, the ergonomics could have been improved. The wireless phone charger is compact and tucked away, so placing your phone on it will require some effort; the drive selector has a small display on it which shows which mode is selected along with an animation, but it sits behind the gear lever and isn’t as easily accessible as one would expect; USB type C charging port supports up to 45W fast charging and there’s a type-A port too, but accessing them, again, isn’t as easy. Small ergonomic issues aside, the cabin furnishes a very high class and premium experience. The 12.3 inch touchscreen, 10.25 inch instrument cluster, and the 10-speaker JBL sound system elevate the experience further, and everything adds up to deliver the baby Range Rover feel.

The Harrier scores well on the practicality front as well. There’s plenty of small pockets to store loose items; there are large bottle holders on all doors; centre console and rear seat armrest both get cup holders; there's a large glove compartment to store larger items; and the storage under the front armrest in the centre console is also cooled. Boot space has also grown marginally over the last model, and measures at 445 litres. Making it easier to load luggage in the car is an electric tailgate, which also gets gesture control, allowing you to open it by just swinging your foot under the rear bumper.

Tata Harrier Comfort 

Tata Motors is famous for its carpet-like ride quality, and the pre-facelift Harrier was one of the better cars in Tata’s stable on this front. With the new Harrier, the wheel sizes have gone up, which theoretically should worsen the ride slightly. However, to our delight, the ride has stayed pretty much the same as the previous model. While some smaller surface imperfections filter through, the Harrier really shines when dealing with larger bumps and potholes, or broken roads. Due to the heavier kerb weight compared with rivals, the Harrier also rides like a big car when going fast, and it isn’t fazed when you drive over a big bump at high speeds. Highway stability is one of its strengths, and with the new electric power steering (more on this in our ‘Performance and Handling’ section), the Harrier inspires confidence on all kinds of roads.

With the reworked interiors, the Harrier has also received better seats. Like before, the front seats are large and are rather high placed, resulting in a commanding driving position. The seats are also well bolstered and cushioned, and spending hours here would be a comfortable. The front seats can be adjusted electrically, and the driver’s seat also gets a memory function. The front seats also get ventilation — a feature that has slowly started to be a necessity rather than a creature comfort. Rear seats are just as comfortable as the front, and as before, the biggest highlight here is the space on offer. Three passengers can fit comfortably, and there’s an expanse of knee room and leg room, even for tall adults. The outer seats also get new headrests, which are much larger than before and have an airline-seat like concave shape. They do a great job of holding your head in place in case you wish to take a nap, making the rear seat all-the-more comfortable. The middle passenger, however, doesn’t get a head rest, but all passengers get individual 3-point seatbelts. The rear also gets its own set of air-con vents on the B-pillars, but there are no individual controls for these. 

Tata Harrier Performance and handling

Thanks to the inclusion of level two ADAS (which includes lane keep assist and needs an electronic steering), Tata has finally ditched the old hydraulic steering system on the Harrier. The steering that was infamously heavy at low speeds and light at high speeds now makes way for a far better unit which does the opposite, inspiring confidence. There is far less effort required to make u-turns, and the steering feels taut when it comes to high speed cruising. Higher variants of the Harrier now also get disc brakes at the back, improving overall braking performance. However, the brake feel still has room for improvement.

The new Harrier continues to get the same fiat-sourced 168 bhp 2-litre diesel engine, which is now BS6.2 compatible. The engine has strong mid-range, a wide powerband, and has a healthy amount of power and torque. However, where the engine falls short is on the refinement front, and you can hear the engine groan even at low RPMs. The engine can be paired with either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic, however, the clutch on the manual has long travel and an odd bite point, making the automatic easier to recommend. The Harrier now also gets three drive modes — Eco, City and Sport — and it also gets terrain modes — Normal, Wet, and Rough — which tweaks the ESC to adapt to the conditions.

Tata Harrier Key specifications 

Tata Harrier Safety Features

At the time of testing, the Tata Harrier (jointly with the Safari) managed to achieve the highest score ever in the history of Global NCAP for both adult and child protection, scoring a full 5-stars! This bodes well for the Indian manufacturer, with Tata always taking a safety first approach, reassuring its customers. The high score is a testament to great build quality, but there are a ton of features too. Top of the lot is level 2 ADAS, which introduces a long list of features like blind spot warning, blind view monitor, cross traffic alert, high beam assist, traffic sign recognition, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, autonomous emergency braking system, forward collision warning, and adaptive cruise control (which is restricted to automatics only). And of course, there are the more basic safety features like six airbags, ESC, traction control, three point seatbelts for all seats, ISOFIX child seat mounts, tyre pressure monitoring system and more as standard. Higher-spec versions add in hill descent control and a driver knee airbag, elevating the airbag count to seven.

Tata Harrier Technology and Infotainment

The thoroughly modernised Harrier impresses on the tech front also. The Harrier now gets the same 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment from the top variants of the Nexon EV, which elevates the cabin experience several notches. Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are obviously a part of the package, but a stellar 360-degree camera, controls of the onboard air purifier via the screen, and JBL’s 10-speaker sound system add glitter to the party. Singing a duet with the display is a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster which also has several tricks up its sleeve; best amongst these being able to display google maps right onto the instrument cluster, allowing the driver to focus on the road more efficiently. Ambient lighting also adds flair, and voice commands in six languages — including the ability to control the panoramic sunroof — make for a versatile and enjoyable driving companion. In essence, Tata Motors has not just kept up with tech trends but has injected innovation, making the new Harrier a tech-savvy delight.

Is the Tata Harrier for you?

Compact SUV buyers in India are spoilt for choice, with a very long list of offerings from a variety of brands. From the likes of Maruti Suzuki to Skoda, everyone is trying to grab a share from the pie, and Mahindra is also planning to enter the segment with a new XUV500. The Tata Harrier sits amongst these as one of the larger choices, allowing for great cabin and boot space. With the thorough facelift, Tata Motors has managed to mask several of the Harrier’s deficiencies, while also giving it a beautiful and modern look, both inside and out. While there is still room for improvement on the engine refinement front, and the manual gearbox is not a very slick unit, the several other good factors about the Harrier make it a great choice. Power and torque figures are also segment leading, and if Tata markets this product well, they’ll have yet another winner on their hands.