The most un-Tata of them all

If you didn’t see the Tata badge on the nose, chances are that you wouldn’t think this was a Tata car. That’s because the all-new Tata Harrier is the most un-Tata, Tata car yet. In fact, it’s the first car from a homegrown, Indian car manufacturer that can truly be called global. This latest SUV is built on a Land Rover platform, has a Fiat engine under the bonnet, and is designed in-house by Tata Motors. A year down the road, Hyundai will supply the Harrier with an automatic transmission. You can’t get more international than that!

What’s particularly significant though is that it shares the same platform with the Land Rover Discovery Sport. Not only does this give the Harrier instant credibility, but it is also the first Tata product to use Jaguar-Land Rover technology after Tata Motors acquired the iconic British brands 10 years ago.

Brownie points

The first time you clap eyes on the Harrier, you can’t miss the rather unconventional headlight cluster design that has the indicators (which are also daylight running lights) placed where the headlights should be whilst the headlights themselves are housed low down near the fog lights.

The overall proportions are superb and there are lots of design details like the sleek-looking tail lights and muscular wheel arches that stand out. However, the small and ordinary-looking alloy wheels don’t do justice to the Harrier’s overall design. It’s like wearing gumboots with a Hugo Boss suit. The good thing is that you can swap these wheels with bigger and better alloys in the aftermarket.

Tata has really outdone itself with the Harrier’s cabin. In fact, it is really hard to imagine you’re in a Tata until the ‘T’ logo on the chunky steering wheel gives it away. The materials chosen like the wood grain finish, the richly-textured plastics are top class and minor fit and finish issues notwithstanding, the cabin feels genuinely premium.

Space is another area where the Harrier aces it, especially in the rear where there is lots of leg and head room and thanks to the large windows and a high seating position, outside visibility is great too.

Hits and misses

The Harrier comes with a lot of the equipment you’d want in this segment, like auto headlamps and wipers, leather upholstery, Xenon headlamps and cruise control. There are even a few things that really impress, like the puddle lamps that project the car’s silhouette onto the ground and the nine-speaker audio system.

However, there are some vital features missing that rivals do offer. A powered driver’s seat, height-adjustable and most of all, a sunroof, which premium car buyers just love, should have been on the list.

A big talking point on the Harrier is its dual-screen set-up – an 8.8-inch touchscreen on the dashboard and a 7-inch screen that makes up part of the instrument cluster. The main screen uses the latest version of Tata’s touchscreen interface and gets Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and what’s unique here is that you can still access the car’s native settings, while either smartphone interface is active. We would have liked the screen to be more responsive and sharper – in bright sunlight it picks up reflections.

The Harrier will be powered by a 140hp 2.0 litre diesel mated to a six-speed manual transmission. There’s no automatic transmission at launch option, which is sure to turn some prospective buyers away but the good thing is that the light clutch and easy gearshift makes the manual effortless to drive. The Harrier isn’t a very quick car but performance is more than adequate for normal city driving and highway cruising. Once the engine picks up revs it gets nicely into its stride but, when you floor it, the diesel gets fairly noisy and engine refinement is clearly a weakness.

What blew me away is the aplomb with which the Harrier cushioned me from the rutted and broken back roads of Rajasthan. It gobbles potholes and soaks up bumps as if your riding on an air cushion and its this exceptional ride comfort that will surely win hearts in a country where roads are perennially bad.

Can the Harrier shake up the already super competitive SUV market? A few rough edges apart, it’s combination of striking looks, size and practicality does make for a compelling package but what everyone is expecting, true to Tata tradition is a killer price to finally seal the deal.

Hormazd Sorabjee is one of the most senior and much loved auto journalists in India, and is editor of Autocar India

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From HT Brunch, December 16, 2018

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