The Harrier made its market debut back in 2019, and it has already reached the one lakh sales milestone, in a little over four years. SUVs such as the Hyundai Creta, MG Hector, Kia Seltos, and Jeep Compass, give tough competition to the Harrier. But how did Tata manage to make the Harrier stand out and achieve this milestone? Here’s what makes the Tata Harrier such a successful mid-size SUV.
With the Harrier, Tata introduced its Impact Design 2.0 philosophy, which made the SUV look bold and stylish. The sharp LED DRLs, which also double as indicators, the muscular bumper design, the LED lightbar at the rear, and the taller stance — all work in unison to make the Harrier one of the most aggressive-looking SUVs in its class. Also, Tata Motors' strategy to introduce limited edition models, such as the Kaziranga Edition, Jet Edition, Dark Edition, and the recently launched Red-Dark Edition has been very successful. These limited edition models cater to a niche audience who want to pay a premium for their Harrier to look and feel exclusive. The Harrier Red Dark Edition also debuted the dark colour trend, which most of its competitors are aping.
Unlike the budget Tata cars which get a smaller capacity three-cylinder engine, the Harrier packs a Fiat-sourced 2-litre turbocharged four-pot. This diesel-fed mill cranks out 168bhp and 350Nm of torque. As standard, the Harrier comes with a six-speed manual gearbox, but Tata also offers a six-speed torque converter automatic gearbox as an option. This engine is shared with the Jeep Compass and the MG Hector. The Harrier offers quite a lot of grunt when compared to the diesel-powered Seltos and Creta, which is a big draw for potential customers.
One of the prime highlights of the Harrier is the suspension and how well-calibrated it is. The Harrier is one of the best SUVs in its class when it comes to ride quality. Although you would feel the suspension to be a little on the firmer side at low speeds, once you pick up the pace, it glides through road imperfections pretty smoothly. To know more about the Harrier’s ride quality in depth, here’s what our editor, Sirish Chandran, had experienced in his time with the Harrier.
Initially, the Harrier debuted without a lot of creature comfort features. Gradually over the years, Tata has implemented a lot of them, including a larger 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment display with new software, a panoramic sunroof, a six-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, a wireless charging pad, and many more. To keep up with its competition, the Harrier recently got an update which includes ADAS: forward collision warning, blindspot detection, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, rear collision warning, high-beam assist, and traffic sign recognition.
The Harrier starts at Rs. 14.99lakh ex-showroom and goes up to Rs. 24.06lakh ex-showroom with the XZA Plus (O) Red Dark Edition. It sits below the most premium Tata vehicle, the Safari, and for its asking price, it brings great features, punchy performance, and a very stylish appearance to the table.