The turbo-petrol engine coming to Tata’s flagship SUVs will be shared with the new Sierra’s higher variants.
Published on Nov 21, 2025 08:00:00 AM
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Follow usThe price announcement for the long-awaited petrol versions of the Harrier and Safari is expected on December 9, 2025. These petrol-powered flagship Tata SUVs will rival similarly sized models such as the Hyundai Alcazar, the Mahindra XUV700 and the MG duo comprising the Hector and Hector Plus. Let us look at how the Harrier petrol and Safari petrol compare on paper against their rivals, based on what we know so far.
Tata Harrier | Tata Safari | Hyundai Alcazar | Mahindra XUV700 | MG Hector/Hector Plus | |
Length (mm) | 4605 | 4668 | 4560 | 4695 | 4699 |
Width (mm) | 1922 | 1922 | 1800 | 1890 | 1835 |
Height (mm) | 1718 | 1795 | 1710 | 1755 | 1760 |
Wheelbase (mm) | 2741 | 2741 | 2760 | 2750 | 2750 |
Ground clearance (mm) | 205 (est.) | 205 (est.) | 200 | 200 | 192 |
Boot space (litres) | 445 | 211 | 180 | 240 (est.) | 587/155 |
Wheel size (inch) | 19* | 19* | 18 | 18 | 18 |
*Only on the Fearless+ Stealth (Harrier), Accomplished X+, Accomplished X+ Stealth (Safari) and Dark Editions
The Tata Harrier and Safari are the widest cars here, with the XUV700 trailing in second place by 32mm. They also boast the highest (estimated) ground clearance and have 19-inch wheels (available on select trims), where the rest max out at 18 inches. While it cannot beat the Hector in terms of outright boot space, the Harrier’s 445-litre capacity is the second best here.
At 211 litres, the 7-seat Safari has the second-lowest boot capacity – the smallest boot here belongs to the Hector Plus. The XUV700’s estimated boot space, with all seven seats in place, is more than both. The Safari is the tallest SUV here, while the Hector and Hector Plus are the longest.
The Alcazar’s 2,760mm wheelbase is 10mm longer than what the XUV700 or the Hector duo offer. Interestingly, the Safari, despite being 108mm longer than the Alcazar, has a 19mm shorter wheelbase.
Tata Harrier | Tata Safari | Hyundai Alcazar | Mahindra XUV700 | MG Hector/Hector Plus | |
Type | 4 cyls turbo | 4 cyls turbo | 4 cyls turbo | 4 cyls turbo | 4 cyls turbo |
Displacement | 1498cc | 1498cc | 1482cc | 1997cc | 1451cc |
Power | 170hp* | 170hp* | 160hp | 200hp | 143hp |
Torque | 280Nm* | 280Nm* | 253Nm | 380Nm | 250Nm |
Manual transmission | NA | NA | 6-speed MT | 6-speed MT | 6-speed MT |
Automatic transmission | NA | NA | 7-speed DCT | 6-speed AT | CVT |
*Estimated
When Tata’s new 1.5-litre turbo-petrol ‘Hyperion’ engine was showcased at Auto Expo 2023, the brand claimed the unit was rated at 170hp and 280Nm of torque. If carried over in the same state of tune, the Harrier and Safari petrol versions will have an advantage of 27hp and 30Nm over the Hector and Hector Plus. Even the Alcazar’s 4-cylinder mill would be 10hp and 27Nm down on power and torque, respectively.
The XUV700’s 2.0-litre turbocharged engine is the most powerful one here. When compared to Tata’s 1.5-litre mill, Mahindra’s larger ‘mStallion’ unit is at a significant advantage, pushing out about 30hp and 100Nm more. The Harrier and Safari petrol variants will get manual and automatic transmission options, but which automatic options will be on offer is not known yet.
Meanwhile, the Harrier and Safari’s rivals encompass a variety of automatic gearbox options. These come in the form of dual-clutch, torque converter and continuously variable transmission choices. The manual transmissions in the Hyundai, Mahindra and MG are 6-speed units.
Tata Harrier | Tata Safari | Hyundai Alcazar | Mahindra XUV700 | MG Hector | Hector Plus | |
Petrol prices | 13.75-24.75 (est.) | 14.40-25.45 (est.) | 14.47-20.96 | 13.66-22.19 | 14.00-20.76 | 18.85-21.34 |
While Tata has not revealed any details on this front, prices of the petrol-powered Harrier and Safari are expected to be lower than those of their diesel-powered counterparts. By our conservative estimates, it is likely that the base Harrier petrol’s price will undercut that of the Alcazar and Hector, and that too by a safe margin. This margin appears to grow even wider when comparing the Safari petrol with the Hector Plus petrol.
However, the top-spec Harrier and Safari petrol trims are likely to be more expensive than their respective Hector counterparts. Similarly, the base Safari petrol could be priced lower than the Alcazar. Then, there is the XUV700 petrol, whose prices appear to undercut the estimated ex-showroom range of the Harrier’s petrol variants. Do note that the Alcazar’s dual-tone paint options cost an additional Rs 14,500.
All prices are ex-showroom.
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