The Tata Sierra is one of the newer midsize SUVs to offer a diesel engine, a powertrain that is becoming increasingly rare in the segment. Positioned below the Harrier in Tata’s SUV line-up, the Sierra gets a 1.5-litre diesel engine, while the larger Harrier is available with a 2.0-litre diesel unit. Both SUVs are available with a 6-speed automatic gearbox. So how do they compare in terms of performance? Let’s find out.
Tata Sierra vs Harrier diesel AT: Specifications and price
The Sierra has a smaller engine but is also more affordable
Tata Sierra vs Harrier diesel AT: Specifications and price | ||
Tata Sierra 1.5D AT | Tata Harrier 2.0D AT | |
Engine | 4 cyls, turbo-diesel | 4 cyls, turbo-diesel |
Displacement (cc) | 1,497 | 1,956 |
Power (hp) | 118 | 170 |
Torque (Nm) | 280 | 350 |
Kerb weight (kg) | NA | 1,823 |
Power-to-weight (hp per tonne) | - | 93.25 |
Torque-to-weight (Nm per tonne) | - | 191.99 |
Price range (in Rs lakh) | 15.99-21.29 | 18.85-25.40 |
The Tata Harrier gets a larger 2.0-litre diesel engine, making 52hp and 70Nm more than the Sierra’s 1.5-litre diesel. While Tata is yet to reveal the Sierra diesel’s kerb weight, it will be lower than the Harrier diesel’s weight because of its smaller size. For reference, the Sierra’s turbo-petrol AT weighs 1,552kg.
The Sierra diesel also has a clear price advantage. It starts at Rs 2.86 lakh lower than the Harrier, while its top-spec diesel variant undercuts that of the Harrier by a substantial Rs 4.11 lakh.
Tata Sierra vs Harrier diesel AT: 0-100kph acceleration test
The Harrier is 0.77s faster than the Sierra to reach 100kph from a standstill
Tata Sierra vs Harrier diesel AT: Acceleration from rest (in seconds) | ||
Tata Sierra 1.5D AT | Tata Harrier 2.0D AT | |
20kph | 1.44 | 1.33 |
40kph | 3.53 | 2.94 |
60kph | 5.93 | 5.16 |
80kph | 9.31 | 8.30 |
100kph | 13.37 | 12.60 |
The Harrier diesel-AT gets off the line 0.11 seconds quicker than the Sierra diesel-AT and continues to pull ahead as speeds rise. By 60kph, the Harrier’s lead grows to 0.77 seconds, a gap it maintains throughout.
Tata Sierra vs Harrier diesel AT: Rolling acceleration tests
While the Harrier clocks a faster 20-80kph run, the Sierra is quicker to do 40-100kph
Tata Sierra vs Harrier diesel AT: Rolling acceleration (in seconds) | ||
Tata Sierra 1.5D AT | Tata Harrier 2.0D AT | |
20-80kph | 7.97 | 7.20 |
40-100kph | 9.42 | 9.52 |
In the rolling acceleration tests, the Harrier diesel-AT is again quicker in the 20-80kph test, taking 0.77 seconds less than the Sierra diesel-AT.
However, the Sierra clocks a 0.10-second quicker 40-100kph time. In the real world, we noticed that the Sierra’s 1.5-litre engine builds power linearly and lacks the midrange punch associated with diesel engines. On the other hand, the Harrier offers a punchy mid-range and the powertrain feels more responsive to throttle inputs.
Autocar India’s testing standards
Before we conduct our performance tests, we check and maintain tyre pressures based on the manufacturer’s recommendations and ensure the car has a full tank of fuel. The car is then tested in a controlled environment with two people on board, and data is collected via highly accurate GPS-based timing equipment.