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 lineup, the Sierra gets a 1.5-litre diesel engine, while a 2.0-litre diesel powers the larger Harrier. Both SUVs are available with a 6-speed automatic gearbox, but with different engines under the hood, how do they compare in terms of performance? Let’s find out.
Tata Sierra vs Harrier diesel AT: Specifications and price
The Sierra’s smaller engine offers less performance, but it is also more affordable
The Tata Harrier gets a larger 2.0-litre diesel engine, making 52hp and 70Nm more than the Sierra’s 1.5-litre diesel. Tata is yet to reveal the Sierra diesel’s kerb weight, but 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. Its starting price is Rs 2.86 lakh lower than the Harrier’s, while the top-spec Sierra diesel undercuts 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
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 through to 100kph.
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
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 recommendation 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 the data is collected via highly accurate GPS-based timing equipment.
Uday Singh
Glenn Noronha
Aditya Panicker
