2019 Tata Harrier review, road test

Tata’s big SUV sure got people talking. But is it as good as everyone hoped it would be? Only an exhaustive road test can give the definitive verdict.

Published on May 07, 2019 10:00:00 AM

1,11,103 Views

The striking-looking Harrier stands out in the urban jungle and the real one.

Pinched glasshouse at rear looks sleek but rear window is small.

Thrust control-like handbrake lever nicer to look at than it is to use. It is fiddly to operate.

The Harrier might share its 2.0-litre diesel engine with the Compass but the Tata can’t quite match the Jeep on outright performance. On the Tata, the engine makes 140hp and 350Nm (the Compass uses a 173hp and 350Nm version of the unit) and also has to lug nearly 100kg more of SUV. This should partly explain the big difference in their 0-100kph acceleration times; the Harrier takes 12.24sec to 100 while the comparable Compass 4x2 records a sub-10sec time of 9.97sec. However, the gap becomes much smaller when talking of the more relevant yardstick of in-gear acceleration. The Compass is only marginally quicker from 10-30kph in second, 30-50kph in third, 50-80kph in fourth and 80-100kph in fifth gears. The Harrier’s relatively low-geared final drive comes into play and also helps the Tata better the 300kg lighter Hyundai Creta through the gears.

Kryotec-branded engine is none other than Fiat’s Multijet II diesel.

While performance isn’t electrifying, it is more than adequate. Drive modes also let you alter how the engine delivers its power. The efficiency-enhancing Eco mode curtails power and revs and makes the build of speed leisurely. The engine has more to give in ‘City’ and feels its freest and best in Sport mode. Power comes in smoothly and there’s a slight bump at about 1,800rpm. The Harrier gets to highway cruising speeds with ease but, at times, you do wish there was more punch in the mid-range; that strong surge on the Compass is missing here. The more powerful BS-VI-compliant version of the engine could address the issue.

Engine refinement was a serious issue on our pre-launch drive of the Harrier but the good thing is that Tata engineers took the feedback to heart and there has been a noticeable improvement in the production cars. In fact, one of the reasons for the production delays is because of the NVH tweaks carried out retrospectively. The engine is now quieter and the vibrations coming through the pedals are more subdued. However, it’s still not as refined as we would have liked. Idle is grumbly, the engine sounds buzzy after 2,000rpm and you’ll even hear a clunk from the driveline ever so often. The 6-speed gearbox doesn’t operate with the same slickness as it does in the Compass but it is light enough. Thankfully, the Harrier clutch isn’t heavy or snappy like the Compass’, and is actually quite convenient to modulate but you need to give it a wee bit of ‘gas’ to avoid stalling the engine. Also, we can’t help but wonder how much better the whole experience would be once the Hyundai-sourced, smooth-shifting torque converter 6-speed automatic gearbox eventually makes its way onto the Harrier.