2020 Tata Harrier BS6: Which variant to buy?

When Tata launched the Harrier in the market, the SUV received a good response as it offered more features than the competitors and Tata is recognized for its solid build quality. But then the sales started decreasing due to the new competitors that came into the market. Tata Harrier faced stiff competition from the MG Hector which was launched in the market with a host of segment-first features such as a panoramic sunroof and connected car technology. Then just after 2 months, Kia introduced its Seltos which came with a lot of tech and design that stole many people’s hearts. Because of all this Tata’s sale suffered a lot and the Harrier was less powerful and didn’t offer an automatic transmission which also had an impact. It was certain that the manufacturer would need to update its SUV so that it can stay in this competitive segment.

Now, Tata has launched the 2020 Harrier with updated features, automatic transmission and more power. The variants are also re-organized a bit, so they offer more equipment across the range. Tata has introduced a total of 8 variants for the Harrier where there are 5 variants with manual transmission and 3 variants that can be opted with an automatic transmission. There are also some cosmetic packs available.

What are the engine and transmission options available?

Tata Harrier is available with a diesel engine only that produces a max power output of 170PS and a peak torque output of 350Nm. The engine can be mated to a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic transmission.

What are the variants offered?

There are 5 variants that Tata has introduced for Harrier namely XE, XM, XT, XZ, and XZ+. The variants with an automatic transmission are known as XMA, XZA and XZA+. The range kicks off at a price of Rs. 13.69 lakhs(ex-showroom) and going all the way up to Rs.19.19 lakhs(ex-showroom). There are also Dual-tone or the Dark Edition that will cost Rs 10,000 and Rs 20,000 more respectively. Both of these variants just add to the cosmetic appearance of the SUV. Below is the variant wise price list(ex-showroom):-

 

Variant	Price
XE	Rs. 13.69 lakhs
XM	Rs. 15 lakhs
XMA	Rs. 16.25 lakhs
XT	Rs. 16.25 lakhs
XZ	Rs. 17.50 lakhs
XZA	Rs. 18.80 lakhs
XZ+	Rs. 18.75 lakhs
XZA+	Rs. 19.99 lakhs

Being a Tata it is obvious that it comes with the solid build quality and a load of safety features as standard. There is hill hold control, dual airbags, ABS with EBD, rear parking sensors and dual airbags. Moreover, Tata is even offering traction control, rollover mitigation, corner stability control and brake disc wiping across all the variants.

Which is the most value-for-money variant?

We think that the XT variant offers the best value for money because this variant sits right in the middle of the variant line up and also the price range. At Rs.16.25 lakhs, the XT variant adds many useful features such as reversing camera to easily park the car, cruise control for hassle-free highway driving, automatic climate control, soft-touch dashboard and a rear armrest. All this money also gets you automatic headlamps and wipers, alloy wheels and push button to start/stop. There is also a 7-inch floating touchscreen infotainment system that comes with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

The XT variant justifies its asking price which is Rs. 1.25 lakhs costlier than base variant with its strong equipment list that it adds. The XZ variant which sits above the XT variant and costs Rs. 1.25 lakhs more. Yes, it does add some more features, leather upholstery but we do not think that those features are necessary to have and add value that Harrier has to offer.

Which is the most value-for-money automatic variant?

Quite clearly, it’s the XMA trim. This trim gives you all the power that the 2 liter turbo diesel engine makes along with the convenience of a 6 speed automatic, at Rs. 16.25 lakhs, which is over rs. 2.5 lakh cheaper than the next available automatic trim.