Tata Harrier noses ahead of the Jeep Compass but Mahindra XUV500 still KING!

The recently launched Tata Harrier has managed to outsell the much pricier Jeep Compass, but only just. In February  2019, Tata Motors sold 1,449 units of the Harrier while Jeep managed to sell 1,304 units of the Compass. The Mahindra XUV500 continues to lead the pack, with sales of 1,806 units, which is significantly higher than both the Harrier and Compass numbers.

While we expected that the Harrier would significantly outsell both the XUV500 and Compass thanks to excellent  pricing by Tata Motors, there seem to be other factors that are limiting the SUV’s numbers. Judging by the waiting  times the Harrier is facing, it seems that Tata Motors is not able to produce enough of this SUV to meet the  burgeoning demand. However, we’ll have to wait and watch how the numbers shape up in the coming months to get a clearer picture on the Harrier’s performance.

This said, what could limit Harrier sales in the next few months could have to do more than just production issues.  while both the Mahindra XUV500 and Jeep Compass offer a slew of variants that appeal to a wide segment of buyers, Tata has opted to go with a single engine-gearbox option on the Harrier. There’s no petrol engine offered, and this won’t change until the first half of 2020, when Tata Motors will finally begin offering a 1.6 liter turbo petrol  engine in the SUV.

Also, there’s no automatic gearbox option on offer with the Harrier’s Diesel motor presently. By the end of this year  though, a 6 speed torque converter automatic gearbox sourced from Hyundai will be offered with the Harrier Diesel.  This should perk up sales by a bit considering the fact that buyers opting for cars priced over Rs. 15 lakhs have  shown a decided shift towards automatic cars. By then, we expect Tata Motors to be able to produce enough Harrier  SUVs to meet demand with minimal waiting times.

As for the Mahindra XUV500 and Jeep Compass, both SUVs may feel the real impact of the Harrier’s arrival in the  months to come. For now, the XUV500 continues to offer great value as it’s a 7 seat SUV that’s priced similar to the  Harrier. Moreover, the XUV500 offers petrol automatic, diesel manual, diesel automatic and diesel all wheel drive  variants, which give buyers a lot of choice. Similarly, the Jeep Compass is offered with petrol-manual, petrol  automatic, diesel manual and diesel-all wheel drive variants.

However, it’s priced at a premium and this may be one  factor that’s limiting numbers. Prices of the Tata Harrier start from Rs. 12.69 lakhs, with the top end variant  sitting at Rs. 16.25 lakhs. The Mahindra XUV500’s prices range between Rs. 12.79 lakhs to Rs. 19.54 lakhs, while  those of the Jeep Compass range between Rs. 15.45 lakhs to Rs. 22.95 lakhs, ex-showroom Delhi.