Tata Harrier SUV launch date revealed

Tata Harrier is undoubtedly the most-awaited SUVs in the Indian car market. Tata officially started taking bookings for the Harrier earlier this year and the launch date has been officially announced as 23rd January 2019.

Tata Harrier is the first car that will be based on the Land Rover’s D8 platform that underpins the Discovery Sport. Tata has heavily modified the platform to ensure that it is cost-effective. The new flagship vehicle from the brand remains very close to the concept model showcased at the 2018 Auto Expo and will take on the likes of Hyundai Creta and Jeep Compass in the Indian market.

Even though the bookings were opened by the manufacturer in November, Tata is yet to share the number of bookings it has received till date. The Tata Harrier has a phenomenal road presence and is bigger than the Jeep Compass, Hyundai Creta and even Mahindra XUV 500. It gets unique DRLs that form the part of the extended grille of the Harrier. The SUV looks very premium from the outside and gets 17-inch alloy wheels.

Mechanically, the Tata Harrier is powered by a 2.0-litre Multijet engine sourced from Fiat. It has been named as the 2.0 KRYOTEC engine and develops a maximum power of 140PS and 350 Nm of peak torque. The engine is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission and the power goes to the front wheels. Tata will not offer an automatic transmission at the time of the launch but it is expected to be launched with an automatic version at a later time. The engine gets different modes that modulate the power output to save fuel and be efficient.

The Harrier also misses out on the 4WD system but Tata has developed the Terrain Response System for the Harrier and it works quite well. The FWD SUV gets various modes. The front wheels are controlled and power is given to the wheel which is still in contact with the ground. It is not as capable as the 4WD SUVs but it can do a lot more than the regular 2WD SUVs in the market. Other features include a touchscreen infotainment system, an 8-inch multi-information display on the instrument console, 6-airbags, puddle lamps with the Harrier logo and 9-speaker system from JBL with a sub-woofer. The Harrier will be available in four different variants – XE, XM, XT and XZ.

Tata Harrier misses out on a lot of features, which are quickly becoming common in the segment. The Harrier does get a sunroof or dual-zone climate control system. Instead, it gets a lot of space and cubby holes to keep everything that you want. Tata is expected to keep the price very competitive and take the advantage. Stay tuned as we will bring live updates from the launch event.