Tata Harrier SUV goes to Ladakh in the latest teaser video

Tata Motors has just released a brand new teaser video for the upcoming Harrier SUV, showing it in the high reaches  of Ladakh, a place where car makers routinely do cold weather testing.

Over the past few weeks, Tata Motors has released a series of teaser videos showing the Harrier in trying conditions – from the sheer heat of Rajasthan to demanding tracks of NATRAX. Here, watch the Ladakh video for yourself.

The Tata Harrier will be the new flagship for the automaker. Leaked prices indicate that the base version could be  priced at about Rs. 15 lakhs, and the top-end version at about Rs. 20 lakhs. The 5 seat SUV is based on a new platform called OMEGA, which is a low-cost derivative of the Land Rover D8 platform.

The SUV will be powered by a 2 liter Fiat Multijet turbocharged diesel engine with 140 Bhp-320 Nm outputs. 6 speed  manual and torque converter automatic gearboxes will be on offer with the SUV, which will get both front wheel drive  and all wheel drive layouts.

The all wheel drive layout is likely to gain a Terrain Response system – a-la-Land Rovers. Land Rover inspired bits  will also percolate into the ride and handling part of the Tata Harrier, with the SUV expected to benefit from the D8 platform’s robustness and sharp dynamics.

A petrol engine could be offered on the Tata Harrier in future but at launch, the SUV will be diesel-only. Twin  airbags, ABS, speed alert, seatbelt reminder and provision for ISOFIX child seats will be the various safety features  that are expected to be standard across all trims of the Harrier.

The OMEGA platform of the new SUV will also spawn a 7 seat, longer version, which is likely to be launched a couple  of years down the line. The 7 seat version is expected to be more powerful and also pack in many more features. It  could be Tata Motors’ low cost challenger to the Toyota Fortuner.

Tata has been releasing teaser videos regularly, as the launch approaches. the SUV has also been caught scores of times on camera while undergoing testing in different locations across India.

Earlier this week, Tata had released a teaser video showing the Harrier taking on the desert roads around Jaisalmer. The company said that the video was released to showcase the strength and capabilities of the powerful AC that the SUV will come with, being tested in the heat of the desert.

The Harrier would take on the top end variants of the Hyundai Creta and Mahindra XUV500 as well as the cheaper variants of the popular Jeep Compass. It is expected that the launch of the Harrier would see the XUV500 and Compass taking a hit – at least for a short period. Both companies are expected to hit back with their own newer variants or price cuts in response. We are waiting, breathless, for the battle to begin!