Tata Harrier SUV: Official video reveals chassis & alloy wheel design

Tata Motors is gearing up for its next big launch – the Harrier SUV. The Harrier SUV will be launched in India during January 2019, and will also lead the Mumbai marathon. The official reveal of the production version of the Tata Harrier will happen by the end of this year. The automaker has just released a video that shows the chassis of the Harrier, which is based on the Land Rover D8 platform. The chassis video also shows the alloy wheels that the new SUV will get. Tata Motors has Indianized the Land Rover D8 platform, and now calls it the OMEGA, which expands into Optimal Modular Efficient Global Advanced Architecture. Here, watch the video.

As the video indicates, the Tata Harrier SUV is based on the H5X concept, which was first shown at the 2018 Indian Auto Expo. With the production model likely to arrive well within a year of the concept first being showcased, the Harrier promises to be Tata Motors’ quickest vehicle to go from concept to production.

The production version will not be as curvy as the concept version but will retain most styling bits. It’ll be powered by a 2 litre diesel engine that’s sourced from Fiat. This motor will produce 140 Bhp-320 Nm, and will be offered with 2 gearbox options – a 6 speed manual and a Hyundai-sourced 6 speed torque converter automatic.

While a front wheel drive layout will be standard on this monocoque SUV, Tata Motors will offer an all wheel drive layout on the top-end variant. Airbags and ABS will be standard across trims and the Harrier will comply with India’s new safety regulations called the Bharat New Vehicle Safety Assessment Program (BNVSAP).

The Harrier will be the most expensive Tata SUV on sale, sitting above the current flagship – the Hexa. Ex-showroom prices of the Harrier are likely to start from somewhere between Rs. 12-13 lakhs. The pricing will pit the Harrier against the likes of the Hyundai Creta and the Jeep Compass.

A lot is riding on the Harrier, and Tata Motors will be hoping to make a big mark, both in terms of sales and perception. A longer, 7 seat version of the Harrier, based on the OMEGA platform, is also on the anvil, but will arrive a year after the 5-seat variant’s launch.