Tata Harrier vs Mahindra XUV500: All that we know so far!

The Tata Harrier has been revealed and all seems to be going in the company’s favor currently. Though the reveal was limited to exteriors, the Harrier has been getting rave reviews for its looks and aesthetics. One of the main rival for the Harrier is going to be another homegrown SUV, the Mahindra XUV500.

It has identical measurements and is still an attractive car to look at. The pricing for Harrier has not been yet revealed officially but it is expected to be priced higher than the XUV, which gives the Mahindra SUV another advantage over the Tata offering. Let’s now see how the upcoming Tata Harrier stacks against the established XUV500

Design

Tata has got one thing right with the Harrier and that’s the design and exteriors. The car is a treat to look at and is different than other SUVs on road. Tata claims that more than 80% of the design from the original H5X concept has been retained. The main changes on the car have been done to make it more road friendly. The front looks attractive with sleek LED DRLs in the place of headlamps and a sleek grille with Tata logo in it. The headlamps have been unconventionally placed near the fog lamp housing which can make many people divided on opinion of looks. The rear is also kept neat with a big roof spoiler and sleek LED tail lights.

The Mahindra XUV500 too is among the better looking SUVs out there. The brute SUV has been facelifted sometime back and looks quite smart now. The chrome garnished grille flanked by big headlamps and LED lights further take up the look quotient. The XUV is quite big in size and carries itself well which doesn’t make it look bulbous. The rear is again attractive to look at with the triangular tail lights and twin silencer pipes.

The Harrier being a newly developed vehicle definitely looks fresh and smart, but the XUV500 can give it a run for its money interms of pure aesthetics.

Interiors and Features

Tata has not compromised on the quality of interiors in the Harrier. There has been no official statement or picture of the interior yet but based on some leakes,  we can say that the Harrier will come with premium interiors. The centre space is taken by a large floating infortainment screen, which probably will support Apple Car Play and Android Auto.

The centre console and steering wheel also look good. The steering looks well designed and will be a chunky unit to hold. The 5-seater SUV will most probably feature an all black interior theme with silver accents here and there. Other features include 6-airbag system, sunroof, leather seats and use of premium feel plastic parts on the interior parts. Reports also suggest that the Harrier will come with different drive modes.

The XUV500, on the other hand gets tan-coloured leather upholstery with quilted stitching. It has a black dashboard that sports soft-touch plastics and while it may be not as modern as the Harrier, it still feels nice. The XUV500 can seat 7 people in comfort which gives it brownie points as the Harrier has a 5 seat layout.

Other feature include a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, automatic sunroof, automatic climate control, and driver information system that includes a tyre pressure monitoring setup, and reversing camera. Safety features on the vehicle include 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, ESC with rollover mitigation, hill descent and hill hold control, all wheel disc brakes, and cruise control, among many others.

Size

In terms of size, both the SUVs are near about the same to each other. While Tata has not yet revealed the official size and dimension number of the vehicle, the spyshots and other leaks are enough to tell that the Harrier is not a small vehicle but rather the biggest one in its category.

As for the nmbers, The H5X concept displayed at the Delhi Auto Expo measured 4575x1960x1686 mm (LxWxH) and had a wheelbase of 2,740 mm. As Tata has retained most of the styling and design part from the concept, it is possible that dimensions of the production version Harrier could remain the same or change by a small mark.

In terms of size the Mahindra XUV500 is no small be either. Going by the official numbers, the XUV measures 4585x1890x1785 mm (LxWxH) and has a wheelbase of 2700 mm. This makes it longer than the H5X concept but narrower at the same time. It also has more height compared to the H5X but loses out again in terms of wheelbase. It remains to be seen now that what the finals dimensions of Harrier will be and will it be larger than the XUV or comparative in terms of size.

 

Engine

Tata has used a Fiat sourced 2 litre, 4 cylinder KRYOTEC diesel engine for the upcoming Harrier. To let you know, This engine is actually the 2.0 litre Fiat Multijet engine which has been re badged by Tata Motors for use on their products. It gets a variable geometry turbocharger along with multi-drive modes. The top-end variant Harrier will get an all wheel drive system as the company previously revealed that the engine will be paired to a terrain response system. Power outputs could be expected to be in the range of around 140-160 Bhp but finals specifications could vary.

 

The Mahindra XUV  recently got an upgraded diesel engine and a brand new petrol powerplant. The 2.2-litre turbo diesel on the XUV500 got boosted by 15 Bhp and 30 Nm and now produces 151 Bhp of power along with 360 Nm of torque. The all-new petrol engine, on the other hand, is also a 2.2-litres unit and produces 138 Bhp of power and 320 Nm of torque.

Transmission

The Harrier has been prepared from grounds up Tata and hence they are not leaving any ground for error. For the transmission, it gets helps from the Koreans and has a 6-speed torque converter supplied by the Hyundai. The SUV will also sport a 6-speed manual transmission option if you want to shift the stick yourself.

Coming to the Mahindra XUV 500, the petrol powered variants are only available with and an automatic gearbox. The diesel engine however is offered with both front and all-wheel-drive and also gets a 6-speed manual gearbox along with the automatic option.

 

Price

Tata has priced all its recent new vehicles very wisely and so we expect the Harrier will also be no different. India is a price sensitive market and many times, pricing can make or break a vehicle. Though there has been no official word out yet, expect the Harrier to be priced around Rs. 15 lakh to Rs. 20 lakh, ex-showroom, Delhi.

The XUV500 has been selling like hot cakes since a long time now and one of the reason behind it is its excellent pricing. The base variant of this Mahindra SUV starts at Rs. 12.57 lakh and goes all the way upto Rs 19.28 lakh for the top variant. This makes it a tad lower on the price front than the Harrier.