Upcoming Tata Harrier and Safari spied testing with petrol engines

Tata has managed to strike a fine chord with its flagship SUV duo, the Harrier and Safari. Both these SUVs have steadily grown on the minds and hearts of Indian SUV buyers and are now selling consistently month after month. The sales of the Harrier and Safari have been strong even though both these SUVs are available with just one engine option. However, that might change, as Tata Motors is reportedly working on an all-new petrol engine for the Harrier and Safari.

A couple of completely camouflaged test mules spotted by Rushlane, one each of Harrier and Safari, were spied tested on the Indian roads, which suggest that both these SUVs are being tested with a new powertrain option. The news of both Harrier and Safari getting a petrol engine option has been doing rounds for quite some time now, and these test mules have just fueled those rumours.

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The most powerful petrol engine in the current lineup of Tata Motors is the 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine from the Tata Nexon. In the Nexon, this engine pumps out a maximum power output of 120 PS and a peak torque output of 170 Nm. However, for the Harrier and Safari, Tata Motors will come up with an upsized engine of this 1.2-litre turbo-petrol mill. In all likelihood, these two flagship SUVs from Tata Motors might get a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine, something their direct competitors like MG Hector, Hector Plus and Jeep Compass are getting as well.

Powerful petrol engine

The new turbo-petrol engine option for the Tata Harrier and Safari is expected to claim performance numbers like 150 PS of maximum power and 250 Nm of maximum torque. These figures are somehow lower than the 170 PS of maximum power and 350 Nm of maximum torque from the 2.0-litre diesel engine available in both of them. However, in all sense, the petrol engine is likely to be more refined and smoother in comparison to the Fiat-sourced diesel engine in both the SUVs. It is also expected to be offered with both the options of a 6-speed manual and 6-speed automatic gearbox, much like how the currently available diesel-powered avatars of these SUVs are getting.

The Tata Safari nameplate was re-introduced at the beginning of 2021 for the seven-seater version of the Tata Harrier. Both these midsize SUVs get the same set of features like HID projector headlamps with daytime running LEDs, LED tail lamps, 18-inch machined alloy wheels, cornering fog lamps, 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto, wireless charger, panoramic sunroof, automatic climate control, 7-inch TFT MID in the instrument console, powered driver’s seat, push start-stop button and tilt and telescopic adjustable multi-functional steering wheel with cruise control. In addition, the Safari gets a few more features like roof rails, ventilated seats, an electronic parking brake, the third row of seats and the option of captain seats in the middle row.

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