Tata Harrier Pros And Cons — Is The Tata Harrier Worth Its Hype?

The Tata Harrier has been finally introduced to the public after so much anticipation and spy shots. Initially showcased as the Tata H5X concept, back at Auto Expo 2018, the Harrier is the flagship model under the legendary Indian brand's product portfolio.

UPDATE: Tata Harrier has been launched at a starting price of Rs 12.69 lakh — know more details here.

Tata Harrier Pros And Cons — Is The Tata Harrier Worth Its Hype?

We have already driven it and you can check out our detailed Tata Harrier First Drive Review, to know every detail of the five-seater SUV. Powered by a 2.0-litre Kryotec diesel engine which makes 138bhp and 350Nm of torque, the Tata Harrier has set the bar high for all future models from Tata Motors.

However, no vehicle is perfect and the Harrier has some shortcomings of its own, in spite of bringing a lot to the table. Here are the Tata Harrier SUV's pros and cons!

Tata Harrier Pros And Cons — Is The Tata Harrier Worth Its Hype?

Tata Harrier Advantages (Pros)

The Design: The Tata Harrier features the latest iteration of thebrand's design philosophy — Impact Design 2.0. We think the Harrier has a love-it-or-hate-it styling, but is definitely interesting. A good majority of Indians have become a fan of the unique design cues of the Harrier, such as the headlamp arrangement, roofline and the tail lamp enclosure.

Tata Harrier Pros And Cons — Is The Tata Harrier Worth Its Hype?

OMEGA Platform: The Harrier is the brand's first model to share a considerable amount of engineering and technology with Jaguar Land Rover (owned by Tata Motors). The OMEGA Arc (‘Optimal Modular Efficient Global Advanced' Architecture) Platform of the Tata Harrier is derived from Land Rover's D8 Architecture, which underpins the Discovery Sport.

Tata Harrier Pros And Cons — Is The Tata Harrier Worth Its Hype?

Well-Tuned Engine: The engineers at Tata Motors have done a brilliant job at fine-tuning the ‘Kryotec' diesel engine to match the Indian driving conditions. The power delivery is quite smooth and linear, while the turbo kicks in much early. It is based on the same Fiat-sourced engine found in the Jeep Compass, but showcases a different character (read the detailed comparison between the Tata Harrier and Jeep Compass to know more).

Tata Harrier Pros And Cons — Is The Tata Harrier Worth Its Hype?

Value For Money: The Tata Harrier might not be the best at everything, but it comes with a lot for its price. Speaking about price, the on-road price range has already been shared by Tata Motors and they are quite compelling. Features such as Terrain Response, a large touchscreen, semi-digital instrument console and a whole load of safety equipment, give the Harrier excellent value for what you pay.

Tata Harrier Pros And Cons — Is The Tata Harrier Worth Its Hype?

Good Levels Of Space And Comfort: The Tata Harrier is a brilliant choice if you give top priority to comfort. The suspension, co-developed by JLR and Lotus Engineering, has the optimum balance between highway-stability and off-road capability. The Harrier can dampen undulations and potholes easily, while offering enough space for the five passengers inside.

Tata Harrier Pros And Cons — Is The Tata Harrier Worth Its Hype?

Tata Harrier Disadvantages (Cons)

No All-Wheel-Drive (AWD): Though being an SUV sharing its platform with a Land Rover, the Tata Harrier misses out on all-wheel-drive or a four-wheel-drive system. This is particularly concerning since the Harrier comes with Terrain Response off-road modes: Normal, Wet and Rough; for a front-wheel-drive setup.

Tata Harrier Pros And Cons — Is The Tata Harrier Worth Its Hype?

No Automatic Version: The Tata Harrier comes only with a six-speed manual transmission, at least as of now. Initial speculations were that it would feature a nine-speed automatic transmission as seen on various JLR products. In the future, Tata Motors might introduce an AMT unit, if not the nine-speed.

Tata Harrier Pros And Cons — Is The Tata Harrier Worth Its Hype?

Fit And Finish: While the interior and exterior design details of the Tata Harrier are quite interesting to look at, we found the quality of some panels and fixtures to be not that great. Tata Motors has shared that this won't be the case for the actual market units.

Tata Harrier Pros And Cons — Is The Tata Harrier Worth Its Hype?

Poor Rear Air-Conditioning: The rear AC vents are situated on the pillars. While they save up some legroom, the cooling efficiency is poor, even on full blower speed.

Tata Harrier Pros And Cons — Is The Tata Harrier Worth Its Hype?

Offers A Lot, But Misses Out On Some: The Tata Harrier does come with a lot (find out the top feature here), but is mostly needs than wants. While some unique and first-in-segment equipment is on the list, things such as a sunroof, dual-zone climate control, auto-dimming IRVM (Inside Rear-View Mirror), etc., are missing.

One could argue that this makes sense for the pricing, but for the same price, you get Terrain Response, nine-speaker audio, Terrain Response and even Brake Disc Wiping among others.

Tata Harrier Pros And Cons — Is The Tata Harrier Worth Its Hype?

Thoughts On The Tata Harrier's Pros And Cons

The Tata Harrier is aimed to be a benchmark among five-seater SUVs, and to an extent, it has succeeded in becoming one. Even though we have made a list of things you would like and dislike in the Tata flagship, the Harrier definitely comprises of more good than bad. What do you think?

Most Read Articles

English
Read more on: #tata motors
Article Published On: Saturday, December 8, 2018, 14:37 [IST]
Get Instant News Updates
Enable
x
Notification Settings X
Time Settings
Done
Clear Notification X
Do you want to clear all the notifications from your inbox?
Settings X