Tata Harrier petrol review: Better late than never

New Delhi: There are times when you wonder if you should have taken that other road. Sometimes, it’s with career choices, the city you could have chosen to and of course, cars. Until you live with them, you never know if you made the right choice with a car. Very few get a chance to witness what that second life could have been, and I recently got a glimpse at what I missed and what I gained.

You see, back in 2021, buying the next family car, the choices came down to the Tata Harrier and the Jeep Compass. Both were powered by the same 2.0-litre turbo diesel, and back in the day, we went for the American muscle. When Tata invited us to drive the new Harrier petrol version, this was the perfect moment to look back at the decision.

I do like the Harrier to some extent, as it is the bigger and more muscular of the lot. It has the stance and the looks that make it look good as an off-roader. Plus, I did like that 1.5-litre turbo petrol Hyperion engine, built in-house by Tata and first brought in the Sierra. 

Of course, the petrol engine was one thing, Tata’s premium SUV was missing in its lineup, and while this should have been there since launch, it is coming at an important time, with customers leaning towards the powertrain due to refinement and the regulations. 

Harrier’s stylish exterior remains, interior feels premium

I have always been a huge fan of the Harrier’s exterior, and the recent upgrades to the exterior keep it fresh still. So it retains that commanding frame that looks aggressive and sporty at the same time. 

The Harrier retains the familiar dominant road presence with its 4.6-metre length and authentic SUV proportions derived from the Land Rover D8-based OMEGARC platform. The exterior is highlighted by the signature “Nitro Crimson” colour and precision-cut R18 Lunar Graphite alloy wheels.

It is inside that the Harrier is quite brighter and feels premium from the touch itself. You get the sophisticated Oyster White & Titan Brown interior theme, featuring premium Benecke Kaliko leatherette seats. The dashboard is finished in a dual-tone Titan-Wood texture, creating a warm, luxurious ambience. You also get ambient mood lighting which changes colours according to the drive mode you select, with green being for eco, blue for city and red for sport mode. 

For passenger comfort, Harrier comes with a six-way powered driver seat (with memory and welcome function) and a 4-way powered co-driver seat, ventilated front seats, winged comfort headrests for the second row to deliver a more relaxed, premium travel experience and a voice-assisted panoramic sunroof.

Experience with the HyperTech: The “Theatre Maax”

Harrier’s HyperTech is the party piece with the brand’s immersive “Theatre Maax” experience, headlined by the world’s first 14.5-inch Harman Cinematic Infotainment Screen that uses Samsung Neo QLED technology, delivering exceptional clarity. This comes with 10 JBL speakers with Dolby Atmos. The sound quality is brilliant, and it really transcends the cabin into a very cinematic experience.

It also borrows the VISIONEX E-IRVM, the digital inner rearview mirror with an integrated dashcam and DVR from the Harrier.ev, and VISIONSYNC memory ORVMs that recall preferred settings and offer an auto-reverse dip function for stress-free parking, which, along with the memory seat, you can store information for how you like the IRVMS to be angled. The cameras are of optimum quality and let you record any incident from a few minutes before the accident and store it in a separate memory.

Connectivity is quite remarkable, and you get the Arcade App Suite for downloading applications and video streaming apps like Amazon Prime Video, JioHotstar, and gaming, Alexa Home2Car integration, and iRA 2.0 connected car technology with built-in Mappls navigation. Of course, the video runs only when the parking mode is on. 

ta, which allows the engine to be remotely started in order to precondition the cabin, giving the perfect climate before the passenger boards the car.

Tata Harrier safety

Harrier’s safety quotient is quite impressive, underscored by a 5-star Bharat NCAP rating and reinforced by Level 2+ ADAS with 22 advanced features, including Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keep Assist and Autonomous Emergency Braking, complemented by a 360-degree surround-view camera with blind-view monitoring and an advanced ESP system integrating 17 functions to ensure confident control in all driving conditions.

You also get ClearView dual-camera washers, which get washed when the wiper washing is turned on, and Emergency (E-Call) and Breakdown (B-Call) assistance at the touch of a button. This is an easy but a vital tool to keep the passenger safe in all costs.

Tata Harrier driving experience

Suspension and Handling

Tata’s cars always in terms of driving, are pretty well made, and the Harrier builds on this. There is no roll-over feel, and taking corners at high speed doesn’t trigger every alarm in you. It is well-behaved with poor road conditions and plucks along well. Despite this being a two-wheel drive, the Harrier handled effortlessly.

The steering is to my liking and slightly on the stiffer side, which makes you feel in command of the car and react well to your commands. However, the shape of the steering isn’t something I enjoy. I have always found the new Tata steering tricky to rest your hands on whilst driving, and the horn sensitive area can be tricky whilst holding it at the 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock positions.

Braking

When behind the wheel of a big SUV, you do like having a good braking system, and I can say the Harrier braking manages to put you at ease. It gets ADAS Level 2+, which includes 22 advanced safety features, such as Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keep Assist, and Autonomous Emergency Braking. 

You are at much more ease with such a big body having alert brakes, and they are not feather touch, they feel ample.

1.5-Litre Hyperion in Harrier

When I had previously driven the Sierra, I had enjoyed the sheer power and control that came with the car. It was gentle, but the acceleration was enjoyable, and the torque, though not neck-snapping,  was punchy despite some turbo lag. Putting the foot down made it quite a sprightly and peppy car.

For the Harrier and Safari, the engine has been tuned up to make the output now 170 bhp and 280 Nm of torque, a drop of 75 Nm from the diesel version. However, the news from the deck is, it is quite fun to put the foot down. The acceleration is much more subtle, and the engine is not a bad block to have in front of you. There is not much turbo lag, and the engine feels quite energetic, though not as much as the diesel version of this car. However, it isn’t just the acceleration and numbers where the engine noteworthy. 

The engine features a 350-bar gasoline direct injection system and an Electronically Actuated Variable Geometry Turbocharger for immediate response. It introduces AI and Machine Learning-based “Smart Shift Assist” and “Launch Assist,” while a significant 80 kg weight reduction makes it much more agile. I will say at idle, it is a quiet car, but it does make some noise when you push it, and that is acceptable. 

For the noise and vibrations to be as low as possible, they have a stiffened engine block, an integrated ladder frame and high-density acoustic polymers.

You get three driving modes like in the diesel version, and as default, you start in City mode, and you can opt for Sports mode, which makes the engine more aggressive, and the Eco mode, which, as the name suggests, makes the car more composed. There is the terrain mode, which we have already seen.

You also get the option of a six-speed gearbox and a six-speed torque converter-based automatic transmission by AISIN Japan. We drove the automatic, and having driven it previously, there is nothing to complain about. We enjoyed the paddle shifters, which automatically take you to Sports mode, and you can redline it, but it will either shift automatically or take you to the Eco mode.

Tata Harrier petrol verdict

When Harrier was launched in 2019, it was the perfect time for the big Tata SUV to come with a petrol engine. Nevertheless, it is here and by the looks of it, quite well made. With the segment inviting customers who prefer more refinement and are worried about the 10-year norms regarding diesel engines have a new option.

Of course, I have an issue with the Tata steering, not how it feels or reacts, but with the buttons and horn horn-sensitive area. The buttons do tend to get in the way a little, and that might not be its strongest point. The tailgate comes with motion detection and is electronically operated. However, the manual button to open the lid is tricky to find, and it’s best operated with the remote.

I am also not the biggest fan of the HVAC that covers the dashboard, and it can be a little tricky in general. 

However, there are lots to like about the car in general, and the biggest is the driving position. You sit quite clear of the ground, and driving on a foggy day, I was able to have a good view of the road. Plus, the storage spot in the Harrier is ample, and overall, the legroom is pretty good. The interior cabin quality is quite up to the mark and feels premium, and while the soft touch placements could have been more on the doors, it is done well.

Harrier suits those who like the massive road presence, the sporty feel of an SUV and a petrol engine that won’t be scrapped in 10 years. Overall, it is a spacious SUV that can easily accommodate five passengers and their luggage and is loaded with tech. The engine block is quite good, and it feels adequate for such a big SUV. With the SUVs finding their footing in the petrol world more, the Harrier is a good effort at this.