The Tata Harrier leads the quartet of offerings the Indian carmaker recently brought back into the local market. The flagship mid-sized SUV was rolled out alongside the Tata Tiago hatchback, Punch crossover and Curvv coupe-styled SUV.

After sampling the Tiago and Punch around Lanseria on the first day of a recent launch drive, The Citizen drove the Curvv and Harrier on the second day of the event.

A changed local landscape

Unlike Tata’s first local entry, when the Indica, Indigo and Telcoline offered competitive pricing against heritage brands, the market has changed dramatically. Now there are as many as 17 Chinese players benefiting from government subsidies to aggressively undercut competitors, while many heritage brands build cars in India to keep production costs lower.

A clear game plan

Tata can ill afford a price war while its second coming is still in its infancy. Its previous products were simply not reputable enough to give any leverage for its local return.

This left the Indian carmaker with one choice: Offer what the competition doesn’t. The Curvv delivers futuristic coupe-like styling, while the Harrier is more conservatively styled but offers a diesel powertrain in a segment where oil-burners have become rare.

Competition and pricing

Priced between R549 900 and R699 900, the Harrier faces competition from both heritage and Chinese brands in the mid-sized SUV segment. However, none of the Chinese SUVs, aside from the GWM Tank 300, offer diesel engines, while the only heritage offering in this price bracket is the Kia Sportage LX. Diesel engines in the Hyundai Tucson or VW Tiguan are priced significantly higher.

Its direct rival from India, the Mahindra XUV700, is only offered in petrol powertrains. The XUV700’s body-on-frame sibling, the Scorpio-N, is however offered with diesel engines.

Tata Harrier’s diesel pedigree

All three Harrier derivatives are powered by the 2.0-litre Kryotec diesel engine, based on Fiat’s Multijet engine which has served in models from Fiat, Opel, Peugeot and Citroën. The Harrier also rides on the same platform as the Range Rover Evoque and Discovery Sport, brands Tata Motors has owned since 2008.

The engine develops 125kW of power and 350Nm of torque, sent to the front wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission. Eco, City and Sport are the driving modes, while the terrain selector offers Normal, Rough and Wet settings.

Tata claims fuel consumption of 6.6L per 100km. The launch drive in the top-of-the-range Fearless+ was too short to verify this claim, but the power delivery is smooth and torque sufficient for a vehicle of this size. The gearbox is mostly smooth, though occasionally a little sticky.

Interior and features

The Harrier’s exterior styling is modern, though not groundbreaking. Inside, it features two large screens: the infotainment display at 10.25 or 12.3 inches and a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster.

We were disappointed by the amount of hard plastics on the dashboard for a flagship model. Another oddity is the electric windows, which lack an automated up or down function.

Spec and safety

Standard features include voice recognition, push-button start and a reverse camera. Higher-end models add mood lighting, a dual-pane panoramic sunroof, rear sun blinds, nine-speaker JBL sound system and a hands-free electric tailgate.

The Harrier scored five stars in a Global NCAP crash test and comes standard with all usual passive safety features. Higher-end models also include a comprehensive suite of ADAS systems.

In a market where South Africans value diesel engines as much as bakkies, the Tata Harrier offers a clever, value-focused alternative to its rivals. Only time will tell if it will give the brand more staying power.

Tata Harrier pricing

• Harrier 2.0 TD Pure+ AT – R549 900
• Harrier 2.0 TD Adventure+ AT – R649 900
• Harrier 2.0 TD Fearless+ AT – R699 900
  
  Pricing includes five-year/125 000km warranty and five-year/75 000km service plan.

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