Tata Harrier spied benchmarking the Jeep Compass

-    The Harrier will officially hit the Indian market in early 2019, perhaps in January. 

-    Is expected to be priced between the Hyundai Creta and Jeep Compass. 

-    There will be a diesel automatic as well.

Tata has been gearing up for the new Harrier. The premium SUV from the Indian carmaker’s stable will be arriving early next year and we have been seeing it in either teasers or in spied images. Recently, the Harrier was spotted on test, benchmarking the Jeep Compass on Mumbai-Pune Expressway.

Now in its final stages of testing, the Harrier test mule is almost ready to hit the production line. The test mule was hiding the production line, which seems to have been carried forward from the H5X Concept showcased at the 2018 Auto Expo. The sleek tail lights under the cladding also fail to hide the intricate design of the tailgate Based on the IMPACT 2.0 design philosophy we assume the Harrier will be as good looking as the H5X. 

The all-new Harrier is based on the OMEGA (Optimal Modular Efficient Global Advanced) Platform. This newly developed platform has been derived from Land Rover D8 architecture which underpins the Discovery. According to Tata Motors, the new platform has exemplary driving dynamics in both urban and rough driving conditions owing to the optimised torsional and bending stiffness. In terms of safety, the crumple zone is designed to meet modern requirements and there is extensive use of high strength steel.  

Tata Motors has made it official that powering the Harrier will be a 2.0-litre KRYOTEC engine, which is basically the Fiat-sourced four-cylinder turbodiesel. According to Tata, the engine has been heavily worked on to deliver strong real-world performance. The new engine will also use Multi Drive Modes with the Terrain Response Modes of the ESP. The engine comes with a low friction valve train and an advanced EGR for better fuel efficiency which will also meet future emission norms. 

Being a modern day Tata, the Harrier’s feature list will be long and comprehensive. We know there will be a large touchscreen dominating the centre console along with climate control and other bells and whistles. 

It all comes down to how Tata prices the new Harrier, which will decide where it will be placed in the market. All these factors also explain why the Tata Harrier is being pitted against the Compass. More details will surface in the months to come.