[dicor]

Well, yesterday I had called 3-4 TATA dealers in Pune and only National Auto and Panchajanya responded to my calls. National Auto was not having Tiago JTP and Panchjanya was having both.
Panchjanya was more welcoming right from telephone call to in-person visit. So I moved to Panchjanya Auto.

The experience

I parked my XUV next to a Harrier to click photo but lot of people gathered there and started comparing. I realized my mistake and immediately moved my XUV a little far. I did this in Jeep Compass showroom as well and I believe Jeep guys didn't like it and requested me to park somewhere else.

There was long queue to drive Harrier. Showroom had assigned a dedicated force to handle Harrier affair. The test drive queue had people like me (working with IT), 2 female HRs who knew more than sales executive, a family of 6 (who were actually there to take delivery of their Tigor) and couple of middle aged folks from some nearby village. All of them dressed up white and had arrived in white Bolero.

Few things which were common in all of us were:
No one was there had any intention to buy Harrier and showroom guys knew that but they enthusiastically offered test drive to everyone.
All of them were passionate about automobiles and were there to watch first day first show.

Ride Experience
After a while I got chance to board on rear (read middle row) seat. As I am XUV guy so my all comparison is with XUV.

• The middle row seat was felt more cushioned then XUV. The head room was more than XUV. In XUV it's actually sunroof which eat up about 2 inches of height.
• The leg room was just like XUV. Amazing.
  
• Everything was looking premium. THe dash and infotainment system was amazing. The speakers felt so nice. In the boot, there were holes. I don't know if there was sub-woofer inside or it was just a provision but bass was good. ICE is leagues ahead then XUV.
• Boot of XUV is bigger but in Harrier it's more organized. Existence of rear parcel tray makes it more meaningful.

• The plastics on the doors were not soft as XUV. Though some part of plastic on dash was soft.
• The engine noise inside on little higher RPMs was quite evident. NVH level are maintained better in XUV.
• No Sunroof.
• The rear seats did not have recline feature. They were fixed about 120 degree.

Drive Experience

• Ingress and egress is easy.
• It was little difficult to find sweet spot for sitting comfort but I guess it's all about getting used to it.
• Gear shifts were better then XUV. Specially slotting in 1st and 1st to 2nd is better than XUV.
• The sports mode is just gimmick. Sports Mode = XUV Mode, City Mode = Drive XUV sanely.
• Ride quality was planted and amazing.
• Steering feedback was good and there was no play.
• Clutch was lighter than XUV.
• If you leave clutch little faster in XUV, front tyres will loose traction and will spin. This was not in the case of Harrier. Despite being FWD, torque steer is controlled.
• I have habit of driving my left leg leaning towards left but the protrude besides AC controls was hurting my leg. Even till end of the drive, I found it very inconvenient.
  
  Image Courtsey: Carwale

In a nutshell, If I would have been in market, I would have definitely put this car in comparison list.

Well done TATA.

[Dr.Suraj]

Originally Posted by JS Kwt

Share the same concern.

The customer experience at the Showrooms is Just for a few days, and Tata has reasonably improved that forte. It is still not at Par with the leading Rivals, but its acceptable.

But the Service Centre experience is what the Customer has to GO THROUGH so many times.

There lies Tata's real threat to downfall.

Yes. I agree. The showroom experience is definitely improving, but it is nowhere close to some of the better brands. Although, there are some Honda dealers and Maruti dealers who don't care two hoots. But they can afford to have that attitude. The guys at Tata showrooms can't / shouldn't.

The service centre, I feel, is improving faster than the showroom experience.

Also, with the newer batch of cars, the trips to service centres are reduced to the bare minimum! Those, trips, with pick-up and drop, plus proper SMS from the system about the SA, Job Card status, Estimate, Job complete with regular calls from SA means it becomes a very hasslefree and transparent experience.

Add a P2P to the mix, and one needn't worry about inflated bills either.
It's definitely improved in the last 1 year for sure. But yes, they can get better.

Hope they do! Given the steadily rising sales figures.

Originally Posted by Lalvaz

They keep harping on pedigree so much, as if the Tata pedigree is something that will excite the indian car buyer. What pedigree? The pedigree of Tata Indica, Indigo, Sumo, Zest or Nano?

Why don't car manufacturers focus on giving information on specific engineering features rather than trying to resort to gobbledygook? Like what in heavens name is one supposed to understand from the term "Optimal Modular Efficient Global Advanced Architecture"?

That being said, Harrier seems interesting. Would like to test drive the vehicle, but scared of a Tata product. Definitely not impressed by the pedigree, if one can call it that.

It IS a pedigree of many firsts, many path-breaking, innovative products. Whether or not the sales numbers reflect that, or whether or not those products were stable is a different story. It does speak for the number of years, a variety of launches and all those efforts count. Plus, here, the pedigree they are referring to is JLR, more specifically LR. The pedigree is in the LR platform that already underpins 1 million SUVs. That should be enough? Right?

If you will search, they have given exact details, with videos about what the OmegaARC platform is.

Originally Posted by condor

The main concern I see is the after-sales service. People like who used to "good" servicing by the likes of Toyota, Renault or any other will expect similar service levels. Tata Motors could look at premium service centers for Hexa and Harrier. May be include the JTP twins too. Pick-up and drop as standard so that even 1-2 centres per city can cater to this segment. Servicing can be staggered: start in the morning & complete in the evening. For others, pick up in the afternoon and return the cars next day morning. Such a staggered approach can keep the drivers engaged much better. And also reduce the rush at these premium service centers. Pricing was the first part and they hit a home run with that. Now if they can get the servicing right, it can make nice sweep.

Yes. Service has improved for Tiago. Tigor. Nexon. The Hexa thread has quite a few mentions of owners praising it and happy with it. But I agree with your point, Harrier customers may expect more! And Tata should be ready for it.

Although, not sure if one can take the Compass as a benchmark here. Creta (rather Hyundai) service, definitely.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Accessories -

Read the full article here - https://www.rushlane.com/tata-harrie...-12294983.html

[neil.jericho]

I dropped into a Tata showroom here in Cochin to check out the JTP twins and the Harrier since I had some time today. The single orange coloured Harrier was only a demonstration car and not a test drive one and for all the photos that we have been inundated with, in person, the Harrier looks very different from its competition and attractive. As per the sales guy, the orange colour will only be available in the top end model. My immediate first impressions after getting into the driver's seat was again "This is really, really nice! Good job Tata!".


And then it started slowly going downhill. I paired my phone to the sound system and played some trusted Pink Floyd. While the sound output was good and better than other OEM systems, it isn't going to please true music lovers. Despite playing around with the audio settings, there was a distinct lack of bass though the sales representative confirmed that the sub woofer was working.


As I started checking out the car in a little more depth, I noticed that the panel gaps at the rear were terribly inconsistent. On the right side my finger could go in a lot at the tail lights section. On the left side, it couldn't. I double checked and confirmed that the boot was closed.

Right side boot


Right side tail light


Right side tail light




Left side tail light

The sales representative was trying to explain by saying that not all cars come off the production line the same (not what you want to tell a customer!) and as I started pointing out more issues, he was telling me (rather innocently), a Rolls Royce will come with no flaws and we have to accept some issues will be there on the Harrier. Soon another sales representative jumped in and tried to say the Tata manufacturing process and factory PDI is automated. Also some impact on the car while its being transported. Hence the panel gaps. Once the showroom people do the PDI and remove some panels and tighten them, there will be no gaps at all in the car. I told him Im not saying anything (lest I start laughing)!


Then they started asking what car I drive and after telling them the cars our family owns, they kept quiet on that front. Later, their defence moved to, this is a display car and since so many people have seen the car in the last 3 days, the fit and finish has become like this due to "rough use". Once again I was tempted to burst out laughing. I told him, my family will put our car through far more rigorous treatment over 5 years than what showroom visitors will do to a demo car in 3 days. So I asked them, are you saying the car cannot take 3 days wear and tear? (On days like this, I really wish we didn't have a 2 smiley constraint while posting). Final nail in the coffin was one sales guy telling me, Sir you cant take photos of this car as PDI is not done I told him, if I liked the car you would have told me to take all the photos I want!


I'll let the photos do the talking.

Poor paint quality visible in gap between roof and boot


A closer look at the poor welding


Bin is not cooled and very low, tall people will find it inconvenient to use


Here's another gap where a finger can go in. Right above the dials. It is very evident from the passenger seat.


A closer look, how did the showroom guys not see this till now?


Front door rubber beading is already loose


Rear hinges look ugly - right side


Rear hinges look ugly - left side


Front door, left side. Fit and finish is poor for a 20L car.


Front door, right side. Fit and finish is poor for a 20L car.


View from inside of the front door, the rubber beading is sticking out


Gap between top and bottom is inconsistent




No proper alignment and some paint damage


Poor alignment in the panels again - left side


Poor alignment in the panels again - right side


Gap between roof and boot - left side


Gap between roof and boot - right side (you can see the difference in the rubber length compared to the previous photo)

Anyways long story short, a careful look around the car shows how Tata Motors has done a good job but for a customer like me, its not good enough. My wife though, is just the sort of customer who would love the Harrier. Make no mistake about it, the car looks good and if one is ready to overlook these (minor?) issues, Im sure it will be a good buy. But if I had 20 lakhs and I wanted a big Tata, it would be Hexa for me.


Sorry Tata, but with the Harrier, Im reminded of the famous quote - your mouth (marketing team) wrote a cheque that your body (production team) cant cash.

[srishiva]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Anyways long story short, a careful look around the car shows how Tata Motors has done a good job but for a customer like me, its not good enough. My wife though, is just the sort of customer who would love the Harrier. Make no mistake about it, the car looks good and if one is ready to overlook these (minor?) issues, Im sure it will be a good buy. But if I had 20 lakhs and I wanted a big Tata, it would be Hexa for me.


Sorry Tata, but with the Harrier, Im reminded of the famous quote - your mouth (marketing team) wrote a cheque that your body (production team) cant cash.

Are you saying such minor issues are not present in Hexa ?

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by srishiva

Are you saying such minor issues are not present in Hexa ?

I meant to point that out but forgot to do so. I took a couple of test drives and nearly booked the Hexa but honestly, I didn't notice such minor / glaring gaps and fit and finish issues in the test drive cars. Sum and substance - me not noticing similar issues in the Hexa is not me saying that Hexa doesn't have these issues.

[sunilsoft]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

And then it started slowly going downhill.

When harrier was launched I was hoping these niggles should not be present in the car which is being touted as the next big thing by TATA Motors.

But these are present and for a car enthusiast, these minor things do matter.

[Rocketscience]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

I dropped into a Tata showroom here in Cochin to check out the JTP twins and the Harrier since I had some time today. The single orange coloured Harrier was only a demonstration car and not a test drive one and for all the photos that we have been inundated with, in person, the Harrier looks very different from its competition and attractive. As per the sales guy, the orange colour will only be available in the top end model. My immediate first impressions after getting into the driver's seat was again "This is really, really nice! Good job Tata!".


And then it started slowly going downhill. I paired my phone to the sound system and played some trusted Pink Floyd. While the sound output was good and better than other OEM systems, it isn't going to please true music lovers. Despite playing around with the audio settings, there was a distinct lack of bass though the sales representative confirmed that the sub woofer was working.

The sales representative was trying to explain by saying that not all cars come off the production line the same (not what you want to tell a customer!) and as I started pointing out more issues, he was telling me (rather innocently), a Rolls Royce will come with no flaws and we have to accept some issues will be there on the Harrier. Soon another sales representative jumped in and tried to say the Tata manufacturing process and factory PDI is automated. Also some impact on the car while its being transported. Hence the panel gaps. Once the showroom people do the PDI and remove some panels and tighten them, there will be no gaps at all in the car. I told him Im not saying anything (lest I start laughing)!

Sorry Tata, but with the Harrier, Im reminded of the famous quote - your mouth (marketing team) wrote a cheque that your body (production team) cant cash.

I too noticed these panel gaps, but the one in the boot went away when i re-opened it and closed it with force.
It looked like the gaps in your picture earlier, it was a major eye sore, as if the car had an accident.

The welding spots and others are very much there, even the plastic molding in the front fender was loosely fitted and you could see the hooks with which they tighten it but the sales executive was quick to point out that the final batch which they'll deliver will have these niggles ironed out. I don't believe him but yes eventually in a few years time, maybe.

Regarding the audio system, like i mentioned earlier it is great for an OEM system but that's about it, i sure can build a better sounding one for under 50k (i dont take the trouble of doing this these days, the fittings and wires usually give minor niggles from time to time and its just too much effort to keep it in great shape but its very much achievable, the sound quality is leagues ahead though), the rear sub is a low quality, paper cone, seemingly only 6x9 inch driver.
But then again, the system will keep most owners very happy, how did you connect your phone? Did you use USB or Bluetooth? I'm asking because even in my Creta with OEM speakers, the sound when connected via bluetooth lacks the midrange, the clarity and the voice even crackles sometimes and the difference when using USB is substantial. (My system only supports SBC Codec)

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Sorry Tata, but with the Harrier, Im reminded of the famous quote - your mouth (marketing team) wrote a cheque that your body (production team) cant cash.

Not big issues, so I hope its all sorted out soon.

The dashboard plastic you posted however - is a big eyesore. Looks like it was not properly moulded into shape and is coming out breaking the bonding (I think its glue seen inside).

[ChiragM]

Thanks to Bharath Reddy and Manish Sharma for sending this information in. Heartfelt gratitude for sharing it with other enthusiasts via this Team-BHP page!

Tata has added an online configurator for the Harrier on its official website.

Both exterior and interior customisations are available, some of which are note-worthy:

1. Front cornering sensors (two sensors below the fog lamps)
2. Roof rails
3. DRL with fog lamp
4. Side steps with bracket
5. Mascot (Harrier branding on the bonnet)
6. Mood lighting

Other options include rubber mats for the interior.

The online configurator can be accessed on this page.

[Mighty_Lothar]

Today I visited Kropex Tata Motors Bangalore (Singasandra) to do the test drive of Harrier. A quick summary of my initial driving impression is given below:

1) The very first thing you will notice in harrier is its well-proportioned look. It’s huge and appealing to the eyes.

2) The build quality is in fact pleasing though as not solid as VAG cars for example.

3) Harrier offers a boundless amount of space in both front and rear and that’s one of the biggest advantage over the similarly priced cars like Creta and Compass. There were many potential buyers of Jeep compass refused to choose it because of lack of space in rear seats as a reason. Harrier seats are large and under-thigh support is also satisfactory. The rear seats are wide and flat and it can definitely fit 3 people with ease.

4) As many others pointed out, I also struggled to get the driving position right. I had to make a lower sitting position so that legs can comfortably reach to the clutch pedal. The arm rest is not placed at the right spot. It could have been kept another few inches front to comfortably offer the support.

5) I started driving the car and the sales guy enthusiastically started explaining all features. I think they are trained well on the features list at least and was able to explain nicely. ORVM’s are huge and this was one of the positive points in the sales person’s checklist but you will straightaway feel the blind spot around the pillars when you want to swing to right or want to take a turn. One of the reasons can also be my lower sitting position which I set (Not sure though).

6) Harrier offers a full packed infotainment system. Sales person was playing some nice music and showcasing the capabilities of the system and I thoroughly enjoyed it. A good one!

7) How does it like to drive? –

a. Steering feels light. Though it’s a hydraulic power steering unit, I felt the steering accuracy in a fiat or in the good old Laura’s are better than Harrier.

b. Clutch – Clutch is feather light and you will feel like it will not come back after pressing it fully down. I think the owners will take some time to get adjusted with it.

c. Gear Shift – The quality of gear shift is just OK and I felt Jeep compass shifting quality is superior to Harrier.

d. Acceleration, Drivability and Ride Quality – I started driving from Singasandra to Kudlu gate signal in slow moving traffic and the gentleman from sales team was making me to drive in city mode. Harrier drives well in moderate traffic speeds and it has got a decent low end torque to compliment the drivability especially in lower speeds. However, I could notice a change instantly when I shifted to sports mode. It drives better than the so called City mode for sure. Quick shifts make the drivability better though the engine is noisy in hard acceleration. I did some quick maneuvers/line changes and the car managed it well. Later, we got into a very bad section from service road and looks like Tata has done a fabulous job in setting up the suspension. It did manage the potholes and rough patches very well. The car doesn’t move around much on undulations and the brilliant suspension compliments the ride quality.

e. Brakes – I felt brakes are good enough. No issues at all.

Overall, I felt Harrier as a well-priced car and kudos to Tata for bringing such good offerings. Will they offer a 180BHP tuned Diesel AT AWD Harrier with a Sunroof? Let’s wait and see

Cheers,
LOTHAR

[Ironhide]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

---snip---
Anyways long story short, a careful look around the car shows how Tata Motors has done a good job but for a customer like me, its not good enough. My wife though, is just the sort of customer who would love the Harrier. Make no mistake about it, the car looks good and if one is ready to overlook these (minor?) issues, Im sure it will be a good buy. But if I had 20 lakhs and I wanted a big Tata, it would be Hexa for me.


Sorry Tata, but with the Harrier, Im reminded of the famous quote - your mouth (marketing team) wrote a cheque that your body (production team) cant cash.

I hope the design / QC boffins at Tata motors take a look at your post. It's still early days and small niggles / QC issues like these will not be too tough to iron out before the production cars roll out of the factory gate. For the discerning buyer, such small imperfections, which oughtn't be difficult or tricky to set right do leave a bad taste.

Cheers !

[Rigid Rotor]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

...Sorry Tata, but with the Harrier, Im reminded of the famous quote - your mouth (marketing team) wrote a cheque that your body (production team) cant cash.

Tata claims that about 90% of the assembly line is automated with over 100+ KUKA and ABB robots. I suppose this is expected to translate into better consistency in panel alignments and minimising gaps.

So what gives? Are these pre-production models not made from that robotised assembly line?

Any industry experts care to opine on this?

[AutoNoob]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

I noticed that the panel gaps at the rear were terribly inconsistent... Anyways long story short, a careful look around the car shows how Tata Motors has done a good job but for a customer like me, its not good enough.

Originally Posted by Rocketscience

I too noticed these panel gaps, but the one in the boot went away when i re-opened it and closed it with force.
It looked like the gaps in your picture earlier, it was a major eye sore, as if the car had an accident... The welding spots and others are very much there, even the plastic molding in the front fender was loosely fitted and you could see the hooks with which they tighten it

Originally Posted by Rigid Rotor

Tata claims that about 90% of the assembly line is automated with over 100+ KUKA and ABB robots. I suppose this is expected to translate into better consistency in panel alignments and minimising gaps... So what gives? Are these pre-production models not made from that robotised assembly line?... Any industry experts care to opine on this?

These observations really bother me. Harrier is being manufactured in same Ranjangaon plant as Jeep Compass. So, how come Tata managed to deteriorate the quality like this.

And if SAs say that these issues are just limited to pre-production batch, I am not too convinced. From pre-production batch (which is display and media test drive worthy) to mass production, there is usually a gap of just 2-3 months. Unless Tata has a magic wand, these inconsistencies are going to be present in customer vehicles as well.

Moreover, I don't understand the thinking of big shots at Tata to send such sub-standard pre-production products for showroom display. Surely going to put-off many customers and generate negative publicity.

As a customer, I am definitely disappointed.

[rovingeye]

Originally Posted by AutoNoob

Moreover, I don't understand the thinking of big shots at Tata to send such sub-standard pre-production products for showroom display. Surely going to put-off many customers and generate negative publicity.

I've been wondering the same since these images were posted a few messages above. If customers can see these with plain eyes, how did Tata QA miss them with their trained eyes? Or maybe Tata management don't think much about their prospective customers and have given into the "chalta hai" (anything goes) culture?

Well, all I can say is that the market is a great leveller and I'm sure Tata will discover that soon.