[RAHS]

Originally Posted by shortbread

Against which thread are we 'benchmarking' interest? And if that was a measure the Dzire, Alto, Innova threads must be buzzing on this forum!

Deliveries aren't in full swing and I think it's too early to make such statements.

No, I think you took my statements in a different way. Question is not about buzz in the thread v/s sales volume. It's all about setting the expectations and then failed to meet. If TATA is not able to provide vehicle deliveries, why it was launched in JAN? Do we have any official statements from TATA on why there is a delay? Creating the buzz around the product and then product is not seen on the road for next 1-2 months! How funny. I am sure customers will lose interest gradually. You should hit the iron when it is hot. I personally like Harrier and want it to succeed in market But definitely not happy with how TATA has handled the whole thing here.

[shortbread]

Originally Posted by RAHS

No, I think you took my statements in a different way. Question is not about buzz in the thread v/s sales volume. It's all about setting the expectations and then failed to meet. If TATA is not able to provide vehicle deliveries, why it was launched in JAN? Do we have any official statements from TATA on why there is a delay? Creating the buzz around the product and then product is not seen on the road for next 1-2 months! How funny. I am sure customers will lose interest gradually. You should hit the iron when it is hot. I personally like Harrier and want it to succeed in market But definitely not happy with how TATA has handled the whole thing here.

Like you, I too am willing the Harrier to go and be a success. Despite the premium positioning, garnering 16k bookings is a pleasant surprise. Even if half of that materialise it will be a great start for the Harrier!

That said I would prefer the company get everything spot on even if that meant slow pace of deliveries. Rather that, than do a half baked job. Once a reputation is built it's hard to get a second chance, Tata Motors of all must have learnt that lesson by now.

Let's not forget even the T-BHP team haven't got their hands on a test drive car from Tata yet.

Could be two reasons for this, poor planning and the company struggling on multiple counts. Or two, Tata taking it slow and ensuring that they get everything right on the Harrier even if it's at the expense of slower deliveries.

I pray it's the latter.

[FrodoOfTheShire]

Originally Posted by shortbread

Against which thread are we 'benchmarking' interest?

I guess he's talking about the frequency of the posts which were in full intensity around the launch days, but have dwindled since. But that happens in all threads irrespective of the car.

[Latheesh]

Went for a test drive today to Kropex showroom @ Singasandra. Specifically checked area where fit and finish were a concern, but we found it OK in display car (grey) and other orange car. There was one white too inside the showroom premise, but could not check it. One customer was taking delivery of XZ orange Harrier during our visit.

Here are few pictures - You can see weld joints looks good and panel gaps are uniform.












Few more pictures - boot was open when I clicked it.

[igniteddriver]

Originally Posted by Latheesh

Specifically checked area where fit and finish were a concern, but we found it OK in display car (grey) and other orange car.

I too checked out the Harrier on display at Planet Auto on ORR and didn't find major problems as highlighted in earlier posts. The TD car was not available as a customer had taken it out for test drive and I didn't have the time to wait either. I am planning to do a test drive today.

Perhaps the only problem I noticed was the steering column touching the knee when tilted to the lowest position. May be it is a matter of finding the correct seating position. I have the habit of adjusting the seat in such a way that I can depress the clutch fully when the leg is stretched to the maximum.

[Sam_GTR]

I test drove Harrier few days ago. Overall I really liked it but I don't think I like it enough to recommend, at least for now.

Few observations:

*The seats were very very comfy and great under thigh support

*The steering was much lighter compared to Hexa and was responsive

*The cabin looked great with nice design and very good space

*The engine and gearbox were smooth and NVH levels were great. The engine felt peppy also.

*But lots of quality issues all around. The outside chrome beading around the window and the lower plastic part on the window were loose and was misaligned. The plastic cladding at few parts not correctly aligned. There was some weird thing on the paint like someone sprayed on top of the original paint on the driver side door.

*The reverse parking camera quality is awful.

*Also the car I drove didn't have one touch down feature on even the driver side window which is a massive let down. Don't know if it was something wrong with the particular TD car or if Tata thought it's not required.

What I also don't understand is why Tata is sort of neglecting Hexa, cause if Hexa had few more modern features like the new ice system and keyless entry and start etc and also fix few issues like the bad manual gearbox and the very heavy steering wheel it would have been made it a more attractive package.

[hellojeslyn]

Originally Posted by S.MJet

Congratulations hridayjyoti. Will be waiting for your ownership report. Could you share how much TCS and handling charges you paid.
==============
Yes, I am still interested in the product despite below par dealership experience, but I want tell Tata Motors (hope they are reading this) please pull up your dealers, else all your talks about pedigree, premium product/experience, customer aspirations etc. will remain mere lip service in media without any positive impact on ground.

The product quality has improved, but they need to make a quantum leap in terms of service (pre sales and post sales)

[micraft]

I have booked the Harrier XZ on 26th of Jan, and eagerly waiting for its delivery. I'm not very happy with the booking experience by Tata. After paying 30k for booking a 20 lakh car, I left feeling like I booked a cycle from decathlon.

There is no official mail from Tata motors regarding the booking, but after inquiring regarding official confirmation with a booking number or something like that, they did send me a mail from KHT motors.

Last week I get a call from KHT motors asking me if I have booked, and if I have confirmed the booking. That left me bewildered, since I expected that the payment of 30k for the booking is a confirmation on its own. After following up they did say that the vehicle had already been booked, and I'm hoping it's on 26th Jan.

Anyone else who did book the Harrier in bangalore, please raise your hands or ping me.

My sixth sense keeps me confident of the Harrier package. On the test drive, the negatives where the NVH after switching to Sports, the long clutch, not gettimg my seating in the sweet spot and the blind spot because of the A-pillar and ORVM which I think is similar to my 2008 Verna. Everything else was only positive.

I have found 2 youtube videos which I feel would be off interest to this audience.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7pdjZqcpy0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IyGI_6-o3Q

[AirbusCapt]

Originally Posted by micraft

I have found 2 Youtube videos which I feel would be off interest to this audience.

.........

It's truly said, one can't pay money and buy brains. The owner is truly a moron, not fastening his seatbelt or asking his Co passenger to fasten seatbelts, inspite of repeated reminders by the car. What's the point of all technology if your head is smashed up on the dashboard?

[bhuvan_prasad]

I have hardly been paying attention to the flurry of car launches happening these days, a far cry from a decade ago, when I would religiously go and test drive almost every new car which was launched. The Harrier however, piqued my interest.

To say it stands out among today's cars is an understatement. It is very striking, with great presence and is just the right size. It does not have a bad angle in my opinion. I had briefly checked it out at the Mumbai airport while rushing to catch my flight and somehow the desire to spend more time with it manifested itself that day.

I found myself with a couple of hours to spare at home last weekend when I'd gone to Hyd. I remembered there is a Tata showroom nearby, and dropped by Tejaswi Motors, Hitec city with my Dad, who quite readily agreed, once he heard its based on a LR platform.

The sales person who met me Yuvraj, was quite friendly. We checked out the car leisurely. The interiors are definitely premium, more than say the XUV and even the compass. The BMW-esque screen surely uplifts the ambience. The seats, both front and rear are very comfortable, typical TATA style, with good under thigh support. It's a pity that the fancy Italian leather even on the top end version is not genuine leather. The wooden panel on the interiors is quite nice. The solid metal hinge to open the door from the inside is great to hold. There is enough soft padding on the doors, in the usual spots on touches/rests on the door pad, something a Creta sorely misses out on. The only thing I did not like was the handbrake, it did not feel solidly made at all, and did not inspire confidence when using it. I did not do a detailed paint and panel gap analysis, but nothing stood out like a sore thumb. The doors shut with a lovely thud.

Onto the test drive. I daily drive a figo 1.5D and a 2.4 Turbo civic. The Harrier has a nice and high driving position with a good view out, and the bonnet is fairly flat, so one can judge the extremities easily. The Safari is a tad higher though. The 9 speaker JBL sound system was excellent, and I am quite picky when it comes to audio systems. I played English songs off a USB drive, no FM testing. The clutch is lighter than that in my figo, but the gearshifts are a little notchy, and it was tricky to into 2nd at times, it might get better with time, but I am not sure if its a running in issue or something due to the design. The armrest position also somehow was not making shifting gears that seamless. The steering was quite light for a hydraulic setup, and was quite direct and did not have any play. I would have personally preferred some more heft to it, but I guess most would not.

I did not find the engine to be noisy. Music was shut while we were moving, and my figo is definitely noisier. The car pulls easily, no lag, 20km/h in 3rd gear also did not pose a problem, drive-ability is that good. Obviously performance is sufficient, not great, will be more than adequate on the highway. The biggest highlight to me was the ride and handling. I read a lot about the JLR platform etc, but did not expect to be this impressed. Regular potholes, ruts and broken surfaces on our usual city roads are dismissed like they don't exist. And all this without the jiggliness one gets with ladder on frame chassis SUV's. I will go so far as to say that the low/medium speed ride is better than the endeavour's, which was the benchmark.

Fine, but obviously the high speed dynamics will suffer if the low speed ride is that good. Not a chance. On a deeply rutted road, the sales advisor kept pestering me to not lift off and to keep the throttle pinned. Coming from sedans, at the first sight of a broken road, I shed speed like nobody's business. But not here. I was doing unmentionable speeds on these broken roads, where I would not cross 20-30 kmph in my other cars. The Harrier seemed unflappable. Braking was good as well, the car stopped from 100kmph in a straight line without drama, and with zero bobbing and pitching. Whatever tech TATA has borrowed from JLR clearly seems to have worked.

I did take it off-road, nothing serious and used the various modes, i'm guessing they should see you through most situations. Don't blame me if you get stuck somewhere though because of it being FWD only.

To sum it all up, it is a lot of car for INR 19 lakhs. Don't bother with the lesser versions as they will not feel as special, and the little extra that one pays for the top end, really goes a long way. I was told there is a 3 month waiting list for the top end, and that majority of the bookings are for the top end version itself, which makes sense. I currently do not have the need for a new car, but boy was I tempted after this test drive. People sitting on the fence should just jump in and get this car.

[shortbread]

Originally Posted by bhuvan_prasad

To sum it all up, it is a lot of car for INR 19 lakhs. Don't bother with the lesser versions as they will not feel as special, and the little extra that one pays for the top end, really goes a long way. I was told there is a 3 month waiting list for the top end, and that majority of the bookings are for the top end version itself, which makes sense. I currently do not have the need for a new car, but boy was I tempted after this test drive. People sitting on the fence should just jump in and get this car.

Hi Bhuvan, Thanks for the review.

How did you find the rear seats, did you try it?

[bhuvan_prasad]

Originally Posted by shortbread

Hi Bhuvan, Thanks for the review.

How did you find the rear seats, did you try it?

Yes. The seats are comfortable with good back and decent under-thigh support. I am 6' tall, and was comfortable with sufficient legroom, behind my own driving position. The safari's rear seat is still the benchmark I'd say though.

Please do go and check it out on your own as cushioning, backrest angle etc. are matters of personal preference.

[damodar]

Quite a comprehensive review of the Harrier where he touched a lot of minor details missed by the established you tube channels. I test drove the Harrier twice and I agree with all of his views.

He is the first guy to give feedback on the terrain modes albeit on tarmac, I am sure most of us who test drove the car would have hardly got the time to check them out.

https://youtu.be/blW-ifkUKtI

[civic-sense]

Originally Posted by FrodoOfTheShire

...draw away potential customers from Compass who are not attached to the Jeep brand name.

Harrier is huge in size compared to the Compass, so somebody who is looking at Compass as his next car would not shift to a very large vehicle just because he is getting more metal for the same/lesser price.

I think Tata needs more than size advantage to compete with the Compass.

[igniteddriver]

Got a chance to test drive the Harrier. After driving for about 10 kms, I am impressed overall with the Harrier. I tried couple of quick lane-cutting and maneuvering and the vehicle was in good control in spite of its size. People sitting in the rear felt a bit of body roll during such (60-80 kmph) lane cutting.
Brake, clutch, and steering behaviors were impressive. Gear shift is good too. I felt that steering feedback could have been better. I felt the hydraulic steering to be every light. But nothing negative about that.
Compared to the petrol Punto's noise I am used to, I didn't feel the Diesel engine noise to be very high. I felt the cabin to be pretty well insulated. Even the horn could be heard only feebly inside the cabin.

Did anyone feel vibration in the cabin? I could feel vibration in the cabin. I could even see the gear knob vibrating at idle. When I asked the Sales person, he said this is just the initial batch and not the production version and that all such issues will be fixed in the production version. BTW, the car had done just 1200kms.
I have been thinking of an upgrade and I am willing to wait for a few months if TATA can fix these issues.