[Durango Dude]

https://www.autocarindia.com/car-new...on-only-410354

Tata Harrier to be launched only with a manual option and 4X2 (front wheel drive) 5 seater variant The automatic option is to come later in 2019 only in the 7 seater 4X4 variant (BS VI compliant), according to ACI. Does this mean the base variant won't be BS VI compliant??

[DieselAddikt]

Feature rich car ! No 4X4/AWD. No automatic diesel. Then what features are they talking about? Cooled glove box? While no information is concrete until the car is actually launched, I have a feeling that the sales will not take off as expected. Or, the car is going to be priced really low. At the announced price, why would someone not buy an XUV AWD or an XUV AT or an XUV AT AWD?

[v6kgang]

I am going with the sentiments of the forum here. If no Diesel AT at launch, I will be cancelling my booking. I sincerely don't know what supply chain issue is being talked about here , with another good 3 months to go for deliveries to begin. Having made the decision to go with Hyundai TC about 3 months earlier, 6 months is a very good time to place orders and take delivery of an already in-production model gearbox.

[bageherath]

I feel that Tata Motors should atleast have a 4*2 auto at the time of launch. Thinking that 4*4 AT need some time as it requires more efforts in terms of engineering and testing. But let's wait until Tata Motors officially confirm the variants on offer during the launch.

[Ironhide]

Originally Posted by DieselAddikt

Feature rich car ! No 4X4/AWD. No automatic diesel. Then what features are they talking about? Cooled glove box? While no information is concrete until the car is actually launched, I have a feeling that the sales will not take off as expected. Or, the car is going to be priced really low. At the announced price, why would someone not buy an XUV AWD or an XUV AT or an XUV AT AWD?

For the common automobile buying public, features does mean cooled glove box and rain sensing wipers.
If the talk of no AWD/4x4 is true then it seems as if Tata is squandering away a golden opportunity before the launch of this vehicle. If they do not provide 4x4/ AWD, an automatic gearbox (and maybe later, a 4x4 automatic) they would've failed to leverage the Land Rover DNA/ expertise. Had they played their cards carefully, it would have been a segment first- a 5 seater 4x4 automatic. Price it sensibly, TomTom these features to the public through an aggressive marketing campaign (which includes energetic, well-informed sales reps at the showrooms, who are able to succinctly point out the differences between their product and those of rival manufacturers), proactively iron out any niggles that crop up in the initial batches and Tata should have a winner on their hands.

Originally Posted by v6kgang

I am going with the sentiments of the forum here. If no Diesel AT at launch, I will be cancelling my booking. I sincerely don't know what supply chain issue is being talked about here , with another good 3 months to go for deliveries to begin. Having made the decision to go with Hyundai TC about 3 months earlier, 6 months is a very good time to place orders and take delivery of an already in-production model gearbox.

Just putting across a contrarian view. Maybe Hyundai itself, feeling the heat from the arrival of a possible Creta/ Tucson rival, is delaying the the supply of the critical assembly? Some of us may remember there were rumours of Tata facing supply chain problems from vendors (apparently on behest of a rival manufacturer) when they launched Indica - India's first small diesel car which quickly became a runaway success.

Cheers!

[Arjun Reddy]

Originally Posted by Ironhide

Just putting across a contrarian view. Maybe Hyundai itself, feeling the heat from the arrival of a possible Creta/ Tucson rival, is delaying the the supply of the critical assembly? Some of us may remember there were rumours of Tata facing supply chain problems from vendors (apparently on behest of a rival manufacturer) when they launched Indica - India's first small diesel car which quickly became a runaway success. Cheers!

These agreements will be cast in stone with clear penalty clauses for delays.

Honestly, Hyundai will not play such a dirty game. This would have been brainstormed way before the agreement for transmissions were signed off.

Just looks like Tata has developed cold feet with regards to launch price. They are looking at a 15-18 lakh launch price now. They would not want the launch price to look like 15-25 lakhs.

Hyundai will just launch their top spec diesel Creta with an automatic and ventilated seats now in response to Tata Harrier and the Compass will relaunch the upgrade your variant for 75k offer. Just wish the Compass diesel auto is out soon.

[srishiva]

I concur with the feeling that Tata may not want to introduce higher price variants initially. They would want to stress on the value for money factor vis a vis competitors on lower variants but show more features.
Remember, Tata and others have failed with pricing on models where the price was perceived to be higher irrespective of the type of car being sold.

[DieselAddikt]

I belong to a group who does not have apprehensions about any manufacturer and is open to buying any car provided it has decent build quality and it fits my budget. If the reports coming in seems true, I would happily buy a XUV for similar price (similar price being the operative word). I get a little more power, similar features (plus AT and AWD), proven drive train and 2 extra seats (I do not need them 80% of the time, but I am fine if I have them). So while Tata can decide to launch a product based on the outcome of the market study they conducted, they should also make sure that they are sticking to reality. Shouting LR pedigree at the top of their voice will not help. It has to be tangible for the customers. In that sense, features like 4*4, multi terrain selector etc would be a welcome addition. This car was not designed in a hurry. They had all the time (and expertise) in this world to figure out a way to include 4*4 and AT. I still believe that the car will get launched with these features from day 1. If not, it will definitely be a missed opportunity. This car has generated enough hype among enthusiasts as well as regular buyers (at least in my circle). It will be really sad if they cannot capitalize on that.

[nainan]

In terms of features I believe an automatic transmission is fast becoming a standard feature so this is an expectation however a lot of manufacturers launch it later. I still feel they should have gone the Punch Powerglide route of the Hexa as I find it one of the best auto boxes in that range with options for a hassle free drive in Bengaluru traffic to office or a punchy spin on highways like the Nice Road.

On the 4x4 I feel its a must have on SUVs however looking at Creta numbers it does not seem to be a feature high on the list of many 5 seater buyers. I do recall seeing a study to that account too. I do remember when I bought my Safari both the Scoprio and the Safari had 4WD as an option for their full range but both showroom personnel told me that very few customers go for it.

On the 7 seater SUVs both features are standard across brands so not having them would be a significant disadvantage.

I dont think Hyundai dragging their feet is a possibility given they know there are other options Tata has and this adds to their bean counters as well.

[damodar]

Supply constraints apart I believe it's more to avoid that initial sticker shock which will come with a 4wd and AT setup. If they are targeting an on road price of 21 laks for the top end, it can easily go to 23.5 to 24 with 4wd/AT. Now that price may suit a 7 seater rather than a 5, as one can see that even JEEP at that price is struggling to sell now. With 140ps engine TATA can price the Harrier at lower starting price which I am guessing will be lower than Hexa. Once decent volumes are achieved the base will be ready for H7X. The upcoming harrier 7 seater will have more power 170bhp which may suit the 4wd hardware better.

[84.monsoon]

Putting this in perspective, remember Jeep also did not offer an Diesel AWD+AT or even a plain and simple FWD+AT in the Compass at launch and still have not managed to do so, after almost a year and half. It is still seen as a VFM vehicle and sells a couple of thousand copies a month. TATA may be taking comfort from this fact.

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by damodar

Supply constraints apart I believe it's more to avoid that initial sticker shock which will come with a 4wd and AT setup. If they are targeting an on road price of 21 laks for the top end, it can easily go to 23.5 to 24 with 4wd/AT. Now that price may suit a 7 seater rather than a 5, as one can see that even JEEP at that price is struggling to sell now. With 140ps engine TATA can price the Harrier at lower starting price which I am guessing will be lower than Hexa. Once decent volumes are achieved the base will be ready for H7X. The upcoming harrier 7 seater will have more power 170bhp which may suit the 4wd hardware better.

If sticker price is the only reason then offer the full range of models, the bare bones basic model to the fully loaded automatic and 4wd, let the customer decide which is VFM for him/her. For Creta or Crysta, there’s a large number of buyers for the base as well as top end models.

A missed opportunity IMO. Once the new model novelty wears off, additional options will have less impact, like Compass.

[damodar]

Originally Posted by ashis89

If sticker price is the only reason then offer the full range of models, the bare bones basic model to the fully loaded automatic and 4wd, let the customer decide which is VFM for him/her. For Creta or Crysta, there’s a large number of buyers for the base as well as top end models.

A missed opportunity IMO. Once the new model novelty wears off, additional options will have less impact, like Compass.

True not denying the fact that 4wd/AT would have showcased the Harrier's SUV credentials in a proper manner. But it seems Creta is being targeted with its 10k numbers per month sales. And by May 2019 Kia will be out with it's 5 seater based on Creta platform but at a more premium pricing. So this segement is sure to expand.
Harrier has a brand new assembly line and TATA must have spent some decent money for Harrier development and production capacity. So unlike HEXA which used the existing setup and it's own 2.2 engine volumes have to justify the investment on Harrier. Good news is that 170 bhp engine with 4wd/AT setup will find it's way into the 5 seater as per AUTOCAR India reports.

[power ranger]

Tatas have been the masters of not giving what the public wants from long time :


Safari had such cult status but kept missing the upgrades required and finally Scorpio started selling 4 times Safari numbers


Nano - It took them so long to put in a AMT and make it a smart city car. By that time it died a natural death due to low volumes. Nano XTA is the best city car and had it been launched 5 years back, it should have done numbers better than Alto


Aria - Hexa story - Again Aria to Hexa took a long time and we know its history now


Tata Motors is one company which thinks people will buy whatever they make or atleast force them to. They dont care about numbers or profits for their cars. Too much of Philanthropy thought guiding the company .


A car without AMT or Auto gear box from day one is dead as a seller in cities like Bangalore now. Cant imagine driving a manual anymore in such cities !! So Harrier has to get everything in the showroom from day one or its a lost battle even before it starts. My 2 cents on this car will be only if it has an auto option and also offer 4WD for people who want it. But as usual Tatas will never listen or grow up and end up giving all the features in 2021, by when Harrier will be dead

[srishiva]

How long did people had to wait for Mahindra's new vehicles ? They develop and release and get a good market.
Look at Tata, how long did they test Aria ? I think we even saw something in Arctic circle. Look at Hexa and now Harrier. They test as if they are going to give the ultimate in the world and then take so much time. With the waiting time, people expect it to have everything and then they dont even get basic things.