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-   -   Tata Harrier : Official Review (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/official-new-car-reviews/209281-tata-harrier-official-review-7.html)

A fantastic review. It cant get more detailed than this. The car definitely has stunning looks.

Of all the niggles mentioned, the only things that really concerned me was the lighter steering at higher speeds and huge blind spots in the car. In all the cars I have driven, I never needed to hold the steering with both hands at higher speeds continuously. So I am kind of used to using one hand all the time. People with this kind of driving style will feel uncomfortable and unsure with Harrier.



Hector sure have more specs and features than Harrier on paper. However I read somewhere that SAIC has been mired in recalls of close to million vehicles in China in the last few years. So we cannot vouch for the quality of the product unless its released in India and tested here. As-is, people in the market do have perception about Chinese products being cheap and lack quality. And people willing to spend 20L for an SUV are no exception to this perception. So it will take longtime for Hector to overcome the limitations of limited dealership network, perception of people and any quality blemishes that come with the product to be able to compete with the likes of Harrier or Jeep Compass

As per some reports, Hector is nothing but re-christened and upgraded Chevy Captiva. Can anyone confirm this?

Harrier has the capability to be for Tata what the Scorpio was for Mahindra, hope they tread carefully and surefootedly.

A panoramic sunroof would be ideal to go along with the automatic gear and an optional 4wd mode if the vehicle gets stuck in slush or swampy conditions.

Its such a tragedy that TM is unable to get its manufacturing process in place. And this is after collaborating with the likes of JLR. If multiple cars have the same issues, we can fix the process, but if each car has a different issue, honestly, its a disaster. Feel terrible hearing about these kinds of issues repeatedly about the Tatas.

There were two accidents of Harrier test drive vehicles already. Could the twitchy handling be the reason for that?

This is my first post in TeamBHP and what would be a better thread than this one to get started with. Firstly a splendid review as usual clap: The eye for detail our guys have gets me everytime I read a review on our forum.

I think Tata cannot get away with 'almost there' anymore especially while the competition is getting hotter :Frustrati . They got to pull their socks up and start investing in a better QC team. Kudos to the designing team though, it has immense road presence, absolutely droolworthy in orange shade especially the rear black strip which seems to be handled very well. I see a few panel gap issues in my Nexon too and I could live with them. But this isn't expected with the Harrier considering it's price range and the #AboveAll marketing.

First Mahindra and now Tata. Steering instability to this level is totally unacceptable from any car. Why can't they get the basic things right. I'm sure there wouldn't even be any attempt to a silent recall of the initial lot. Suggest all the owners to take caution while driving at high speeds.

As always, a thoroughly analysed review from TeamBHP. A few of points from my side:

1. Regarding Tata's after sales and service quality concerns - We've had our Hexa for a full 2+ years now, having been one of the first customers in Thrissur, Kerala to take delivery in March 2017. We've had a few tiny niggles which to be honest are not at all faults of the car or the quality of manufacturing (eg. squeaking sound from the suspension bushings after a spirited drive through Hampi, Badami, Belur, Mysore from Thrissur), infotainment fuse problems among other things. At no point did we ever feel that the local Tata dealer (Hyson Motors) let us down. They've been wonderfully professional and have always taken care of the car and us whenever we had to sort these things out or bring in the car for regular servicing. During one of our visits, the technical head of the service centre even assured us that it is impossible that Hexa's cabin would ever present any rattling because of the way Tata has built it, and it shows. 2 years on, the car still feels absolutely brand spanking new. It feels as refined, silent, smooth and comfortable as it was back in March 2017 and continues to impress us every day with how it drives.

This brings me neatly onto my next point;

2. Regarding the Harrier - During one such visit to the service centre, dad and I decided to test drive the Harrier and see what the fuss was about (and also because I love keeping track of Tata's new releases and the car industry in general). Initial impressions were good, the display car seemed to be well built and the vehicle as such was giving out a very posh vibe vis-a-vis the tough/dependable/comfortable vibe that the Hexa gives out. Got in the test-drive vehicle and drove for a small stretch during which I realised that unfortunately Tata hasn't been able to outdo the Hexa in terms of sheer refinement and finesse. I feel like I am in a good position to say this not only because of the considerable amount of time I've spent behind the wheels of the Hexa, but also given the fact that I've been lucky enough to experience cars like the Jaguar F-Pace, I-Pace, F-Type and the BMW X4 M40i. They've all been obviously better than the Hexa but the difference was far smaller than you could imagine. It was even far ahead of X4, I-Pace and the F-Type in the ride comfort department. The Harrier on the other hand, felt a bit worse overall in every way except maybe the design, the gearshift action and the infotainment package. Road noise, insulation, vibrations and engine noise were all markedly higher.

Moreover, reports of the Harrier's steering being twitchy at speeds above 120 kmph makes me wonder if an amateur tuned it, because the Hexa holds steady at 130-140 kmph. I know, because I've done it. It masks speed like a car thrice as expensive. This is funny because out of the two cars, it is the Harrier which has a significantly better overall chassis and dynamics on paper.

Now I'm sure all this is because Tata most definitely wanted and needed a first-mover advantage against the upcoming onslaught of rivals such as the Hector and the Venue and I don't blame them. But it leaves me with a bitter aftertaste as what Tata managed to do with the Hexa couldn't be surpassed or even replicated. I hope they sort things out by the time the Cassini launches and I do most certainly hope they don't use that name for it.

I don't mean to offend any existing Harrier owners and I wish you many happy miles with your car, and assure you that with a little forthrightness towards the service centres, they would do a good job of taking care of your prized possession. However, to potential Harrier owners, I would kindly recommend you all to test drive both the Hexa and the Harrier side by side before you decide to buy either.

All the issues, if they can be replicated at the ASS would be covered under warranty. End of the day it's the OEM part supplier that gets hit. I think TATA would be quite liberal in honoring warranty claims for the so called "guinea pigs" because they took the plunge and put in nearly 2 million bucks on a new product with blind faith on the Tata brand. I can live with the few mm variation in panel gaps as long as it's not clearly evident to non enthusiast eye and the door or dashboard panels don't rattle. The Harrier is a head turner for sure.

The orange is one color which i hated on every car. Be it the XUV, Duster or Discovery. I was of the opinion that manufacturers used and promoted the most unattractive color in their range for any vehicle they had. All Chevrolet Beat ads and brochures were in green. Similarly, all Harrier s were in orange at the media event in Jaisalmer. I think the intent is to achieve atleast some volume for the unattractive colors. One other reason i think behind promoting the unattractive color in ads and brochures is that once the customer actually visits the showroom after seeing the most ugly color in the ads every other color on the car in the showroom will appear more attractive to him leading to a higher chance of paying a token advance. I had seen Orange Harriers only in the media event. All others i saw on the road were white or silver which i believe look best on the Harrier. The snow white DRLs on the white Harrier will definitely make non car enthusiasts also look twice. Having said that color choice on a car is very subjective and a personal preference. My 2 cents...

That sounds like a more realistic and reasonable approach any potential buyer will/should take rather than harping about the finish that are noticeable only to trained eyes. If he is getting a bigger, handsome and yet cheaper car, why wouldn't he compromise on the panel gaps and few loose ends here and there? It is easy for the spectators and window-shoppers to say, this is not for them (of course, because they have nothing at stake) but the moment one steps out with the real intention of buying a car, he/she will realize that there is no perfect car and that one has to compromise on something or other. And the fact that Harrier being bought by 2000+ people last month seems to suggest that real buyers are indeed approving Harrier as a package and they are not looking for smartphone level fit and finish in a car. :D

@ Prakash_ajp! Well said. The scrutiny and judgement that Tata automobiles are subject to is unfairly high. The shortcomings in many other brands are very glaring too but often accepted because of the larger volume of their sales. The Tatas and Mahindras should be appreciated for their courage to enter segments where Maruti and Hyundai fear to tread. The Harrier and the Alturas are great efforts.

@mchandra, my humble request would be not to drive with one hand on steering, specially at higher speeds. Driving rule says both hands should be on the steering wheel at all times except when operating the gear lever, lights, wipers etc. You will never ever have the same level of control with one hand that you can with two hands on the steering wheel. Believe you me, this is one practice that can make the difference between life and death in certain situations.

O Tata!! Why a half-baked product? Sometimes things are really too good to be true. Harrier's got a great presence and is definitely a head turner but these niggles and inconsistencies might just become Tata's Achilles Heel. With the upcoming Hector, things are already turning out to be too hot to handle (case in point the shoddy defense coming from the Tata stable). If these initial Quality issues are not sorted to the utter satisfaction of the owners, Tata can see a lot of prospective customers backing off as the negative word-of-mouth will not sit well at all.

Seriously hope that these issues are sorted for the benefit of the current daredevils (who plonked 20 big ones) and the future fence sitters who just might take the plunge.

BTW an awesome review as usual. Kudos to that.

100% agree with you. This is my driving style from the start, keeping both the hands at 3 and 9’o clock positions on the steering. I used to wonder when someone says ‘handrest is useless in the car’. I never used handrest while driving. Also point to note is in Kerala a straight road mostly ends at a maximum 100 meters, as the roads are usually with twisties and bends.

I think the laid back driving style of most people also need to be modified so as to have correct leg position while braking. I am a six footer, I keep my seat back such that the wrist line of my hand merges steering top. Also I keep legs such that they are in a slightly bend position while applying the brake pedal to maximum.

I have started noticing more and more harriers in my city these days. Saw two white ones and a grey one yesterday. Those DRLs are a real sight in the rear view mirrors , especially when the indicator is working. Even people who are not interested in cars take notice of Harrier , just because of the distinctive signature it has on the road. So at least in my city the sales seems to be happening. Kerala has always been more forgiving towards Tata's antics. Got to watch what happens when the novelty dies off.

My friend was eying the Harrier and after the test drive he was really happy with the car esp. after driving a Santro for around 7 years. He wanted to book the car immediately since it has a 4 month waiting period.

Based on the niggles mentioned in the review and considering the price point, I've asked him to wait and test drive the Hector, Jeep Compass, XUV500 and Innova before taking the plunge. Any other car that can take the Harrier head on at this price range?

I think you missed the car from Tata stable, Hexa :)
Looking at the positive reviews it's getting, If I had a couple of million rupees to spare, I would be strongly eyeing for Hexa.