[karan561]

Likes;

- Land Rover Genetics & Platform.
- Exterior Looks & Interior Space.
- Engine + Gearbox Combo
- Ride Quality.

Dislikes;

- No Petrol Engine On Offer.
- Rear Camera Quality.
- No AWD.

Video;

https://youtu.be/fFY_DQEeOps

Platform;

The Harrier was initially supposed to be based on the Freelander 2's L359 platform when it 1st went into development around 2014, but sensibly that idea was dropped & finally the D8 architecture was chosen from L550 which is the Discovery Sport Platform. Tata Motors call this the Omega Platform.

Engine Performance;

- Harrier uses the 2L Multijet Turbo Diesel engine from the FCA stable.
- FCA makes this engine locally at their MIDC Ranjangaon facility in Maharashtra.
- Tata Motors call this Engine the 'Kryotec 170' (168 BHP & 350 NM). Yes, it is BS6 Compliant.
- This Engine's meat of the Torque band lies between 1800-2500 RPM & after that the horsepower takes over where you can feel those additional 30 horses very easily.
- This engine when in the detuned 140hp form the Power delivery though adequate but always felt restricted (sort of engine disliked being detuned), however now with the additional 30 Hp it gets the power what it really deserved.
- Power to weight for the A/T Variant is Approx 100 HP/Ton.

A quick discussion about the 3 modes;

ECO Mode is the most smooth thanks to the subdued throttle response for better Fuel Economy.
SPORT Mode is the most aggressive & the throttle responses are designed for a lot of engaging high rpm fun activity.
Finally CITY Mode is a great balance between both the ECO & Sport Mode.

Gearbox;

- Gearbox is Hyundai Sourced.
- Upon further research I got to know that the exact gearbox might be the A6F36 from the Hyundai stable.
- A (Automatic) 6 (Six Speed) F (Front Wheel Drive) 36 (36 Kg/m^3 Torque Capacity)
- Overall the car feels smooth to drive & suitable for both relaxed city driving as well as highway runs.
- However it's not an aggressive unit and cannot be compared to DCT's.

Suspension/Handling/Steering;

The Suspension is an independent setup up front & Some of the front Suspension is common with the LR Discovery Sport whereas the rear, I am happy to report is developed by Lotus & yes this is the same iconic UK based sports car company which makes driver focused sports cars. With that genetics the handling was supposed to be good but unfortunately slightly let down by a steering which is a tad too sensitive at high speeds. Now, we also need to really appreciate that TATA Motors have offered the old school Hydraulic Steering for the Harrier. It is surely heavy for city speeds but true enthusiasts won't mind that. But at high speeds the steering is a bit too responsive for an SUV and doesn't weigh up as expected from an Hydraulic Unit. Overall straight line stability is good though.

Ride Quality;

- The suspension does its job, but the tyre size selection is playing an important role in the ride quality very well.
- The exact Tyre/wheel spec. is 235/65 R17 which is very meaty.
- Recommended Tyre Pressure is 33 PSi (All Around).

Suggestion to Tata Motors for the Petrol Variant;

- Tata Motors has a ready engine from the JLR stable which they should make use of for the Harrier i.e. 2L Ingenium.
- They should launch the Harrier Petrol with the 2L Ingenium Petrol with a basic 180 hp tune & a performance oriented P300 i.e. 300 HP variant which they should launch as a performance/sport variant/version.
- P300 should definitely get an AWD.
- 8 Speed ZF (With Paddle Shifters) can be used or a manual variant would be welcome too.
- I know costs will go up but still a 300 hp Petrol Harrier + AWD around 30L Ex-Showroom will be fun, on that note thanks for reading

[Bibendum90949]

Originally Posted by karan561

With that genetics the handling was supposed to be good but unfortunately slightly let down by a steering which is a tad too sensitive at high speeds. Now, we also need to really appreciate that TATA Motors have offered the old school Hydraulic Steering for the Harrier. It is surely heavy for city speeds but true enthusiasts won't mind that. But at high speeds the steering is a bit too responsive for an SUV and doesn't weigh up as expected from an Hydraulic Unit.

Thank you Karan for the crisp review as always. I just wonder is there any way one can tune the steering to make it attain weight in a linear manner all the way upto higher speeds. Yes it's a risky proposition to fiddle with the steering set up. Are there any folks who can do a pro job on that?

I fail to understand why TATA after ticking an important box(hydraulic unit) screwed up on the weight part. I've always felt steering feel/feedback is one of the most important aspects of a great driving experience even above a brilliant engine and gearbox. A bad steering kills all the fun. So near yet so far for the Harrier to have got a steering that all enthusiasts love. The best one I experienced in my life was Ford Fiesta 's hydraulic set up. Boy, that was some pinnacle Ford managed and that's the benchmark till today I got to feel. Still miss those days !

If they could source the platform from Land Rover, engine from FCA and gearbox from Hyundai they could have very well given the job to Ford to set up it's steering

[JishD]

Excellent review Karan.

You could have mentioned rear wheel drum brakes as a weakness with the Harrier.

Honestly at the XZ and XZA price , its a no brainer that Harrier should have had rear disc brakes as part of its repertoire.

[rsanthosh]

Originally Posted by Lowflyer23

No offense at all but how are you so sure about this? There are no reports regarding this information and neither any manufacturer using the multijet 2.0 diesel engine has published anything indicating such issues. I highly doubt something as small as an oil filter will be placed in a dangerous position without proper R&D. I am not trying to save fiat here but almost all of the engines are developed after months of testing and fine tuning if not years.

Very true, the 'engine issue' is often flagged in many forums as the reason behind the no crash test for the Harrier as if it is an established fact. We tend to conflate a conjecture with a fact without any form of substantiation or verification. Hope we get better clarity on this soon.

[Rambo-RS]

Absolute to the point review just like how it should be! The Harrier Automatic is truly the best mile munching machine under 25 Lacs.
Apart from a few minor niggles which many owners face with every Tata car (no offense to anyone), Harrier has just got everything to be a no nonsense long term buy imho

Originally Posted by karan561

Gearbox;
- Upon further research I got to know that the exact gearbox might be the A6F36 from the Hyundai stable.
- A (Automatic) 6 (Six Speed) F (Front Wheel Drive) 36 (36 Kg/m^3 Torque Capacity)

A huge respect and appreciation for this thorough research sir

Regards
Ranvir

[karan561]

Originally Posted by Bibendum90949

Thank you Karan for the crisp review as always. I just wonder is there any way one can tune the steering to make it attain weight in a linear manner all the way upto higher speeds. Yes it's a risky proposition to fiddle with the steering set up. Are there any folks who can do a pro job on that?

Lowering the tyre pressure to about 30 psi (recommended is 33psi) may help a little for sure.

I fail to understand why TATA after ticking an important box(hydraulic unit) screwed up on the weight part. I've always felt steering feel/feedback is one of the most important aspects of a great driving experience even above a brilliant engine and gearbox. A bad steering kills all the fun. So near yet so far for the Harrier to have got a steering that all enthusiasts love. The best one I experienced in my life was Ford Fiesta 's hydraulic set up. Boy, that was some pinnacle Ford managed and that's the benchmark till today I got to feel. Still miss those days !

Yes, Ford's steerings (Hydraulic) are good, i particularly liked the previous gen Figo's unit. I personally really loved the Abarth Puntos hydraulic steering setup very much. In my Fortuner too i like the hydraulic unit & really appreciate Toyota for sticking with this old school setup.

Originally Posted by JishD

Excellent review Karan.

Thanks JishD

You could have mentioned rear wheel drum brakes as a weakness with the Harrier.

True, but the braking/braking ability wasn't a issue hence skipped mentioning. But yes an all 4 disc setup would have been welcome for sure.

Originally Posted by Rambo-RS

Absolute to the point review just like how it should be! The Harrier Automatic is truly the best mile munching machine under 25 Lacs.
Apart from a few minor niggles which many owners face with every Tata car (no offense to anyone), Harrier has just got everything to be a no nonsense long term buy imho

A huge respect and appreciation for this thorough research sir

Thanks Ranvir for your appreciation

[Highh5]

Finally took the plunge after test driving Nexon AT, Kicks Turbo MT, and Harrier AT.
Took a long drive of Harrier XZA Plus and came out really impressed with the way engine +gearbox combo and suspension behaved.

Some negative bits/observations:

1. Found electric seat back adjust button broken on the test drive car in less than a year and with just 6.5k on the odometer.
2. Start/Stop button of Nexon as well as Harrier lost it's colour/markings and has a big white patch, looking outright ugly.
3. No Cooled Glovebox option. Instead, Driver Armrest is provided with the cooling function which is too small in my opinion.
4. 12V charging option is present only under Driver Armrest, which restricts the overall usability factor or you will have to keep big wires running throughout the centre console.
5. No height-adjustable seatbelts.
6. No Vanity Mirror on the driver side.
7. Puddle lamps not available anymore, available in 2019 model though.

Positive bits/observation:
1. Gearbox works very well and responds without any jerks or sudden downshifts.
2. Eco mode is good to use in the city and if you look out for instant acceleration, it does take around 2 secs to respond back with the same level of urgency.
3. If not the fastest, as Karan and other bhpians mentioned, this engine and gearbox combo actually loves to be cruised comfortably, however you do have enough power on tap for that quick overtake.
4. City mode is perfect in my opinion and in Sports mode, it does hold on to the gear bit longer till 3500 to 4000 rpm depending upon the pedal to metal variations.
5. Suspension soaks up all the normal undulations easily and only the big humps or rumble strips make its presence felt which is also within acceptable levels.
6. Love that oak brown leather finish, feels rich and solid as well.
7. Most of the ergonomics are sorted and the driving position was absolutely spot on with the view of both sides of the bonnet.


Accessories Planned:

1. DashCamera, any recommendations?
2. Front Parking Sensors
3. Scuff Plates
4. Mud Flaps and Carpet
5. Harrier Mascot

Will share my observations further once I will get my hands on it.

PS: Even Nexon AT impressed me, not expecting it to be so smooth and jerk-free since it is an AMT unit and the odometer of test drive car was around 10k.

[84.monsoon]

Originally Posted by Highh5

Took a long drive of Harrier XTA Plus and came out really impressed with the way engine +gearbox combo and suspension behaved.

Is the XTA already launched? I know it was planned to be launched to give more options in the Auto range, but didn't realize it was already out there. Even the Harrier official site only shows XMA, XZA and XZA+

[Highh5]

Originally Posted by 84.monsoon

Is the XTA already launched? I know it was planned to be launched to give more options in the Auto range, but didn't realize it was already out there. Even the Harrier official site only shows XMA, XZA and XZA+

You are right, it is XZA plus.

[rags.singh]

Originally Posted by Highh5

Some negative bits/observations:

1. Found electric seat back adjust button broken on the test drive car in less than a year and with just 6.5k on the odometer.
2. Start/Stop button of Nexon as well as Harrier lost it's colour/markings and has a big white patch, looking outright ugly.

7. Puddle lamps not available anymore, available in 2019 model though.

Regarding the first point, I think it reflects more on the dealership than the car itself. TD cars are abused a lot, dealer should keep it in top shape to ensure potential buyers don't go back with a negative impression. In my TD car, all the buttons etc worked perfectly (though there were issues in the actual car that I bought, which got sorted out easily).

Regarding your second point, my theory is that it is because of the excessive use of hand sanitizer which has rubbed the paint off that button. Everyone TDing a vehicle during the last 6 months would be doing with the usage of sanitizer.

Why do you say puddle lamps are missing? All the doors have puddle lamps. Are you referring to the logo projection which was there on the ORVMs?

[fhdowntheline]

Originally Posted by Highh5

Finally took the plunge after test driving Nexon AT, Kicks Turbo MT, and Harrier AT.
Took a long drive of Harrier XZA Plus and came out really impressed with the way engine +gearbox combo and suspension behaved.

Some negative bits/observations:

1. Found electric seat back adjust button broken on the test drive car in less than a year and with just 6.5k on the odometer.
.

Please note that this issue has been pointed earlier too, including me during a test drive. I would suggest you really double check with the dealer about the long term durability of the seat adjustment message . Whats the use of paying a premium for the Plus variant if the key feature is broken?

[abhatt]

Anyone using a car seat in their Harrier? What do I do to ensure I don't harm my leather seats? My car seat seems to have sharp base that I am worried of. My previous car had a seat cover but obviously would not want any in the Harrier.

Car Seat that I have is https://www.amazon.in/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Also, any one using ISOFIX in Harrier? How's the experience?

[Shreyans_Jain]

Originally Posted by abhatt

Anyone using a car seat in their Harrier? What do I do to ensure I don't harm my leather seats? My car seat seems to have sharp base that I am worried of. My previous car had a seat cover but obviously would not want any in the Harrier.

Also, any one using ISOFIX in Harrier? How's the experience?

I’ve got a Chicco car seat (non isofix) that I use in my Hexa and Compass. Does not harm the seat or the faux leather in any way.

[beast_within]

Originally Posted by abhatt

Anyone using a car seat in their Harrier? What do I do to ensure I don't harm my leather seats? My car seat seems to have sharp base that I am worried of. My previous car had a seat cover but obviously would not want any in the Harrier.

Car Seat that I have is https://www.amazon.in/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Also, any one using ISOFIX in Harrier? How's the experience?

I have fixed a seatbelt type LuvLap baby seat and it does have some sharp edges in the base and back. To prevent damage to the seats, I keep the baby seat over a rubber mat. You can use a used Yoga Mat (or something similar) below the seat base and behind the seat back to prevent the damage to leather seats.

[abhatt]

Originally Posted by beast_within

I have fixed a seatbelt type LuvLap baby seat and it does have some sharp edges in the base and back. To prevent damage to the seats, I keep the baby seat over a rubber mat. You can use a used Yoga Mat (or something similar) below the seat base and behind the seat back to prevent the damage to leather seats.

I was planning on a thick towel. It just ruins the look as removing the seat and fixing it every time is an activity i would have loved to ignore.