[janakiram_m]

Greetings BHPians ! This here is our first SUV, #Dark Harrier. I was a bit skeptical creating this thread as the primary user for the vehicle is my father and because of that I won't be able to update this thread regularly. I've tried to compile all aspects and make this unbiased. Hope you enjoy.

What we like:

• Great looking SUV with phenomenal road presence.
• Sturdy build quality and safety.
• 2.0 l diesel engine has sufficient punch with 350nm of torque.
• Spacious interiors and storage.
• Ground Clearance of 205mm.
• Chiller Aircon.
• Manageable service and part costs.

What we don't like:

• Safety features such as ESP, TC, ISOFIX anchorages omitted for lower variants
• Steering feels twitchy at high speeds.
• Huge ORVMs and C-Pillars create dangerous blind spots.
• Tata service quality is still a gamble (no issues yet).
• Scratchy plastics at certain places.
• 30hp less as compared to Compass, Hector and BS6 version.
• Reverse camera image quality.

Link to Team-BHP Official Reviews:

2019 Harrier (2019 Tata Harrier : Official Review)

2020 Harrier (2020 Tata Harrier Automatic : Official Review)

[janakiram_m]

Index:

Need, Requirements and Delivery

Exterior

Interior

Infotainment

Engine and Drivability

Other Points

[janakiram_m]

Need, Requirements and Delivery

Our Carbon Steel VW Polo 1.5 TDI Comfortline was nearing 5 years of age and we were on the lookout for an SUV to replace it. The car is mainly used by my father for his work travel. To put the usage figures in perspective, Polo had done 95,xxx km in 5 years. SUV was preferred due to the higher sitting position and easy ingress/egress. Diesel was the preferred option obviously. We were not particular about automatics because city driving was literally non-existent.

My father driving our beloved Polo.

The year was 2019 and it was one of the most exciting years for the SUV lovers, Kia debuted with the runaway success Seltos, MG introduced their portfolio with the feature loaded Hector. There was nothing but praise for both the SUVs. There were records being broken about launch day bookings, bookings in first month etc. All this while, our very own Tata was sulking in the corner with their troubled but equally competent product, the Harrier. They have themselves to blame for hurrying and poorly executing the launch.

But even still, this SUV was a looker. My father was smitten by it at first glance itself. So much so that he was not even considering any other models. I had done some research and knew about the QC issues and tried introducing him to Seltos or MG, but to no avail. But there was one catch even my father was tensed about, the price. Our budget was strictly 15 lacs and there was no way we can keep both Polo and buy the Harrier. I say this because both me and my brother were in need for a car and we were eyeing the Polo ever since plans of buying new car came to be. But considering the budget issue and age of the car, we made up our mind to exchange the Polo.

XM was barebones in features and XZ was out of budget. So in November, when Tata was offering some great discounts we booked the XT Dark variant. Since we had bargained hard with the prices, the SA was reluctant to give out any accessories as freebies. But he promised us the basics i.e Mats, Mudflaps and Vinyl flooring. We did the mistake of taking delivery of the vehicle before all the mentioned freebies were made available. Only mats, that too rubber generic type, was given. But the SA was polite enough and told us straight he had maxed on discounts on our case and he will try his best. After 1 month, he got us the Vinyl Flooring done. The final prices were as follows:

Ex-Showroom...............15,50,269
Road Tax.......................2,51,339
Insurance.........................59,922
TP+Fastag............................755
TCS.................................15,503

Gross price..................18,77,788

Corp Discount..................(5,000)
Exchange Bonus.............(50,000)
Polo Value...................(3,80,000)

Net price.....................14,42,788

On the Delivery Day, ready to crush those lemons:


Harrier has done close to 15,000km as of now and would have been close to 20,000km if it weren’t for the pandemic. This won’t be the usual ownership thread as the car’s primary user is my father and my usage is limited (till now ). So here are the ownership impressions.

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[janakiram_m]

Exterior

Dark Editions of Harrier are finished in 'Atlas Black' color. The front looks macho and intimidating. The whole front fascia looks tightly packed which sort of mask the real size of the car in pictures. Thick wheel arches and white DRLs makes the face look smug. The left ORVM is a bit tucked in as compared to the right. Looks like a cute puppy with one ear bent. More like a Rottweiler in this case.


Here’s the slightly angled Left ORVM.


And here’s the right one. They have welcome function, electrically adjustable and before I forget to mention, HUGE in size.


The bottom skid plate has been given the dark treatment. It's silver for non-dark variants. Later in BS6 all variants came with black skid plates.


The headlights consist of Projector Low Beam, Reflective High Beam and Fog Lights. The whole HL assembly is placed on the bumper.


The headlight cover protrudes out and designed to look like it was carved out from the car.


Zoom in on the projector housing and you can see a mighty lion engraved. There's another design of a lioness and her cubs on the rear windshield.


The white LED DRLs double up as turn indicators and looks awesome.


Grille design is Range Rover inspired and looks great but a pain to clean.


The bonnet is almost flat and when in the driving position you get to see the long bonnet in front of you. Feels like you are driving a big truck which the Harrier actually is.


Flat type wipers does thier job without fault. Washers are concealed.


The side profile has the prominent wheel arches but the wheels fill them quite well. The fuel filler cap is on the right side same as the Polo, a deviation from the Indian norm. B-Pillar finished in black. The chrome strip that runs the whole length of the car evens out the black monotony.



Plastic cladding runs around the car. Door handles are the contemporary pull types. The black request sensor for keyless entry is available only on the driver’s side. The slot to pry open is situated under the cap.


The only labelling for the Dark Edition is this badge here on the front quarter panels. Both sides have them.



17” rims are finished in grey/almost black. They blend in with the plastic cladding of the car. Good decision by Tata to not giving it Atlas Black. Discs brakes at the front and drum at the rear. The calipers are actually silver colored, brake dust makes them look greyish.


Rear is tapered at the top. The relatively small glass makes it look even narrower. Tata and Harrier badges look prominent. Faux exhaust cut outs can be seen.


Reverse Camera is placed above the number plate, partially tucked under the Tata badge. Camera could've been better integrated. The boot open button is placed dead center under the Tata badge.


Being the XT variant, we missed out on the rear fog lights. A rubber cap with a mesh design has been provided in that place. It does the job of not being ugly.


Rear skid plate finished in black. Spare wheel stored underneath the vehicle.


LED bar for the rear park light. Indicator, reverse and brake lights are normal bulbs.


Rear wash, wipe and defogger provided. HMSL is LED but looks generic and wash nozzle sits plush into the spoiler only because it's black.



Again the taillight protrudes a bit and looks similar to a stone stuck to an ornament. Deviation from the usual flush fitting taillights. Looks like Pratap Bose sculpted the taillights from the silhouette clay model and thought it looked good. Yes it does.

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[janakiram_m]

Interior

The black treatment continues into the interior. The prominent ones being the dashboard finish in grey and the steering accents. Chromium finish carried over for the side air vents, the floating ICE housing and the Tata badge. Please excuse the plastic covers being retained, I have reminded my father several times but he just says “Let it be.”


The seats are comfortable and are a black fabric finish rather than black leather finish as in the XZ variant. The beaded seat cushion, if I can call it that, is from the Polo days. If you are okay with back of your shirt looking like surface of a golf ball, these are a comfortable option for you.


Seats have sufficient side support. We also got the lumbar support feature, Tata deleted it on BS6 XT variants.


Steering wheel gets music and voice command controls on the left and cruise control buttons on the right side. It is chubby and comfortable to hold. Rake and reach adjustment lets you set it to the optimum position. Being XT , leather cover was missed. Classic centre horn pad for that full palm angry honking . But the horn is literally just “Meh.” sounding for a car this big. Also the horn pad is made of scratchy plastic which is a turnoff for a car costing nearly 19lacs.


Plenty of storage provided for your masks and sanitizers. Rubber lining helps to eliminate rattles of coins and other items. You get two cup holders, one slot for the key (multi drive mode selector in top variants) and a wide enough space towards the front to store the phones.


The infamous USB and Aux input.


Gear lever boot is a bit thick for my liking. Dark treatment on the gear lever also. Unconventional handbrake will need a few days to get used to. The gloss finish on the handbrake will scratch easily if you wear rings.


Dark theme again on the centre grab handle design element.


Dash top material is plastic but soft to the touch. The matte color helps to eliminate reflections on the windscreen. Advertised as 'Nappa Grain Top Layer' by Tata.


Instead of the oak finish that runs in the normal XT variant, you get this light grey one. Again please excuse the plastics.


Armrest is very small and you arm will touch it only when you pull up the hand brake.


But it is very useful as a storage area with cooling function and a 12V socket. There is a cutout to route your cables into or out of the armrest storage. The receptor for the keyless system is under the armrest storage. If the key fob battery is running low, placing it in this storage is advised.


Driver side gets illuminated window switches for all doors. One touch down and up capability is there. Like on all doors, fabric lining where you rest the elbows. Perforated leather door handles missed out being XT.


In each of the front doors there's one large and one small bottle holder. Third one is for your umbrella.


Front cabin lights have reading light capability for each side. Theatre dimming effect is standard. Light is a white bright LED. Sunglass holder with felt lining is adjacent to the unit.


Illuminated glovebox is not large when compared to cubby spaces provided elsewhere in the vehicle. Strangely it's not cooled. My 7 lac Tiago has this and the centre armrest gets one too. IMO a design flaw and lost opportunity in the feature list.



Keyless entry meant the conventional keyhole to be covered up. Looks ugly. Some better piece of plastic could've been used to make it sit flush with the existing part.


Driver side sun visor does not get even a receipt holder. Passenger sun visor gets airbag warning sticker only. XZ variant gets illuminated vanity mirror on passenger side. Vanity mirror without illumination would have given product differentiation and added some value for the XT variant.


Rear seats are truly business class level. You get loads of legroom, thigh support, armrest with cup holders and adjustable headrests. Travel at the rear and you’ll be spoilt for the space of offer. IMO for the manual transmission Harrier, the scale is very tilted to towards to it being a chauffeur driven car rather than a driver's car.



Rear AC vents are on the B Pillar which is a refreshing change from the usual middle mounted ones. AC is highly effective as is with all Tatas. Even if the temperature is set at 27 degrees, you’ll feel like its 24. Is something wrong with the solar sensor? Hope not!


On the downside the whole dark theme works against the perception of space on offer if viewed from outside. Rear windows becomes narrower as it follows the sloping design. The hump on the rear floor is high and wide. Middle passenger will experience slight discomfort. There is a USB charging slot under the middle storage space. It's almost impossible to notice.


Cubby spaces include the phone storage space at the center. A phone pad and large bottle holders on the doors.


Most of the people will need to put in some muscle to close the rear door. There's soft fabric where you rest your elbows. Illuminated window switches and door handle levers are finished in chrome. Perforated leather grab handles missed out on the XT variant. Notice the maximum roll down position of the window glass.


Rear also gets dome light with the same functionality as at the front. They are bright and useful. Notice the narrowing windows.



Boot space is more than generous for our use. Absence of a loading lip will eat into litre capacity on paper but very practical. You can slide things right in. Boot lights are not LEDs. There is a small storage under the boot floor to keep crude items such as dusters or brushes. XZ variants got an extra woofer on the left side in the boot.

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[janakiram_m]

Infotainment

In-Car Entertainment

Infotainment system is a 7” display on the floating dash top with 4 speakers and 4 tweeters. The UI is same as the current gen Tata cars. The floating top looks sort of awkward with only 7” filling it. Large bezels look ugly. On the upside the 8.8” system doesn’t fill as much either, not much lost I guess. But the top variant gets JBL acoustic tuned speaker setup and an extra subwoofer with amplifier in the boot.

In terms of functionality, you get Android Auto/Apple Carplay, Bluetooth connectivity, Radio, Aux and USB. The sound quality is great. The thick doors and silent cabin lets you enjoy its capabilities to the full.


One quirky thing I noticed is the theme presets, Zen, Zing and Zeal. One custom theme is also available.


Drivenext by Tata rates your driving.


There is an interesting option in the AC functions page, a single tap on the Max icon makes the blower go to speed 7 and re-circulation off, highly effective when the cabin is hot after an open parking under the sun.


Reverse camera can be turned on without engaging the reverse gear. Image quality is rubbish and not acceptable on a 19 lac car. Wide, zoom modes are there but I don't see any purpose with this image quality.


Quality at night is even worse. The guidelines are static.


There are physical buttons provided for most of the functions. The rotary knob on the right is very useful to switch between options on the screen. The left knob is for volume control and power off/on. But you won’t bother about that because of the steering mounted controls.

There is only one blank button on the centre fascia which is used for rear fog light in top variants. Sport mode, Eco mode, Hazard light and Fog lamp buttons are placed in the middle of the centre. To the bottom there’s the AC controls. IMO a rotary knob for the fan speed would have looked and functioned much better.

Multi Information Display

XT variants gets the 4 inch display instead of the digital Instrument cluster in the XZ variants. Dials do the full sweep.


As information you get DTE, Trip A and Trip B. Other information includes coolant temperature, fuel level, instant fuel efficiency and the odometer reading.

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[janakiram_m]

Engine and Drivability

Engine

Powering the SUV is the BS4 version of Kryotec 2.0L Turbocharged Diesel Engine. The detuned version produces 138 hp instead of 168hp peak power and 350nm peak torque. This tune is sufficient for the SUV as you get the same torque and driving an SUV to squeeze out hps is never intended.


Slotting into gear with the slightly long throw shifter gives a mechanical feel (in a good way). Release the clutch and the harrier moves forward and settles at 10kmph in 1st gear. There is that classic diesel clatter/grunt to the engine. No other sounds penetrate the cabin. On casual driving, shifting points will be mostly in the 2000-2500 rpm range. By keeping up with this rpm you can easily cruise at triple digit speeds in 6th gear. On a daily use perspective, the sixth gear is never used. Quick overtakes are easy and the engine responds fairly well. Engine does not like to be pushed beyond 3000rpm.

All the above is under City mode. It’s the default mode when you’re starting up the car. Every time you switch off the car, the mode gets reset to City mode. Other two options available are Eco and Sport. Push the Eco button from City and suddenly you feel like the engine went into limp mode. A noticeable change in engine noise and the A-pedal becomes the laziest object. Put your foot down and there’s only engine noise increasing without any considerable power output. Eco mode is best when you’re in cruise control. IMO Eco mode is counterproductive as you’ll be burying the A pedal more that what is required and it sort of negates the efficiency it intends to deliver.

Switch to sport mode on the other hand and the throttle response is sharp and harrier is always on its toes to jump at every input. You’ll feel this only if you switch to sports from any of the other modes. Overtaking is much easier than city mode and eons better than Eco mode. You won’t necessarily use Sports in daily usage. City is the most preferable and sports on spirited highway drives.

Drivability

Body roll is surprisingly minimal for a 1.7 tonne behemoth. I think this is because suspension is very slightly tuned to the firmer side. Chassis is from the well tested D8 platform from Land Rover. You will notice the proud declaration of that in fact each time you get in.

Since we don’t have the DEF tank, the GC is at 205 mm compared to the BS6 version’s 182 mm. 17 inch wheels with 235/65 section Goodyear wrangler tires have sufficient ride quality. After nearly 15k kms on them, the tread wear is acceptable.

Steering is bit heavy by 2020 standards. There more than required play for the steering when the vehicle attains speed. Steering is heavy in slow speeds and weighs well when gaining speed but the twitching feeling is always there.
Braking is surprisingly excellent considering the weight and dimensions of the vehicle. The absence of disc brakes at back is never questioned. But there is nosediving under quick braking and lurching in quick launches. This is expected because of the dimensions.

You get a commanding view of the road. Visible bonnet adds to the driving character of the vehicle.


The huge ORVMs need special mention because of the blindspots they create.
Here's the left one:


And the dangerous right one. You will miss dividers, on coming traffic at T-junctions and even motorcyclists vanish behind them. Frantic neck workouts are a sure case in city driving.


The C/D Pillar area is thick, that combined with the miniscule rear quarter glass makes the view when reversing and in those awkward Y-junctions a leap of faith.


Rear windshield is tiny compared to all other glass areas. The tapered rear with the rear beltline protruding makes the windshield sloping also. The result is very comical form over function example.


A-B-C Pedals are evenly spaced out. Dead pedal is a bit narrow than what we would have liked. Its use was further hindered when the thick vinyl flooring was installed.


IRVM night mode is manual. Thanks to the tiny rear windshield, instances of you using the night mode is minimal.

Noise, Vibration and Harshness

Noise levels are low except for the engine sound. Wind, tyre and all other outside noises are kept at bay. Even this large insulation couldn't keep the engine noise down.


Tata should have taken a note from MG regarding engine bay tidiness. It would have improved the engine NVH levels.

(pic courtesy: TBHP Official Review)

On start up cabin shake is minimal. Vibrations are felt on the gear lever but not intrusive enough to cause discomfort. Aircon blower volume starts being loud from level 3 onwards. Glass and door panels are thick enough so that you need to roll down the windows to hear the person outside properly even if they are shouting. Regular Indian potholes and gutters does not penetrate either through sound or harshness.

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[janakiram_m]

Other Points

1. Other Convenience Features available.
   1. Keyless Entry - Push Button Start.
      Works like a charm. Put the keys in your pocket and you're good to go. Safe and convenient. Two step start is recommended. The start button lights up in amber in first step and green in the next.
      
   2. Fully Automatic Temperature Control
   3. Rain Sensing Wipers- Works in almost all instances. Sometimes the intermittent speed might be slow or in some cases more than necessary. Not a deal breaker.
   4. Auto Headlamps- No complaints here, works like it was intended to.
   5. Cruise Control - Can set speeds from 60 kmph onwards. It can resume from as low as 30kmph. Being a noisy engine, you can hear/feel the cruise engaging-disengaging the throttle to maintain the set speed.
2. As for safety features, there's airbags for the driver and co-driver and ABS wit EBD system as standard. Tata kept all the other essential safety features exclusive to the top variant(till BS6 launch). But get the same strength from the D8 platform and build quality by Tata. Here's the list of safety items we missed out on:
   1. 4 Extra Airbags
   2. Hill Hold Control
   3. Hill Descent Control
   4. Roll Over Mitigation
   5. Electronic Stability Program
   6. Electronic Traction Control
   7. ISOFIX Anchor points
3. Fuel efficiency on MID is averaging 15kmpl for the last year. My father doesn’t do the tank to tank and as per his calculations, expect 16 kmpl on highways and 14kmpl on regular runs. The car doesn’t see any city traffic and so we cannot comment on its fuel efficiency.
   
4. Exterior panel gaps are a bit large for my liking but they are uniform. This is the only panel unevenness I noticed where the door meets the dashboard. Same panel gap was noticed in the official review. My Tiago has the same issue as well. Tata can’t seem to perfect this spot. QC issues perhaps.
   
   
   Left side is okay with panels sitting flush with each other.
   
   
5. Tata was offering 2 year standard and 2 year extended warranty on its models in 2019. Extended warranty upto 5 years was introduced in 2020 and we took it at Rs.26,180/-
   
6. First Service was competed on 12-Dec-2019. Cost NIL. Odometer read 1319 km.
   
   Second Service completed on 21-05-2020. Cost Rs.85. Odometer read 7990 km.
   
   Third Service is due and is booked. TMSC app shows an estimate at 7,xxx/- rs.
   
   WA/WB was done on 8,3xx km, 13,6xx km.
   
7. Rear right tail light broke in sometime February. Father was reversing when he hit a tree branch which was overhung right at the C/D Pillar blind spot. Neither the parking sensors nor reverse camera could save the vehicle. The taillight is made of two parts, one on the rear hatch and one on the rear quarter panel. He enquired at the nearby TASS and they said the lights comes as a single unit and quoted ~7,000 Rs. Pandemic struck soon after and the repair was postponed. I enquired at two TASSs and the showroom from where we took delivery of the vehicle got me the part at Rs.2,850/-. I bought it and replaced the damaged part later at another TASS near our hometown.
   
8. There were no accessories bought when taking delivery of the vehicle. Later, carpet mats and Mudflaps were bought. Mats cost Rs.3120 and the Mudflap Rs.1080. IMO Mudflaps are a must. Mud and grit comes off easily from metal, but not so easily from plastic. The side claddings were a pain to clean before. Highly recommended.
   
   
9. Scuff plates proudly declaring the heritage.
   
   
10. I bought my Tiago in March 2020. The sole reason Tiago was considered in my shortlist was Harrier. Feels strange how a single competent product like Harrier changed my whole perception about Tata.
    

Thanks for reading!

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[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[justwheels]

Many congratulations for the beast. It indeed looks menacing in the dark edition. Nice detailed review.

Indeed Tata has come a long way from the Indica days and products speak for themselves. And it is great that customers like you are putting their faith in the company.

I just loved the pic of your red Tiago with the black beast. That's like two to tango from Tata. It's testament to building a brand loyalty. Wish you many miles of happy ownership with the beast. Keep the thread updated.

[Reinhard]

Originally Posted by janakiram_m

Greetings BHPians ! This here is our first SUV, #Dark Harrier. I was a bit skeptical creating this thread as the primary user for the vehicle is my father and because of that I won't be able to update this thread regularly. I've tried to compile all aspects and make this unbiased. Hope you enjoy.

Wow - a very detailed thread. And you bet - I did enjoy reading it. One of the better things since morning! Rated it well deserved 5 stars.

You've really put a lot of effort in tidying it up, in getting the little details & photos & even the structure of the thread is really pro. Excellent coverage of little aspects of the car that hardly any media house / publication / YouTube review would give. I'd say this one is right up there with the TBHP official review on detailing & quality. Most importantly - Authenticity & honest opinions. White is white & Black is black. No greys. Fittingly - its a review of the #Dark edition!

Wish your father & family happy & safe miles with one of the really brawny steeds on our roads. If there is one thing that gives the creeps as well as goosebumps on our highways - its the sight of a fast approaching Harrier in the IRVM. And the same wishes for the Tiago too. One of the better looking as well as safe cars in its segment too. Nice colour there. Lovely combination of Black & Red in the garage. Perhaps that gave Tata the hint for the red+black 2020 Harrier shade!

[Tachyonites]

Great review and congratulations for the Harrier!

The looks of it are irresistible especially in this dark edition. Tata is doing a marvelous job with its cars these days.
It feels good to see Tata launching many new cars that are really a step-up over the old cars.

A very well written review, it looked like a typical Team-BHP review. Wishing you and your family a very happy and hassle-free ownership of this wonderful beast.

Thanks.

[chieftain]

Love the review but just wanted to mention that your numberplate is clearly decipherable in some pictures despite the pixellation. Unless that is edited, then carry on

[CEF_Beasts]

Congratulations to you for your black beast!

One of the most competent and understated car in its segment! The more harrier’s I see and read ownership reviews about the more I like the car. Tata has really nailed it in terms of the design of the Harrier. Good to see our home grown brand Mahindra and Tata moving goalposts with every car they launch, be it the Thar or the upcoming XUV500 and the Harrier, Altroz, Tiago and Nexons.

Wishing you unlimited happy kilometres on this wonderful car.

[vdi]

Nice review there.

Kerala is fast becoming a DARK EDITION territory. There are so many out here. Good to see people are finally appreciating a good product.