Tata Harrier or Hyundai Creta, Which is Faster?

With the launch of Harrier, Tata managed to put a concept into production in just an year, and the new SUV from Indian maker has already become a public favorite. At around 6 months, the waiting period to buy a Harrier is going through the roof, and the same can be said about the sales of the SUV as well. Harrier not only competes with Mahindra XUV500, but the top models of Hyundai Creta as well. So a speed comparison between newly launched Tata Harrier and Hyundai Creta 1.6 is only natural. Let us take a look and see how the Tata Harrier with its bigger engine fares against long-time segment bestseller Hyundai Creta.

The comparison states that newly launched Harrier managed the naught to ton figure in 12.11 seconds. Meanwhile, Hyundai Creta 1.6 (diesel model) clocked the same 0-100 figure in mere 10.83 seconds. This goes on to show that in a real world speed scenario, the South Korean maker’s Creta is faster than Harrier SUV. However, once we delve deeper into the test we find that the in rolling acceleration (or pick-up) department, Tata Harrier pulled up to 80 kmph from 20 kmph in 7.2 seconds. The time taken by Hyundai Creta to do the same was 7.93 seconds, thereby making Tata Harrier the quicker one here. Taking another parameter where the two rivals were made to go 100 kmph from 40 kmph, we find that Harrier emerges as the quicker car again as the Tata SUV took 11.38 seconds and the South Korean maker’s SUV could only do it in 13.58 seconds.

Talking about the engine of the Tata Harrier, the new SUV comes only in a diesel variant with the customers getting a Fiat-sourced 2L MultiJet diesel engine under the hood. Renamed as KRYOTEC by Tata, the engine is rated for 140 PS and 350 Nm. The engine on Tata SUV currently comes equipped only with a 6-speed manual gearbox. Taking a look at Hyundai Creta, the car here is powered by a 1.6L diesel motor rated for 128 PS and 260 Nm. The Hyundai SUV comes with a 6-speed manual as standard but the company also offers the option of a 6-speed automatic gearbox with their SUV.

As far as the analysis of the above result is concerned, Harrier (1,675 Kg) is quite heavier as compared to Creta (1,398 Kg), and this is the reason why it gets a slow start leading to a longer 0-100 time. The tables are turned once it comes to rolling acceleration as the comparatively powerful engine of Harrier puts it at advantage and the results show the same. However, the weight once again comes into play when the braking distance is measured. Due to the extra weight, Harrier has a greater momentum and takes 28.49 meters to stop from a speed of 80 kmph whereas the lighter Creta takes only 26.75 meters. The same distance from a speed of 100 kmph for Harrier is 45.70 meters while the Creta stops at a distance of 43.43 meters.

Tata Harrier competes with the likes of Mahindra XUV500 and Hyundai Creta in the market. Prices for Harrier begin at Rs. 12.69 lakh and the Hyundai Creta 1.6 (diesel model) featured in this test is priced at Rs. 13.59 lakh (all prices ex-showroom, Delhi). The initial response for Harrier has been very good, and only time will tell how Harrier performs in the market once the initial numbers stabilize.