Arriving in the market with a bang, Tata Harrier has not only managed to garner enough public interest, but its affordable pricing starting at Rs. 12.69 lakh, ex-showroom, Delhi has troubled rivals as well. Tat took the expertise from Land Rover and tweaked JLR’s D8 platform keeping India in mind and applied it brilliantly to Harrier. However, the imposing presence of Harrier on the roads cannot be attributed to the platform alone, Tata’s new IMPACT 2.0 design and dimensions of the SUV too deserve proper credit. With the internet awash with photos comparing Harrier’s look and presence to a whole lot of vehicles in the segment, what happens when Tata’s new SUV is pitted against luxury stalwarts like Audi Q7 and Land Rover Range Rover Evoque? Let’s find out.
Straight off the bat let us first acknowledge that Tata Harrier is still relatively new in the market. While the general populace in India is not used to seeing Land Rovers and Audis as a common sight, they are not exactly rare, definitely not as rare as the Harrier! The rarity of the vehicle can be attributed to its recent launch, but combine this with Harrier’s futuristic and unique looks, and the absence of the Tata badge can easily lead people to believe Harrier to be a luxury import.
Coming down to numbers, the dimensions of Tata Harrier go 4598x1894x1714 mm in length, width and height respectively. Then comes Land Rover Range Rover Evoque that is 4,371mm long, 1,996 mm wide, and 1,649 mm high. At last comes the Audi Q7 with the dimensions of 5,052 mm in length, 1,968 mm in width and 1,740 mm in height. We find that Tata Harrier is longer and taller than the Land Rover, and gives the German SUV a run for its money.
As mentioned earlier, Tata Harrier’s modern and futuristic design make it kind of a unique car on the road for now. Especially the positioning of headlights and LED DRLs give this SUV a look quite distinct when compared to other vehicles present in the market. With a close contest in dimensions, Tata Harrier takes home the game in pricing as Land Rover Range Rover Evoque comes at the price of Rs. 52 lakhs and Audi Q7 at Rs. 74 lakh.
Such distinct looks at a relatively affordable rate gives Tata Harrier a definite edge here. A larger 7-seater version of Harrier known as Buzzard is also making way to India. While the Harrier lacks features such as 4x4 or AWD or even customer friendly features such as sunroof, subsequent versions of the SUV should take care of that. As of now, Tata Harrier with its distinct looks and a 140 PS-350 Nm 2.0 liter diesel engine possesses enough caliber to trouble rivals in segment.