Launched on January 23, 2019, Tata Motors’ striking-looking, feature and tech-laden diesel-engined premium five-seater SUV continues to have a fan following but the absence of a petrol engine has impacted sales. Now, there’s the electric avatar of the SUV set to be launched in first-half CY2025 and likely to be followed by a petrol-powered Harrier.
23 Jan 2025 | 2323 Views | By Ajit Dalvi
One day after its sibling, the Altroz premium hatchback turned five years old, the Tata Harrier premium five-seater SUV has turned a year older. Launched on January 23, 2019, the Harrier is the first Tata model to be built on the Land Rover-derived Omega platform, powered by a Fiat-sourced ...
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One day after its sibling, the Altroz premium hatchback turned five years old, the Tata Harrier premium five-seater SUV has turned a year older. Launched on January 23, 2019, the Harrier is the first Tata model to be built on the Land Rover-derived Omega platform, powered by a Fiat-sourced 2-litre, engine, and has sold an estimated 135,313 units in the domestic market.
As per industry wholesales numbers (see data table below), the Tata Harrier’s best fiscal year sales were in FY2023 when it sold 30,635 units, up 5% YoY. However, sales fell 19% in FY2024 to 24,701 units, when it accounted for 6% of Tata Motors’ UV wholesales of 388,418 units. In the first nine months of FY2025, Harrier dispatches of an estimated 14,829 units to dealers are down 15% YoY (April-December 2023: 17,459 units).
Since its launch six years ago, the Harrier's 2.0-litre diesel engine has seen its power upped to 170hp while a petrol engine version is also in the works. The Harrier received a major facelift at the end of 2023, which brought a fresh design, more kit, and an ADAS suite. The Tata Harrier serves as an alternative to a full spectrum of SUVs from the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos to the MG Hector, Mahindra XUV700 and Jeep Compass.
In December 2020, the Harrier (as also the Tata Safari) was the first made-in-India SUV to score a 5-star Bharat NCAP crash test rating (adult occupant protection and child occupant protection).
In its Buyer’s Guide commentary on the Tata Harrier, Autocar India states: “The SUV was always big on show value, but 2023’s update has made the package a lot more complete. The sharper styling is complemented by a nicer interior, there’s a lot more tech now and the new steering makes the Harrier easier to live with in town. On the flip side, the diesel engine still feels gruff (a petrol option is still some time away) and a few ergonomic issues remain.”
With the updates, Tata has addressed many of the Harrier's weaknesses. Available in 25 variants, with pricing starting Rs 15.49 lakh through to Rs 25.89 lakh (ex-showroom India), the Harrier is now a far more complete package and a Tata worth spending big money on.
It is learnt that a petrol-engined Harrier, powered by a brand-new 1.5-litre GDI engine, is in the offing for launch. This variant will give this premium executive SUV much-needed petrol power in a market which is fast moving away from diesel help it take on popular models like the Hyundai Creta, Maruti Grand Vitara, Toyota Hyryder and the Kia Seltos which have a petrol option. But before that, Tata Motors will roll out the Harrier EV.
TATA HARRIER EV LAUNCH IN FIRST-HALF CY2025
One of the biggest new-product reveals at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo – Auto Expo 2025 last week was that of the Tata Harrier EV. The zero-emission Harrier will be the vehicle of change for Tata Motors, which will return to four-wheel-drive SUVs. Speaking to Autocar India, Vivek Srivatsa, Chief Commercial Officer of Tata Passenger Electric Mobility, said: “It's a good time for us to do this [4WD]. For the longest of time, we've been saying there's no business case, but we've seen consumers going towards heart buys again.”
The Harrier EV is based on Tata’s Gen 2 acti.ev architecture and the Land Rover-derived Omega platform used for the ICE Harrier has been heavily modified for electrification. Crucially, electrification has finally allowed an all-wheel drive system (a first for a Tata in several years) on the Harrier with one motor on each axle. While detailed specifications are not available, Tata Motors says the Harrier EV will have 500Nm of peak torque.
According to Srivatsa, the Harrier EV will deliver over 500km of real-world range under Tata Motors’ own range test cycle. The brand calls it the C75 cycle, which is said to be a near-real-world driving range, and 75 percent of owners can expect to achieve this. Tata Motors has confirmed that the Harrier EV will be launched in the first half of 2025.
Like the exterior styling, the Harrier EV carries forward plenty from the diesel-powered sibling. A large 12.3-inch touchscreen takes centre stage on the dashboard and it also gets a touch-based panel for the HVAC controls. The Harrier EV also features vehicle-to-load (V2L) and vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) charging capabilities, new terrain modes, connected car tech, over-the-air updates and cloud-connected telematics.
When it is launched, the Harrier EV will take on a clutch of all-new EVs in the Indian marketplace – the Mahindra BE 6, Hyundai Creta Electric and the Maruti e-Vitara. While Tata Motors is expected to announce the Harrier EV’s pricing around March 2025, expect the price-tag to be in the region o Rs 25 lakh to Rs 30 lakh.
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