The new Hyperion engine has offered the Tata Harrier petrol option. We test it to determine whether it has the smoothness that the buyers desire and still performs well in the roads.
In 2019 when the Tata Harrier was introduced, the fact that it was diesel only was not a killer. However, as an increasing number of people have turned negative towards diesel engines, provision of a petrol alternative has become a necessity among the segments. The customers are today seeking a balance between performance and refinement; and most will pay more fuel prices to obtain it.
Tata claims that petrol cars are taking almost 30 percent of sales of the high-end SUV market occupied by the Harrier and Safari and the transition is difficult to overlook. To capitalize on the demand, the tata Harrier petrol launch receives Tata’s new 1.5-litre Hyperion turbo-petrol engine, which has just been introduced in the Sierra. Does it, however, perform in a bigger, heavier SUV? We took the time of driving it throughout Delhi to know.
Tata Harrier Petrol: Exterior Design, Engineering 9/10
The petrol is similar on the outside, yet there is a fresh and bold design.
There is not much to distinguish the tata harrier petrol, other than the excellent new Crimson Nitro colour on our test car, and the difference between it and the diesel model. Nevertheless, the 2023 facelift continues to make the Harrier look contemporary. In front, the massive grille has been executed in highly sophisticated detail, and the slender, linked light bar avoids the classic, so-called tubelight effect found on some competitors.
The wheels have been the same – the Fearless Ultra is still with 18-inch black alloys and the top-level Fearless Ultra Red Black upgrades to 19 inch wheels. In the back, it remains normal business and there is no badge to show that it is a petrol version. The clean Harrier script and full-width LED tail-lamps ensure that it remains sharp. The design, in general, is quite presentable yet common, although Tata could have done more by distinguishing it to the diesel and EV versions.
Tata Harrier Petrol Interior Space and Comfort 9/10
The interior is spacious and comfortable, but the ergonomic peculiarities still exist.
Similar to the outside, the interior also preserves the design of the diesel but replaces the dark theme by a lighter one, which was originally introduced in the diesel Safari. The upper dashboard and door panels are done in dark brown with the remainder being trimmed in Oyster white. Silver pinstriped Faux wood and voluminous elements of piano black provide a high end feel to the cabin.
The cabin has not been changed much, and that also implies some inconsistencies and previous ergonomics problems in the cabin. As an illustration, the wireless charger is inconveniently placed behind the terrain mode rotary switch and has no direct access. The display of the 10.25-inch digital driver is of decent size, but it is placed very deep into the dashboard, which makes the small fonts hard to read. Also, the touch screens of the HVAC and features such as hazard lights and door locks are tiny and clumsy particularly on the roads. The knee of the driver tends to scrap against the center console especially when on uneven roads.
Tata Harrier Petrol: Safety and Features 9/10
Installs technology used in the Harrier EV to augment its already amazing features.
The Harrier uses some of the major features of the Harrier EV in its tata harrier petrol version. The most impressive feature is the 14.53-inch Samsung Neo QLED infotainment screen that has a high resolution, vivid colors, and fast responsiveness. It is also compatible with a number of apps and allows you to stream movies and other content during parking. The 10-speaker JBL sound system with Dolby Atmos, which guarantees the high quality of the sound, adds to the experience further.
It has a nice option of the digital rear-view mirror that has a clear feed of the roof-mounted camera that can be used as a built-in dash cam, alongside the front camera. Nevertheless, it possesses certain peculiarities, so to decrease the number of glare, one will need to tilt the mirror upwards, ruining the angle of the front camera. It also provides a 360 view of the camera, but the resolution is not very sharp with the numerous cameras. What will prove useful in the monsoon season is the new front and rear camera washers.
There are also some nice features of the tata Harrier petrol such as the memory powered driver seat that now retains your ORVM positions. The rearview mirror folds down during a reverse but does not eventually go back to its usual position when changing to drive. Other than these updates, the Harrier is as well endowed as the other siblings of the same, the diesel and electric. The display on the 10.25-inch driver also has convenient features such as view of the blind spots and full-screen Google Maps. Some of the outstanding features include ventilated front seats, cooled center console, enormous panoramic sunroof, configurable ambiance lights, voice aid and rear sun shades.
The safety package is not less extensive, and the base Smart has six airbags, ABS with EBD and ESP. Adventure X+ will be equipped with additional ADAS such as adaptive cruise control and four-wheel disc brakes and the Fearless X+ will move to Level 2 ADAS and seven airbags. The ADAS worked effortlessly when we were driving and the car was well centered in the lane without undue interventions. Similar to the diesel equivalent, the Harrier petrol received a 5-star crash safety rating by Bharat NCAP.
Tata Harrier Petrol: Review Performance and Refinement- 8/10
The Hyperion turbo-petrol engine is quite surprising in terms of the power it offers considering its size.
The petrol motor speeds to a relatively low 5,000 rpm and it does not have the mid-range turbo push or top-end rush that some other turbo engines have, yet it does not miss out on performance. It has a good low-end which makes the tata Harrier petrol accelerate with ease. The amount of turbo lag is low and the power delivery is linear. The petrol Safari in a preliminary test registered a credible time of 0-100km/h of 10.5 seconds- that is the lighter Harrier should be a bit faster. The throttle reaction is crisp, with the distinction between the three driving modes being rather minor. The three terrain modes give the vehicle additional traction assistance in case of light off-roading.
The engine is also smooth running with little vibrations along the rev range. Nevertheless, it can be heard at a very low speed, 1,500 rpm or less, without any harshness or roughness, just louder than you would think it would be in a petrol engine. The braking is also assured and prove to be efficient, owing to disc brakes in all the four wheels.
Tata harrier petrol: mileage and efficiency 7/10
Tata boasts about being the most fuel efficient in its category although the records are awaited.
Tata has not announced any official fuel efficiency numbers of the tata Harrier petrol as yet and our test was too short to do it separately. The company boasts a class leading efficiency and even has an India Book of Records certified figure of 25.9 km/l when under controlled circumstances, although not in the real world driving environment. Curiously, in the process of testing, the mean fuel consumption remained the same (8.0 km/l). A complete road test will be done in the near future to ascertain its actual mileage.
Tata Harrier Petrol: Ride Comfort and Handling- 8/10
Ride and stability are excellent, and this is because of the lower kerb weight of the petrol variant.
Traditional Tata, the tata Harrier petrol provides excellent ride just as the diesel version does. The platform it has adapted and uses on its Land Rover gives it a firm and confident feeling on uneven surfaces. Although it is slightly firm even when going through damaged roads, it does not drive into awkwardness. The Harrier is a great long-Distance cruiser on the highway- the damping and body control are excellent. It was rock solid on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, and felt no hesitation in making its mark on rapid turns.
The tata Harrier petrol is said to be 80 kg lower than the diesel, which is likely to improve handling on winding roads, though we did not have an opportunity to test that to the full extent. The body roll was also in good check during some moderately fast cornering and the 235-section tires provided good grip. The electric power steering is amazingly adjusted, and it seems to be light enough, so the SUV does not seem to be that big when travelling at a low speed and becomes heavier as the speed increases, helping to feel confident.
Tata Harrier Petrol: Price, Value, and Verdict -8/10
Good petrol performance does not hamper the essence of the Harrier as it expands its scope.
The tata Harrier petrol-powered model is yet to be priced. The petrol range consists of 8 models with the base Smart version on one end and the new Fearless Ultra and Fearless Ultra Red Dark being the highest specifications in the line up compared to the diesel range which has a top-most version, Fearless+. The petrol Harrier shall be approximately 50000-80000 less expensive than the diesel which we are planning as around 13 lakh to 24.5 lakh.
The tata Harrier petrol is rounded as a package. The fundamental strengths of the company such as great road presence, good ride quality and spacious, feature rich cabin have not been altered but the addition of the petrol powertrain increases its reach. The engine is even more impressive than the displacement as it was able to provide the performance and refinement that the diesel could not match. It still has some ergonomic and software idiosyncrasy, but it does not seriously affect the overall experience. To the non-clocking buyers that do not need to travel a lot to make a diesel worthwhile, the petrol Harrier is a strong alternative in the large SUV market.