Upcoming Tata Harrier SUV undergoes handling tests in new video
Tata Motors has released a new video which shows the upcoming Tata Harrier SUV undergo handling tests at the NATRAX( National Automotive Test Tracks) test track near Indore, Madhya Pradesh. The NATRAX proving ground is the biggest of its kind in Asia, spread across 4,160 acres. The camouflaged Harrier in the video can be seen completing a whole host of tests like a double lane change test and a fish hook test. These manoeuvres are meant to observe a car's behaviour in panic situations where a number of abrupt and destabilising steering inputs are provided.
The exterior design of the production car will follow Tata's Impact Design 2.0 showcased at the 2018 Auto Expo. So, a slimmer front grille and lights, aggressively contoured side profiles, steeply raked roofline and large wheel sizes can be expected. As for the interior, it will have to be the best ever fitted to a Tata car and build on the kind of progress that the firm has been making in this aspect.
Tata Motors recently also revealed a new engine family that will power the upcoming Tata Harrier SUV. The company has already revealed that details of the Land Rover-derived Omega is the architecture of the new SUV, and this reveal now paints a clearer picture of what this new flagship will be like.
The new engine is called the 2.0-litre Kryotec and is derived from FCA's Multijet II motor seen on the Jeep Compass. This four-cylinder, turbocharged motor is expected to produce around 140PS in the 5-seater variant that is set to debut first, the 7-seater Harrier will likely make 170PS.
The new motor will have an electronically controlled variable geometry turbocharger (eVGT) for better responses. The engine has also been adapted to run on varying drive modes via the terrain response system that the Harrier will come equipped with. The engine will be mated to a six-speed manual and a six-speed automatic. The 5-seater should come in the Rs 9 to 12 lakh price bracket.
The production Harrier (previously the H5X concept) will be based on Jaguar Land Rover's entry-level D8 SUV platform, variations of which support cars like the Land Rover Discovery Sport, Jaguar E-Pace and the Range Rover Evoque. Tata's version, called Omega-Arc (Optimal Modular Efficient Global Advanced Architecture), will involve the use of cheaper materials and components to keep costs down.
The Harrier SUV is open to pre-bookings of Rs 30,000 on www.tataharrier.com as well as at Tata dealerships across the country.