Tata Harrier.ev review: So close and yet so far from hitting the mark | Auto News

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With Harrier.ev, Tata does have a market that is comparatively less occupied and with a lot to play with, it does come close to making the EV off-road segment exciting.

Tata Harrier.ev

New Delhi: As the EV market in India begins to grow, more and more manufacturers are finding segments to occupy and place their products. However, there is one segment that has been thought of less until now. As EVs gained prominence, Tata Motors effectively captured the market, whether with the Nexon or the Curvv. They have managed to cater to a wide range of consumers.

With the Tata Harrier.ev, the company is filling the blanks of the off-roading SUV market that has been less explored, though not completely unoccupied. The ICE Harrier sees direct competition from the likes of the Jeep Compass and the MG Hector. In the competition, none of the EVs have off-roading credentials. On paper, it is a quad-wheel drive SUV, with a massive boot space, off-roading capability and all the modern goodies you can think of and some more. While Tata hits the right spots on many aspects, it still falls short by inches. 

How Tata Harrier.ev looks different from the outside?

Tata Harrier.ev retains its familiar look

On the outside, the Harrier.ev carries some obvious changes from the normal ICE version. There is the obvious closed grill, the EV badging, aero-friendly alloy wheels, along with a revised front bumper. Harrier.ev though carries the LED connect daytime running lights, vertical headlight units, sharp rear light bar, and roof spoiler with an integrated stop lamp.

Harrier.ev colour options are less than the ICE version, having just Nainital Nocturne, Matte Stealth Black, Pristine White, Pure Grey and Empowered Oxide. On the outside, the Harrier.ev is 2mm longer and 22mm taller than the ICE version and the diesel, but the wheelbase remains the same at 2,741 mm. By the looks, it has the same stance and the looks are likeable as well. 

Tata Harrier.ev interior

The steering is chunky and quite responsive  

It is on the inside that Tata really gets on their stride with certain things but misses the mark on a couple of things. There’s the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless smartphone charger and 10-speaker JBL system, which has Dolby Atmos support. The Harrier.ev has a 14.53-inch infotainment screen on top of a dual-tone dashboard, which is a Samsung Neo QLED display, which delivers good quality of picture and touch response. It looks brilliant within the dashboard and feels the perfect size.

Then there is the 10.25-inch digital driver’s display and a four-spoke steering wheel with the Tata logo that only allows you to hold it in the ten and two position. The steering buttons get in the way at times. Just like most modern cars, the Harrier.ev too is buttonless with the dashboard. The centre console has a touch-based HVAC control panel, which can be a bane to operate. Plus it feels too cluttered and commanding is tough. We even faced a glitch where it stopped responding, although Tata have said it could be car-specific. The boot space is very decent at 502 litres. 

Tata Harrier.ev boot is quite spacious

Further, you get things like powered boss mode for the second row, ambient lighting, ventilated and powered front seats, powered tailgate, four drive modes which are Eco, City, Sport and Boost, all-digital rearview mirror that can turn into a regular mirror, and auto park assist. There is a rotary selector for six driving terrains, which include Normal, Snow/Grass, Rock Crawl, Custom, Mud-Ruts and Sand.

You get six driving terrains

Like most modern Tata Motors products, it gets a 540-degree surround camera which is quite handy in operating such a massive car from tight spots. They also have give DrivePay feature which eliminates the requirement of a mobile for FASTag and EV charging payment points. 

All of this is great but it just falls short of giving the premium feeling. For example, the sun visor feels like an aftermarket addition, and the window hasn’t been sewn properly. The carbon fibre placed right below the infotainment is mismatched, and the soft touch is given in parts where the hands won’t be resting. There is a drift mode given that doesn’t really work quite that well either. The cabin insulation, though, is perfect, and you can hear nothing on the inside.

Tata Harrier.ev safety features

The Harrier.ev safety is a level apart, coming with six airbags as standard and seven in the higher trims, 360-degree camera, built-in dashcam, blind spot monitor, electronic stability control (ESC) and the lot. The Level 2 ADAS has been tailored to the Indian roads as well. In a segment first, all the cameras can provide feed and is amazing, especially during off-road driving. 

Driving the Harrier.ev Empowered QWD 75

The cabin is quite airy

Getting the nice keyfob to the Quad-wheel drive Tata Harrier.ev, we got a glimpse into the 75 kWh battery and not the RWD Harrier.ev. While the RWD produces 238 bhp and 315 Nm, the 75 kWh AWD gets 313 bhp and 504 Nm. The 75 kWh trim AWD has an ARAI 622 km range, and the RWD has an ARAI 627 km, while the 65 kWh can go up to ARAI 538 kms. Having not driven the car economically at all, I feel the range we generated was quite impressive.

It is a seriously off-road car with a multi-link suspension setup in the rear with frequency-dependent dampers for a better off-road driving experience, and it does quite well. 

How living with the Tata Harrier.ev would look like?

It can even be set at low-speed cruise control of 5 kph even and along with more of these goodies, the Harrier.ev gives you that confidence to take it to harsh conditions. The dual-motor technology in this produces 158 PS in the front and 238 PS at the back and has a torque of 504 Nm that lets it go 0-100 kph in 6.3 seconds. As an EV, it does have a neck-snapping pickup, getting all the power from absolute nothing. You get a 3.3 kWh AC charger as standard, and buyers also have an option of 7.2 kW AC fast charger at Rs 49,000 extra.

The 7.2 kW AC charger can take the Harrier.ev from 10-100 per cent in just 10.7 hours, while the 120 kW DC fast charging can take the Harrier.ev from 20-80 per cent in 25 minutes.

Driving it is quite smooth, and the chunky steering wheel does lend you a lot more confidence in operating it in sharp bends. It is always alive and taking it to high speed feels natural. The throttle is quite responsive, and there is no lag. It does manage to put the sport back in the SUV. 

Ride and Handling

The suspension is stiff on occasions, although the ride quality overall is quite smooth. For its size, the cornering at high speed has almost no rollover feeling to it. It is good for long-distance, giving less feeling of tiredness over a long duration. 

Braking

The brakes are quite well done in the Harrier. They seem to be alert, which gives you the confidence to take the higher speed. It comes with Disc brakes on all four wheels, featuring Independent Brake Control for consistent braking performance and increased stability. The auto hold is quite a handy feature as well when operating in traffic.

Tata Harrier.ev: Verdict

Tata Harrier.ev drive

With the world travelling towards green power and whatnot, the Harrier.ev does hit the major spots quite well. Despite its size, it is quite handy in the city and manages well with its superbly responsive throttle and braking. Coming from years of driving quite powerful diesel SUVs, the Harrier.ev does provide a fresh perspective in terms of driving. Imagining a big SUV even operating as an EV was quite hard to imagine a few years ago, but Tata have done it and a commendable job on having an EV off-road SUV.

However, it is again the basics that Tata misses. For example, the rear AC vents are placed at the side by the door panel, and it does take some time to cool and has no control at the back. I would prefer it in the centre by the foot, like most big SUVs today have. Further, the soft touches could have found themselves in the door panels, where usually one would rest their hand instead of the front dashboard.

The drift mode is an unnecessary addition as no one really thinks about drifting and SUVs. Plus it is a gimmick to a lot extent as the ESC catches you and the tail doesn’t slide properly. This is a catch-24 moment because there is no way to close it because of safety concerns. In my view, it isn’t really required of a proper off-roader. 

As an off-roader, the Tata Harrier.ev ticks almost every box

For years, I have admired the Tata Harrier as an SUV, and getting it in EV does mean that many of its direct competition would go to the drawing board immediately and find themselves competing. With more people coming to this segment as their second buy, having already a luxury vehicle at their disposal, there is a benchmark that Tata has to meet. 

Mechanically, there is nothing I would have against it, and it’s fun to drive. The steering is responsive and has a good feel to it, the brakes are alert and the driving position is good and gives a good view of the road forward. The cabin too is quite airy. While on the ICE versions, there may be cars that edge past it, it does make a case for itself as an EV.

Roheen Ghosh

Roheen is an enthusiast for all things sports and motoring. He regularly follows football and cricket and immerses himself in the tactical intricacies of the game and keeps his eye on the automotive industry’s development.

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