Tata Motors is getting ready to launch petrol version of Harrier and Safari later this year
A few years ago, two words, petrol and SUVs didn’t make a lot of sense together. Most SUVs of the Indian market were diesel powered and in fact had even led the dieselization wave back in early 2010s. However, post the introduction of BS6 norms, things have changed considerably.
Large, chunky SUVs too now get petrol engines as an option. The petrol motor is not just available as a good to have option in the spec sheet, the petrol units actually command a decent share of overall sales of these models too.
2022 Tata Safar / Harrier Petrol SUV
The midsize SUV segment was dominated by diesel motors but now most manufacturers have been offering petrol engine options as well. Even companies like Mahindra which had their specialization in diesel have come up with petrol motors which have been powering their new range of cars, including the Thar and the XUV700.
Tata Motors seems to have been missing out in action in the petrol department of this segment, however things are expected to change very soon. Tata Motors has been working on a new petrol engine for Harrier and Safari SUVs. 2022 Tata Safari petrol has been spied undisguised with emission testing equipment attached at the rear. The spy shots were clicked near the company plant in Pune.
Tata’s Harrier and Safari, both draw power from diesel guzzlers but miss out on the petrol engine options. Recent spyshots of Tata Safari and Harrier suggest that Tata is testing a new petrol engine for its mid sized SUVs. This could be a 1.5 litre turbocharged petrol motor which could dish out approx 150 hp and 250 Nm of peak torque. Transmission options could include a 6-speed MT and a 6-speed AT. Same gearboxes which are offered on the diesel version of the vehicles.
We don’t think that the petrol versions of the Harrier or Safari will look any different than their diesel counterparts. At most, there could be a different badge on the boot lid suggesting that the unit is petrol powered.
Features and Price
In terms of features again, no changes are expected. Creature comfort features should include an 8.8 inch touchscreen infotainment system which would be compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a panoramic sunroof, rain sensing wipers, LED headlamps, a semi digital instrument console and much more.
The current prices of the Harrier range starts at INR 14.49 lakhs and go all the way up to INR 21.34 lakhs. On the other hand, Safari’s prices start around INR 14.99 lakhs and go up till INR 23.2 lakhs (ex-showroom prices). With the introduction of a petrol engine option, the starting price of the two models could fall by around INR 1 lakh.
This should further help Tata Motors to increase the number of interested customers walking into its dealer showrooms. With just diesel engine, Harrier + Safari sales are the highest in the segment which includes XUV700 and Hector / Hector Plus.
Expected Launch
It would be difficult to comment upon the exact launch timeline of these petrol powered options. However, it is fair to assume that they could get introduced sometime later this year. Apart from these petrol powered models, Tata is also working upon bringing in CNG powered versions of its cars like Punch, Nexon and Altroz.
Tata Tiago and Tigor CNG versions were recently launched. They are also working on launching an updated Nexon Electric with larger battery in April 2022. The introduction of multiple fuel options would diversify Tata’s portfolio and hence it will be able to attract a larger audience.
