Essentially the 7-seater version of the popular Tata Harrier, the Gravitas shares quite a lot with its 5-seater sibling while incorporating a few more essentials and making improvements to key areas that were not the Harrier’s strongpoints.
The general aesthetics of the Tata Gravitas remain in line with the Harrier’s Impact 2.0 design philosophy and changes mainly happen towards the rear of the SUV. We have already seen the vehicle in its early avatar as the Tata Buzzard (H7X; the Harrier was the H5X) at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show. The final production model would certainly look different, but not remarkably.
Now, the upcoming flagship Tata product has been spotted in a 6-seater configuration for the very first time. Individual captain seats in the middle row of a 6-seater vehicle generally aid in providing the same comfort and support as the front row. 6-seaters are usually the desirable higher variant(s) to a regular 7-seater offering.
Besides this, the test mule also had disc brakes on all wheels, unlike the Harrier. The interiors were caught on camera in good quality and it seems Tata Motors has decided to ditch the rather weird and unpleasant aircraft-throttle-like handbrake lever for good. In its place rests a cupholder and what looks like buttons for the electronic handbrake and Auto Hold.
The Tata Gravitas will come powered by the familiar 2.0-litre Kryotec diesel power plant (Tata Motors’ derivation of the FCA 2.0 Multijet II engine) in the Harrier, but at a higher state of tune. Reports state that the Gravitas will have an output of around 170bhp and 350Nm, and will most likely be BS6-compliant. The engine would be mated to a 6-speed manual as standard or to a 6-speed torque-converter automatic transmission, sourced from Hyundai.
The Tata Harrier is a front-wheel-drive SUV featuring multiple drive modes to tackle off-road terrains. Certain reports state that the bigger Gravitas will debut with a much-awaited all-wheel-drive (front-wheel-biased) system, complemented by an individual rear suspension setup.
Once launched, the Tata Gravitas will lock horns with the upcoming 6-seater avatar of the MG Hector. It will carry a different name just like the case of the Harrier and Gravitas. Furthermore, the Tata Gravitas could be an affordable, desirable alternative to the likes of the Toyota Fortuner, Ford Endeavour and Mahindra Alturas G4.
Among the loyal customer base of the Indian company, the Tata Gravitas is meant to be a worthy upgrade for owners of the discontinued Safari Storme or its predecessors. Similarly, it will be a more premium choice over the relatively-old Tata Hexa which will be continued in the brand’s product portfolio.
