In addition to Harrier and Safari, Tata’s new 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine could also be used with Jeep Compass and Meridian
In the mid-size SUV segment (4.4m to 4.7m), most of the bestselling SUVs have both petrol and diesel engine options. Tata Harrier and Safari are among the exceptions, which limits their overall sales potential. This gap will be fixed soon, as Tata is gearing up to introduce its brand-new 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine with Harrier and Safari. Let’s get more details on these developments.
Tata 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine details
Tata had unveiled its new 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine at the 2023 Auto Expo. It is part of Tata’s ‘Hyperion’ engine series and utilizes a four-cylinder, direct injection setup. It is estimated that Tata has been developing this engine for over five years. Generating 170 PS and 280 Nm, Tata’s new 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine is expected to get both manual and automatic transmission options. It remains to be seen if the automatic will be a dual-clutch unit or a torque converter.
Before it is introduced with the Harrier and Safari, Tata’s new 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine will debut with the all-new Sierra. The latter is scheduled to be launched on November 25. Sierra will also be getting a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, derived from the new turbo unit. It will be offered with the entry-level variants of Sierra.
This naturally aspirated engine will not be available with Harrier and Safari. With the 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine, Tata Harrier and Safari will become more accessible. It can target a larger market segment. Rivals like Mahindra Scorpio N and XUV700 already enjoy the advantage of having both diesel and petrol engine options.
Tata Harrier is currently available at a starting price of Rs 14 lakh. Whereas the Safari starts at Rs 14.66 lakh. These are the new prices after GST reforms, where prices of Harrier and Safari base variants were reduced by Rs 1,00,000 and Rs 83,700, respectively.
Tata’s 1.5-L turbo petrol for Compass, Meridian
For Harrier and Safari, Tata currently utilizes the Stellantis-sourced 2.0-litre turbo diesel engine. It generates 170 PS and 350 Nm of torque and is offered with transmission options of a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed torque converter automatic. This engine could also be seen with Jeep Compass and MG Hector.
It is manufactured at the Stellantis plant in Ranjangaon, Pune, a joint venture between Tata Motors and Stellantis. It is expected that Tata’s new 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine will be manufactured at the same facility. The new engine could be used with Jeep Compass and Meridian, allowing more options to buyers and improving accessibility. Official details will be revealed soon.
While Jeep Meridian has been a diesel-only model since launch, the Compass was earlier available with a 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine. It was discontinued in 2023 due to stricter emission norms. Tata’s new 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine will unlock similar benefits for Compass and Meridian, as expected with the Harrier and Safari.
