At this point, everyone in India is familiar with Tata Harrier SUV, known for its dominating road presence and its brutish appeal. This is one of India’s best-selling D Segment SUVs in India and the company has just launched an electric version of it. Called Harrier EV, this electric flagship SUV has created quite a buzz in the Indian automotive market ever since it has been launched.
Harrier EV is expected to set a precedent for being the most performant D Segment SUV as it is the only mainstream EV in India to come with dual-motor AWD drivetrain that the company is calling QWD (Quad Wheel Drive). After experiencing Harrier EV at the national media drive, here’s what we think about this flagship electric SUV from Tata Motors.
Tata Harrier EV First Drive Review
Where design is concerned, Harrier EV is an adaptation of Harrier ICE and retains about 90% of its aesthetics. Changes specific to Harrier EV come from an EV specific fascia with a closed-off top grille with horizontal lines and a functional lower grille with vertical lines, as opposed to cascading type grille design on Harrier ICE. Also new, are the aerodynamic alloy wheels on Harrier EV.
One might also notice the new rear camera in shark-fin antenna for the new digital IRVM. A new circular key fob and the NFC key card offered with Harrier EV, EV specific badges and new exterior colour options are notable too. Other than that, there are no real changes to Harrier EV’s design and it carries forward a dominating stature.
Where pricing is concerned, Harrier EV starts from Rs 21.49 lakh (Ex-sh), which is more affordable than Harrier ICE. We say this because Harrier EV starts from Adventure trim and Harrier Diesel Adventure AT starts from Rs 22.45 lakh (Ex-sh). On top of it, all Harrier ICE variants are FWD, but Harrier EV is RWD as standard.
The New Features
Everything new with Harrier EV apart from powertrains, can be cornered to features and equipment as design differences are so few. We have to start with the new key. Or keys, if we may, as there are three new ways to unlock Harrier EV. First is a new circular key fob, which has various functions including horn, lights, electric tailgate and summon mode. 2nd is a key card which needs to be tapped on NFC points on right B pillar and ahead of front centre armrest.
Then, there’s a digital key which you can store in a phone’s digital wallet. This feature is in the works and will be rolled out in the next three to four months and was not available at the time of testing. Tata’s iRA app has a lot of functionalities too, which will be made available with Play Store and App Store soon. We could not experience iRA app as our test car was set up with someone else’s number to which access OTPs were sent. Owners are likely to have a streamlined experience.
The new 14.52-inch infotainment screen packs a Neo QLED screen from Samsung. Owing to its QLED technology it has dimming zones like in a Samsung QLED TV, offering inky blacks with high contrast. It has a visual pop that distinguishes it from other TFT touchscreens. Instrumentation screen is still the same and it continues to offer a host of information including full screen map and ADAS related functions.
There’s a new digital IRVM with front DVR function and smartphone app support. It records from front and rear cameras and can be switched off and it somewhat functions like a regular IRVM. Front camera is on a ball head and can be adjusted, but rear camera is fixed. There’s an SD card with loop recording and there’s even a function to have both front and rear view side by side.
At Quad Day event, Tata demonstrated self park feature, which required specific markings on the road to work properly. That’s where the park anywhere feature comes into play which lets you select any spot in any orientation that the system deems doable and then will drive itself to that selected spot in the selected orientation without any driver assistance. It works even when driver selects a spot and just leaves the car to do its thing.
Other notable features include the Zenith suite with en electric Boss Mode, 65W fast charging USB Type-C ports for rear occupants, winged comfort headrests and more. The 540-degree camera integrates underbody camera too, offering a transparent bonnet feature. Carried over from Harrier ICE are the leatherette upholstery, panoramic sunroof, LED headlights with LED welcome and goodbye animations, cornering function and more.
Specs & Powertrain
The variant we drove was the top-spec Empowered QWD 75 with dual motor drivetrain and equipped with a large 75 kWh battery pack. This 75 kWh battery pack promises a range of 622 km on a single charge (MIDC). Front motor on this QWD variant is rated at 158 PS and rear motor is rated at 238 PS, with a peak combined torque output of 504 Nm.
When asked, the company engineers mentioned that quoting a peak combined horsepower for Harrier EV doesn’t make a lot of sense, but it is a little over 300 bhp. This 75 kWh battery supports DC fast charging of up to 120 kW too and then AC charging is capped at 7.2 kW. The battery is capable of V2L (Vehicle to Load) and V2V (Vehicle to Vehicle) functions too.
Drive & Performance
After experiencing the Harrier EV at Quad Day event held at Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida, there’s very few doubts about the vehicle’s off-roading prowess in conditions demonstrated by Tata Motors. However, we drove Harrier EV QWD on real-world roads for the very first time and we were impressed by the experience.
For starters, Harrier EV continues to offer a commanding view of the road making you feel like you’re sitting on a throne. Bonnet was easily visible for me (182 cm tall) even when I took seat height all the way down. Driver’s seat is electrically operated with memory function and the steering wheel is adjustable for reach and height, making it easier for drivers of most body compositions to find their optimum driving position.
Harrier EV becomes the first Tata Motors offering to feature rear independent suspension after Indica and Nano. There’s frequency dependent dampers in the system too and they promise to offer an optimum balance between driving dynamics and comfort. We were interested to find out just how well Harrier EV gets this balance right. We’re happy to report that the ride quality for as expected from a sophisticated system Harrier EV packs.
Ride quality is supple with impressive bump absorption. Even if you are tackling speed bumps from an angle, Harrier EV doesn’t lose composure like Harrier ICE as both rear suspension acts independently to each other. Carrying speeds over bumps also gave positive assurance and confidence as the large 19-inch tyres do a great job of towering over them.
If you are pushing the vehicle hard around corners, Harrier EV’s new sophisticated suspension does a good job, but it does not feel sporty. Which is a good thing, if you ask us. There’s some body roll and occupants will be tossed around a little on fast corners, but overall experience is a couple of notches above than the dynamics of its ICE counterpart.
Performance is brisk and acceleration is instantaneous, especially in Sports and Boost modes. Tata Motors claims 0-100 km/h sprint in 6.3 seconds in Boost Mode with QWD variants. In our testing, we found out that one can recreate this acceleration figure with relative ease. Considering Harrier EV weighs over 2.3 tonnes, the braking performance is impressive as there was commendable stopping power. While the initial bite could have been stronger, the progression was quite nice.
Some Reservations & Conclusion
While there are no apparent issues with the Tata Harrier EV, we would have liked it if it had a little more features. For starters, there could have been a HUD for selective info in the driver’s peripheral vision. We wished Tata offered a more robust rear seat experience with rear ventilated seats and a BYOD solution. However, our biggest gripe with Harrier EV are the little niggles that persist. They’re not deal breakers, but are yet to be ironed out.
Regardless, Tata Harrier EV continues to be one heck of a package that cannot be glanced over. It is a dominating vehicle in electric D SUV segment and it is the only one that comes with a dual motor layout. It is the most performant in its segment and it is the only one to pack a serious off-road pedigree as well. If you’re in the market for an electric D SUV, Tata Harrier EV should be pretty high up your list.
