One of the most anticipated launches this year, Tata has finally revealed prices for its new five-seat SUV, the Harrier. Thanks to its pricing (Rs 12.69-16.25 lakh), the new SUV from Tata Motors will have rivals spanning two segments, including the likes of the Hyundai Creta at the lower end and the Jeep Compass and Mahindra XUV500 at the upper-end. Here’s a look at how the Tata Harrier compares to the Hyundai Creta, Jeep Compass and Mahindra XUV500 on price:
With its stylish design – courtesy Tata’s Impact Design 2.0 language – and its Land-Rover-derived underpinnings, the Tata Harrier is set to make quite a statement, which is why we’ve pit the new Tata SUV against its rivals, on paper.
Dimensions
Based on the table below, the Harrier is the largest overall SUV here. The Tata is significantly bigger than the Hyundai Creta (the Harrier is 328mm longer, 114mm wider, 76mm taller and has a wheelbase that is 151mm longer) and Jeep Compass (the Harrier is 203mm longer, 76mm wider, 66mm taller, with a 105mm longer wheelbase). However, the Harrier is only slightly larger than the seven-seat XUV500. The Tata sports an advantage of 41mm, 13mm and 4mm over the Mahindra SUV in terms of wheelbase, length and width; and remains shorter than the XUV500 by 79mm. These numbers indicate that the new Tata Harrier could have segment-leading interior room.
Since the Harrier is larger than its rivals, it is also expectedly one of the heaviest of the four. While the Creta is the lightest in this comparison, the XUV500 is the heaviest. It should be noted that the Compass and the XUV500 both get optional AWD, which adds to their respective kerb weights. While the Harrier does share a lot of its design with the H5X Concept SUV, the wheels on the production model have been, understandably, toned down to 17-inchers in the interest of ride comfort. In comparison, the Creta has the smallest rims with the thinnest tread while the XUV500 has the thickest rubber and the largest wheels.
Powertrain
Tata has elected to launch the Harrier with a single engine-gearbox combination. Interestingly, this Fiat-sourced powertrain combo makes less in the Harrier (140hp/350Nm) than in the Compass (173hp/350Nm). The Creta’s diesel engine has the smallest displacement and, correspondingly, has the lowest output figures here. The Mahindra XUV500’s 2.2-litre engine is the largest, which reflects the higher torque output as compared to its rivals. All four SUVs here get a 6-speed manual transmission as standard.
It is worth noting that the other SUVs get multiple engine-transmission options – the Creta also comes with a 1.6-litre diesel-automatic, a 1.4-litre diesel-manual set-ups as well as a 1.6-litre petrol engine with manual and automatic gearbox options on offer; the Compass is also on offer with a 163hp, 1.4-litre turbo-petrol mill mated to either a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Mahindra has equipped the XUV500 with a petrol-AT combination, and also offered a 6-speed automatic transmission with the diesel engine. At launch, the Tata will have neither an automatic gearbox, nor a petrol motor.
Features
All the SUVs in this comparison sport six airbags, touchscreen infotainment systems, automatic climate control and leather upholstery in their respective top-spec variants. The Harrier’s infotainment screen is the largest at 8.8 inches, closely followed by the Compass’ 8.4-inch touchscreen (in top-spec Limited Plus trim only). While Hyundai and Mahindra have installed 7.0-inch units on their SUVs, the infotainment systems come with navigation as standard – a feature that the other two rivals miss out on. All SUVs in this comparison, barring the Creta, are equipped with traction control. The Compass is the only model here that benefits from dual-zone climate control and a panoramic sunroof, although the XUV500 and Creta do come with smaller sunroofs.
Price
Thanks to the Harrier's starting price of Rs 12.69 lakh, its price tag undercuts that of the Jeep Compass by nearly Rs 4 lakh. However, the diesel-manual variants of the XUV500 start at a similar price point while the 1.6-litre diesel Creta’s price is about Rs 70,000 above the Tata’s. Based on its features and the expected roominess of the cabin and its price, the Tata Harrier comes across as a very serious competitor in its segment. A proper road test and comparison will be required before a proper verdict can be made. However, on paper, it seems like the Harrier is quite a compelling buy.
Rivan RS 
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Uday Singh
Suraj Viswanathan
