Tata Harrier uses a new moniker for international markets as it has been showcased in Geneva with ‘Tata Buzzard Sport’ name
Tata Motors is using the show floor at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show to display the Harrier premium SUV for the European markets. The Harrier, as we know, holds plenty of important for the brand’s domestic as well as international sales aspiration and showcasing it at the Swiss motoring exhibition is one way of gathering attention.
The homegrown automaker could sell the Harrier in global markets like United Kingdom and Spain alongside other developing countries. It carries a different moniker altogether, as the Buzzard Sport nameplate differentiates it from the Indian model and it will be exported from the brand’s Pune plant.
Amidst much anticipation and months of speculation, Tata introduced the Harrier in January 2019 with a commendable starting price of Rs. 12.69 lakh for the base XE. Sold in a total of four variants, the Harrier has its mid-spec XM costing Rs. 13.75 lakh, XT at Rs 14.95 lakh and the top-of-the-line XZ at Rs. 16.25 lakh (all prices, ex-showroom Mumbai).
Tata has positioned the Harrier aggressively in the domestic market against main rivals such as Hyundai Creta, Jeep Compass and Nissan Kicks considering the equipment it provides. It derives design influence from the H5X concept that debuted at the 2018 Auto Expo leading to huge expectations in the first place.
The Harrier is underpinned by the OMEGA (Optimal Modular Efficient Global Advanced) architecture, which is derived from Land Rover’s D8 responsible for over a million SUVs worldwide including Discover Sport. In fact, it shares the same wheelbase with the popular Land Rover luxury SUV.
The five-seater measures 4,598 mm long, 1,894 mm wide, and stands 1,706 mm tall with wheelbase of 2,741 mm and 205 mm ground clearance. The Harrier aka Buzzard Sport has bootspace capacity of 425 litres while the fuel tank can hold 50 litres. It is powered by a 2.0-litre Kryotec diesel engine producing 140 PS and 350 Nm and is mated only to a six-speed manual transmission.
The impressive interior finish is topped off by 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system. It supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto while the seven-inch semi-digital instrument cluster is another manor highlight besides JBL audio, auto headlamps, leather seat upholstery, automatic climate control, six airbags, ABS with EBD, hill hold and hill descent function, corner stability control, rollover mitigation, etc.