Tata Motors have finally announced the production name of its H5X SUV for the domestic market as the ‘Harrier’ expected to be launched by the end of this year. The five-seat version will compete against the likes of Hyundai Creta, while the seven-seater could debut within a year after the former’s arrival and it will take on Jeep Compass, Mahindra XUV500 and Hyundai Tucson.
The Harrier is based on the L550 platform of the Land Rover Discovery Sport with necessary changes to keep the costs down by replacing expensive aluminium bits. Moreover, the design influence of the luxury crossover on the Tata SUV is huge with a sporty overall masculine profile accentuating its appeal.
Majority of the styling seen on the H5X Concept will be retained and is the first production model to incorporate Impact 2.0 design language, which is an evolutionary form of what has been witnessed on the latest Tata vehicles. It is also expected to share wheelbase with the Discovery Sport, along with having independent suspension on all four wheels.
The premium SUV will be powered by the Fiat-sourced 2.0-litre Multijet diesel engine which is good enough to produce a maximum power output of 140 hp on the five-seat version and the seven-seat will likely develop 20 more horses. Transmission duties will be handled by six-speed manual or ZF-sourced automatic.
Two wheel drive system will be offered as standard while top-end variants could adopt an in-house developed 4WD system. With multiple driving modes, the SUV will boast credible off-roading performance as well. Tata’s recent crop of vehicles such as Tiago, Nexon and Hexa are on a different league compared to the erstwhile models sold in India.
The premium SUV will be the shining beacon of them all in terms of technology and premium stature, and is expected to provide the brand the credit it deserves on the recent major overhaul. Last month, Tata Motors became the third largest automaker in the country in volume sales by beating Honda and Mahindra.