The seven-seater Tata Harrier, which was showcased as the Buzzard at the Geneva Motor Show 2019, will launch in India as Tata Gravitas at upcoming Auto Expo 2020
Earlier this year, Tata Motors showcased the seven-seater version of the Harrier as the Tata Buzzard Geneva Edition at the Geneva Motor Show 2019. It was revealed back at the public debut of this new SUV that it would launch in India under a new nameplate.
Now, finally, the homegrown auto maker has revealed the market name of its upcoming SUV to be the Tata Gravitas. The Tata Gravitas will become the third of many upcoming Tata cars that are planned to launch next year. The first model in this list is the Tata Altroz, which will become the logical successor of the Bolt and will go on to rival the Maruti Baleno and Hyundai Elite i20.
The second new model coming our way before the launch of the 7-seater Harrier is the Nexon EV, which will launch merely days after the introduction of the Altroz. Visually, the Tata Gravitas will have a lot in common with the Harrier.
In fact, the two models will look similar till the C-pillar, after which the 7-seater model gets a different pair of fenders, new hatch-gate, new tail-lamps and other new panels. Also, the Gravitas has a raised rear roof to free up more headspace for the occupants in the third row.
Powering the Tata Gravitas will be a re-tuned version of the 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel engine that powers the Harrier. For the 7-seater SUV, the motor will deliver a higher power of 170 hp that will be available with two transmission options – 6-speed manual and 6-speed automatic.
Unlike what was being speculated, the company has decided to offer a Hyundai-sourced 6-speed automatic unit instead of the 9-speed auto unit available on the Compass Trailhawk. This should keep the retail price of the Tata Gravitas from being too high.
The same engine and auto transmission combination from the Tata Gravitas will even make it to the Harrier. Other than this, both the SUVs could even get optional 4WD systems. The new 7-seater SUV will become the flagship model in the company’s lineup and could cost over lakh rupees more than comparable variants of the Harrier. It will rival models like the Jeep Compass along with top-end variants of MG Hector and Mahindra XUV500.