Tata Harrier bookings have reportedly commenced for Rs. 50,000 but booking amount refunded by the dealer later – here’s why
Tata Harrier premium SUV has become one the hotly-anticipated launches in the domestic scenes ever since the H5X concept broke covers at the 2018 Auto Expo. While the Impact Design language has been a huge success with the latest array of products, its evolutionary second interpretation is expected to garner more footfalls for Tata Motors as segment-first features and spacious cabin are promised.
The highly successful Hyundai Creta rivalling Harrier is a five-seater that has been brought up along the lines of a brand new Land Rover D8 platform derived OMEGA architecture. The compact SUV will arrive by early 2019 and kickstart the Impact Design 2.0 philosophy taking plenty of design cues from the awe-inspiring H5X concept.
A recent reports emerged on the internet goes on to show that bookings for the Harrier have indeed commenced for an initial refundable token of Rs. 50,000. Part of the Turnaround 2.0 strategy, the monocoque chassis the Harrier is constructed on will enable good off-roading credentials as well. The exterior has butch styling and the rear is as quirky as it can get reminding you of the Land Rover Discovery.
Update: Statement from Tata Motor
“There is a lot of excitement for the Tata Harrier. We have learnt of this incident. The dealer was compelled to take the booking due to the customer insisting on the same, to be among the first owners of the Tata Harrier. We thank our customers for their trust in the brand and we wish to assure them that the Tata Harrier will arrive in India, early in 2019. TML will publicise widely when we officially open bookings for the Harrier. The Company has directed the dealer to refund the entire amount to the customer as the official booking for the Tata Harrier has not yet commenced.”
The Tata Harrier derives power from a Fiat-sourced 2.0-litre Multijet II BSVI-compliant diesel engine, which is good enough to produce a maximum power output of 140 horsepower. The same unit can be found under the bonnet of the Jeep Compass that will act as a main rival to the seven-seater take on the Harrier launching a year later reportedly.
As for the transmission, the Harrier will use a standard six-speed manual and an optional six-speed torque converter automatic sourced from Hyundai as it better suits the characteristics of the engine over the expensive nine-speed unit. The Harrier is expected to be priced between Rs. 12-17 lakh (ex-showroom) and will likely have driving modes pertaining to different surfaces.
It will pack a number of standard safety features along with equipment like large touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, use of premium high quality materials, and driver assistance systems among others.