Tata Harrier has received dual-tone colour options officially in India and they do not accompany any mechanical changes
Earlier last month, Tata Motors hiked the prices of the Harrier across the entire range by just over Rs. 30,000 as the entry-level XE costs Rs. 13 lakh from Rs. 12.69 lakh since it was launched in January 2019. The XM variant, on the other hand, is priced at Rs. 14.06 lakh and the XT at Rs. 15.26 lakh and the top-of-the-line XZ at Rs. 16.56 lakh (all prices, ex-showroom New Delhi).
The price increase comes on the back of the newly arrived MG Hector while the Kia Seltos is bound for end-August. The Harrier has certainly endured good reception from customers but the ever-shifting nature of the mid-size SUV segment due to increased affinity of the buyers have led to more new competitors coming in, as the Hector and Seltos have more on offer in the realms of technology comparatively.
The Indian manufacturer has been selling its latest crop of vehicles with dual-tone colour choices and perhaps it would have come as a surprise for many to not see them adorned on the highly appealing Harrier right from the get-go. Tata has now added dual-tone shade in the Orcus White and Calisto Copper colour officially to enable more buying options to the customers – both with a black painted roof.
Priced at Rs. 16.76 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi), the dual-tone Harrier variant is just Rs. 12,000 cheaper than the range-topping Hector. It is offered only in the top-spec XZ grade and costs about Rs. 20,000 more than the comparative single-tone variant.
Tata sold more than 9,000 units of the Harrier thus far in its five months of presence in the market while the more powerful BSVI compliant version is also being readied for arrival probably towards the end of this year. It will likely develop 170 PS to match the power output of Hector and Compass.
Moreover, a six-speed torque converter automatic unit sourced from Hyundai could be coupled with the existing 2.0-litre Kryotec engine to further expand the range and a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine will join the lineup later. Later this year, Tata will launch the seven-seater Harrier that debuted at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show under Buzzard nameplate and it will rival the seven-seater Hector launching before April 2020.
Tata is reportedly working on a Hyundai Creta rival that will sit below the Harrier and the top-selling Nexon. Internally called the Blackbird, it is said to be based on the ALFA (Agile Light Flexible Advanced) platform that will premiere in the Altroz hatchback.
The Altroz is the second Tata model to boast Impact Design 2.0 styling philosophy following the Harrier and it will go on sale in the coming months to take on Maruti Suzuki Baleno, Hyundai Elite i20, Volkswagen Polo and Honda Jazz.