Tata Motors Harrier

What to know about the Harrier

The Harrier is the car you buy when long distances are the real specification. The 2.0-litre diesel makes 170 bhp and 350 Nm across a plateau that starts at 1500 rpm, which means a loaded car with five aboard and the air conditioning working can pass a convoy on a state highway in sixth with nothing more dramatic than a firm press of the throttle. The tall, upright shape looks imposing parked, and the ride soaks up broken tarmac in a way that makes the last hour of a 600 km day feel like the second.

The rest of the case is substance rather than spectacle. A five-star Global NCAP adult score with six airbags standard underpins everything, the 425-litre boot takes a family’s luggage without folding anything, and the cabin is broad and durable in the manner of a car that expects a decade of service. A turbo-petrol exists in the wider range, but this record is the diesel, because the diesel is what the Harrier is actually for; the automatic is a conventional converter that suits the car’s temperament far better than a clutchless city gearbox would.

The costs are physical and financial. At 4,605 mm long and 1,842 mm wide it treats flat-column parking as a negotiation, the steering never quite hides the vehicle’s weight in a tight turn, and the equipment gap to same-money petrol SUVs is visible the moment you look at the infotainment. Claimed 16 kmpl shrinks to 11-12 with the throttle opened the way the torque invites. For a family that actually uses highways, none of that is a deal-breaker; for a city-first buyer, the petrol alternatives will serve better.

• 350 Nm diesel torque plateau from 1500 rpm
• Five-star GNCAP adult score, six airbags standard
• 425-litre boot and all-day highway comfort