Tata Harrier EV 2025: should you buy one? #MotorIncView
[music] I have been bowled over by the Harrier EV, which was unexpected. But the bigger surprise there is that I haven’t been bowled over by the exuberance of its performance, which it has, should you call for it. I haven’t been bowled over by the extravagance of its feature list, [music] which is there should you need it. I have been bowled over by the Harrier EV because of the elegance of the machine underneath. To drive and to be driven around in the Harrier EV is classy. It stirred emotions in me which I associate with the OG Safari which was flawed but absolutely majestic. It’s taken a long time, but we finally have a car that can show new generation of drivers what it could and should mean to be a Tata. This Harrier is a special Tata and a special car. But like any other car, it has its flaws, some of which are shared with most modern EVs. [music] There is a compromise in space and comfort in the cabin, which might be a dealbreaker for 6footers. The squishy electronic brakes are an inch away from being a dealbreaker for me. Then there are flaws which are shared with most modern cars. All the additional technology and gimmicks can [music] just get plain annoying. And then there are flaws which are unique to Tata. In this case, [music] the history of Tata because in the days that we’ve had the Harrier EV with us, it has just worked, which is a first in the history of motoring, which makes me happy. But the question nibbles away at you in the background. Is this a one-off or has Tata really solved the reliability issues? Will consistency of quality be [music] at this level now because this has improved? It’s too early to say whether the problem has been fixed [music] or is being fixed. But while that uncertainty remains, I’m going to say consider the Harrier EV closely, especially if you are a driving enthusiast [music] who enjoys the finer points of the cars that you drive. In which case, the compromises here might just be [music] well worth it. The Harrier EV will be worth it because of the performance. It’s not because of the quantity of it, which is a lot and a lot of fun. But more importantly, it’s because of the quality of the performance. It feels expansive. It feels very intelligent because even when it’s pounding outr, it feels silky smooth and so controlled. Which is funny because at first the Harrier EV can feel borderline boring. When you drive it around normally every day, it’ll feel easy and tame. You’ll wonder, is this really a car that has more than 300 horsepower? But under that restraint is a tidal wave of torque that’s sitting patiently. Never will it nudge you to drive harder or faster. But when you choose to put your foot down and hold it there, it’s going to shove out all the torque like that. You can dial up the wildness with sport mode and top it off with the boost mode where the rear will squat, the nose will pick up and it will plow forward. I was laughing through that experience. It is wild. But the intelligence behind all of this is incredible because in just one drive mode city, you can drive easily at low speeds in the city or cruise on highways or have fun with the Harrier EV while remaining silky smooth through it all. This is a special balance that Tata Motors have achieved with the Harrier EV. Now Tata has found the right balance on many fronts with the Harrier EV. Take the regenerative braking for instance. While there still isn’t single pedal drive mode, which means just using the accelerator, you can’t bring the car to a halt. The other region levels, there are three of them. These are well calibrated for use for new EV drivers. Take level one for instance. It’s light regen, which is good for highway use. Then there’s level two, which is stronger and yet smooth enough for everyday city use. Level three is strongest and will be good for bumperto-bumper traffic. And well, that’s that. Anybody can use them. And then there’s the steering, which will feel a bit we at first, but then remember to switch off the lane keeping assist. [music] It still comes on every time you turn the car on. Once you switch it off, you’ll realize this feels light and precise. good [music] to make your way through city traffic and then it has the right kind of weight when you’re covering [music] distances between two cities. So the Harrier EV isn’t just good in one department, it’s good in several ways. The Harrier EV in another way has surprised its suspension setup. It isn’t just enjoyable, it is excellent. Over regular broken roads in the city, it feels wellwitty smooth. Over properly broken roads, it’s unbothered. Its rough road ability is solid, but its suspension works silently. So, in the cabin, you say calm engine. Of course, in the cabin, you will move around a little bit, which is to be expected of a tall SUV with a belly full of batteries, right? Like with the comfort factor, the weight of the batteries isn’t weighing the Harrier down when it comes to the fun factor. The Harrier can be cornered, and it will be fun there. The steering and the suspension work together to make the Harrier feel smaller and lighter than it is. It will feel fun and friendly, which will make you want to drive it even harder. [music] Now, remember that life is full of hard lessons as well. And there’s one I’d like you to [music] avoid. Any large SUV with a large battery pack is a car that’s not to be toyed with. Do not drive it fast and carelessly. Even this Harrier EV [music] on unfamiliar roads. Drive with care. Because if you drive it too hard and land up on loose surfaces or bumpy surfaces, it could slide and move around and it will do so sharply and quickly more than most people will be able to manage. But thankfully, there will be ESP and traction control to help you out, and they will. But these are meant to be safety nets. And as far as possible, I’d suggest stay out of them. And then there are the brakes. There’s one instance it happens just once, but I want to share it with you. Driving in the wet, driving quickly, and breaking hard. The shift from regenerative braking to physical brakes left me without confidence. I’m guessing that the discs, which are plain solid discs, had water on them, so there wasn’t enough stopping power. Every time I break after that and break hard, they worked fine. I know most people will say, “Yeah, so forget about it.” But in a car that’s as big and as powerful and as heavy, I’d keep that [music] in mind in the back of my head. Something that everybody should keep in mind right up front when driving in the city are those brakes again because they feel quite spongy. You have to push them in deep when it comes to emergency braking. It just feels strange. It feels unpredictable and makes you need to learn how to use the brakes in traffic again. This is something that just needs to be fixed. Motoring was also born to fix a problem, the problem of indecision. [music] If you’re stuck in that limbo, head to the motoring app and head to the guide section. Every vehicle that we have tested, cars or bikes, have a home there. You’ll find all the videos that we’ve created from the FAQs to the views and the balances. You’ll find quick and snappy Q&As to help you understand the vehicles better. And I think it will help you fix your problem too. Now, what will we talking about getting fixed on the Harrier EV? But what needs to be fixed? For starters, that boot is high, so loading luggage into it will be a bit more challenging. Also, that boot looks generous because it doesn’t have the passing tray in place. With that in use, the boot space would be as much as in a hatchback, which is not generous for sure, especially for a car that’s as big as this. [music] TA claims a 500 L figure, but that’s with luggage above the seat back height, and that means your rearward vision will be obstructed. And that is why you have the digital IRVM. Talk about making life complicated with EVs, right? The simple fact is that while this isn’t convenient, it isn’t an issue either. The boot space is usable, just not elegant. The Curve EV’s boot is larger and better to store luggage in and just makes the Harrier’s boots look a bit disappointing. Is the back seat a disappointment as well? In one regard, this Harrier EV is better than the Harrier diesel. The sound insulation is just excellent, but it is a bit heartbreaking and I will have to admit the back seat is slightly disappointing. The Harriet Diesel’s back seat is the highlight for me. I would love to spend time there, but because of that raised floor, the support and the chairlike feeling has been [music] reduced. The space under the front seats has been reduced. But for me, at 5′ 6 in, this is still manageable. But for a six-footer, this wouldn’t be the top pick of where to spend [music] time in the Harrier. Actually, scratch that. Dollies, you are better in the back seat because here you’ll have the trifecta of trouble. Long legs, an awkward center console, and a raised floor, which will mean knees that are bumping into stuff, and thighs that are floating above the seat. Mediums like me will be comfortable here, but even I would want the eight-way power adjustable seat that’s available on the lower variants because that will allow you to adjust the seat base angle and that will be better and more enjoyable. It’s a feature I want. Now, the Harrier EV is loaded with features and the ones that I love are the simpler kind. Like in the back seat, the sun shades, those aircraft style headrests, those toe pockets that are beautifully organized. They’re all helpful and tangible. Up front, there are some things which are of the digital variety which I have enjoyed like the JBL sound system, which is good. That large screen is also good. But this digital instrument cluster is well at least placed properly. But some of the things are just not easy to read. This is a familiar miss we’ve seen on other Tatas as well. And there are some other familiar misses like the controls for the air conditioning system which are all in this touch panel. And it just doesn’t feel easy to use. It doesn’t feel like a reflex. You do have a wireless smartphone charger and it works well, but the fan for cooling your phone is loud as well. And while the air conditioning is powerful and you do have ventilated seats, the control for the ventilation function is on the sides, it’s still not been integrated into the main controls. These are all familiar misses. And frankly, this cabin feels all too familiar. It’s just like the Harrier diesel, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but these plastics, this design, it doesn’t feel as modern and as rich as the driving experience of the Harrier Electric. On the outside, it’s the other way around. I like the familiarity. Even more, I like that it’s an EV, but isn’t trying to be flashy. I like that it isn’t desperately trying to get your attention. This design is familiar. It is handsome, but it’s subtly different. This shade of blue looks solid from some angles, but from others it’ll show you this shimmer of purple, which is cool. I like the grill, the lower part, which is elegant. I wish the wheels were more elegant, but that is a step in the right direction. There’s another step in the right direction, and that’s with the sense of quality. The way the panels come together are more consistent, but there’s still work to be done. The plastic surround around the charging port feels flimsy. Those side steps to be able to take your load every time, day in and day out, should also be feeling more solid. You know what is solid on the Harrier EV? It’s range. This is the larger battery pack equipped variant 75 kW hours with the all-wheel drive and in the city in heavy traffic it will manage 350 to 380 km confidently. When you’re cruising at 100 km on the highway it’ll manage between 400 to 430 km in that in between zone that EVs seem to like 40 to 80 km an hour. over 450 km on a charge is done. Now the rear wheel drive only variants will add another 20 30 km of range on top. So not a big difference and yes its rivals from Mahindra will offer larger battery packs and [music] more range. But what the Harrier has is enough for most people. Even its 120 kW DC fast charging ability is good for emergencies. The other day I topped off 125 km of real world range or about 25 kw hours in 15 minutes. Excellent. [music] There’s really a lot to like about the Harrier EV and a lot of it is obvious like its price tag. Its battery capacity and range, its performance, its feature list. But the reason the Harrier EV feels special is because of the not so obvious things. It’s the subtle sensibilities that push it beyond a great price tag and make it a rich experience. It’s thought process that’s created lower variance that are absolutely viable and satisfactory. It’s because of the tuning of the performance that makes it enjoyable and exciting. It’s the suspension that just feels at home. The cabin feels rich because of the quietness, but yes, it has its shortcomings too. The space is crammed for sixfooters and there are the concerns around reliability. Hopefully, Tara will fix those and this won’t torch the Harrier EV’s fortunes and rather light the way up ahead. So, should you buy a Harrier EV? Well, to me, it’s clearly not just an EV. It’s a car, a classy car, and I’d love for you to drive one. But knowing that this is the baseline that every future Tata EV must meet and exceed, the question really comes down to do you want to [music] wait or not?
Is the Harrier EV just another Tata, or is it something quite a bit more?
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Chapters
00:00 Classy
02:29 Performance
05:33 Suspension
07:32 Brakes
08:41 Boot space
10:27 Back seat
11:14 Comfort & features
13:29 Design
14:30 Range
15:43 Verdict
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