September 2022 - Tata Harrier Diesel Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

Updated: This update of the Tata Harrier diesel variants explained article includes the details about the Kaziranga edition and the latest prices of the Tata Harrier.

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What Are The Pros And Cons Of Tata Harrier Diesel?

The pros or advantages of Tata Harrier diesel are:

• Best-in-class ground clearance of 205mm
• The only car in its segment with official mileage figures and a diesel-automatic powertrain
• Gets features like multiple drive modes and terrain modes
• Automatic transmission is available in all variants except in XT and XE variants
• Choice of 4 unique interior themes — regular, Dark, Kaziranga and Jet
• Choice of getting the fairly loaded XZ variant without the sunroof

The Tata Harrier diesel has the following shortcomings or problems:

• Overpriced XM and XT variants and stripped XE and XM variants; in fact, over the base XE variant, none of the higher trims justify the incremental cost with features
• No petrol engine option
• Multi-terrain modes in a front-wheel drive, monocoque car has questionable efficacy and usability
• Missing features like 360-degree camera, head-up display, rear defogger, TPMS and ADAS
• Including the dark, dual-tone and Kaziranga, there are just too many variants, which could create a lot of confusion for a potential customer

What Is The Price Of Tata Harrier Diesel Variants?

The Tata Harrier is available in 5 main variants — XE, XM, XT, XZ and XZ Plus. all of these variants are available with a diesel-manual powertrain. In addition, the Harrier also gets variants like Dark, dual-tone and Kaziranga with exclusive cosmetic features. These are otherwise based on one of the main variants. The ex-showroom prices of the 2022 Tata Harrier diesel-manual range start at Rs. 14.53 lakh and go up to Rs. 20.47 lakh.

Except for the XE and XT variants, all other variants get the option of a 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission as well. The automatic transmission is Rs. 1.30 lakh more expensive than similarly equipped manual transmission variants. Only the XZ Plus Dark automatic is a little more expensive and costs about Rs. 1.35 lakh more than the XZA Plus Dark manual. The Harrier automatic variants cost between Rs. 17.23 lakh and Rs. 21.81 lakh.

You can use our Fuel Cost Calculator to see how much any petrol, diesel or CNG car will cost to run based on the latest fuel price in your city.

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Tata Harrier Diesel XE - Base Model Features & Review

The base XE variant of the Tata Harrier diesel costs Rs. 14.70 lakh (ex-showroom) and is only available with a manual transmission. The most notable features of the Harrier XE are:

• Halogen reflector headlamps
• All power windows
• Dual-function DRLs
• 16-inch steel wheels
• Tilt and telescopic steering
• Front armrest
• Electronic stability control
• Hill start assist
• Traction control
• Internally-adjustable outside mirrors

For the price and segment of the Harrier, the base variant is missing several must-have features like:

• Touchscreen music system
• Fog lamps
• Projector headlamps
• Steering-mounted controls
• Power mirrors (must-have for a wide car)
• Height adjustable driver seat
• Auto AC
• Remote central locking
• Split rear seatback

With so many features missing in the base XE variant of a car, we can’t recommend anyone to buy this variant. It’s even more disappointing to see that a car costing Rs. 14.70 lakh (ex-showroom) is missing these features.

Tata Harrier Diesel XE vs XM Variant - Price, Feature Comparison

The XM variant costs Rs. 16.10 lakh and it’s Rs. 1.40 lakh more expensive than the base model. With the automatic, the XM costs Rs. 17.40 lakh (ex-showroom). For the additional cost, it adds the following notable features:

• 7-inch touchscreen
• Steering-mounted controls
• Height-adjustable driver seat
• Remote central locking
• Follow me headlamps
• Rear washer wiper
• Power mirrors
• Projector headlamps
• Fog lamps

While it offers some must-have and some good-to-have features, it still doesn't offer following features we expect from a Rs. 16.0 lakh SUV:

• Android Auto
• Apple Carplay
• Cruise control
• Alloy wheels
• Rear armrest
• Auto AC
• Keyless entry with push-button start/stop
• Rear camera
• Small sunroof
• Split rear seatback

Considering the Rs. 1.40 lakh price gap, the list of additional features is too short while also missing several features. So, we can’t recommend the XM variant either for Harrier manual as well as automatic buyers. This is also the most affordable Harrier variant with an automatic transmission. The XMA is Rs. 1.30 lakh more expensive than the XM diesel-manual powertrain. This price gap between the manual and automatic variants is consistent across all variants of the Harrier and it’s a bit higher than the usual Rs. 1.0 lakh we have come to expect for TC, CVT and DCT automatics.

Tata Harrier Diesel XM vs XMS Variant - Price, Feature Comparison

The Tata Harrier XMS variant is the next in line with an ex-showroom price of Rs. 17.21 lakh with the manual and Rs. 18.51 lakh with the automatic. This variant is Rs. 1.11 lakh pricier than the lower XM variant.

It adds the following notable features:

• Android Auto
• Apple Carplay
• Panoramic sunroof
• Power folding mirrors
• Auto wipers
• Auto headlamps
• Rear camera

Even in this variant, you may miss features like:

• Cruise control
• Aitp AC
• Alloy wheels
• Rear armrest
• Keyless entry with push-button start/stop
• Split rear seatback

The XMS variant mostly gets good-to-have features and it better justifies the incremental price gap over the lower variants because of some of these high-value features. It doesn’t have several must-have features. So, for better feature balance, you should consider a higher variant. However, if you’re interested in an affordable variant of the Harrier, then we can safely recommend the XMS variant as it at least offers a good value for money.

Tata Harrier Diesel XMS vs XT & XT Plus Variants - Price, Feature Comparison

The Tata Harrier XT variant is the next in line with an ex-showroom price of Rs. 17.40 lakh This variant is only available with a manual transmission and costs Rs. 19,400 more than the XMS manual. The higher XT Plus variant adds a few extra features for Rs. 80,000 and costs Rs. 18.20 lakh with the manual and Rs. 19.50 lakh with the automatic.

The XT variant adds the following notable features:

• 17-inch alloy wheels
• Cruise control
• Driver lumbar adjustment
• Auto AC
• Air purifier
• Rear armrest
• Soft-touch dashboard
• Keyless entry with push-button start/stop

The XT variant loses the panoramic sunroof, which is available in the lower XMS as well as the higher XT Plus variants.

If you don’t care about a sunroof, then the XT is a decent option, although it is not available with the automatic transmission. The XT Plus variant is also a good option for buyers who want a balanced feature set without spending too much money for the XZ or XZ Plus variant. On the value front, the XT Plus is on par with the XMS. The XT Plus variant earns our top recommendation because of its balanced features and high value-for-money score.

Tata Harrier Diesel XT Plus vs XZ, XZS & XZ Plus Variant - Price, Feature Comparison

The Harrier XZ variant costs Rs. 60,000 more over the XT Plus with an ex-showroom price of Rs. 18.80 lakh with the manual and Rs. 20.10 lakh with the automatic.

For the higher asking price, the XZ variant adds the following notable features over the XT Plus variant:

• Panoramic sunroof (Removed from XZ, available in XT Plus and XZS)
• ISOFIX
• Hill descent control
• JBL sound system with subwoofer
• Larger touchscreen
• Leather steering and gear knob
• Colour LCD instrument cluster
• Wireless Android Auto and Apple Carplay
• +4x airbags
• Brown antenna
• HID projector headlamps
• Split rear seatback

We’ve bundled the XZS and XZ Plus variants also in this section to make it easy for you to identify important differences between these variants. They also largely get similar upgrades with only a few feature differences. The XZS costs Rs. 1.20 lakh more than the XZ and the XZ Plus adds another Rs. 40,000 to the ex-showroom price tag of the XZS variant.

The XZS variant adds the following features over the XZ:

• Auto-dimming inside mirror
• Power driver seat
• Panoramic sunroof

The XZ Plus offers the following additional features over the XZS:

• Ventilated front seats
• Machined alloy wheels
• Telematics

Most of these features are good-to-have. But the asking price is reasonable for these features. It’s worth noting that the XZ variant doesn’t get the sunroof, which is available in the XZS variant. The XZ variant is suitable for buyers who want a richer ownership experience without a sunroof. In terms of value for money, the XZ variant justifies about 80% of the incremental cost over the base variant with the extra features.

The XZS and XZ Plus are better in this regard because of the panoramic sunroof, which is a high-value feature. Both of these justify about 90% of the incremental cost over the XE variant with the additional features.

Tata Harrier Diesel XZ Plus vs Dark, Kaziranga, Jet Edition Variants - Price, Feature Comparison

Besides the top-spec XZ Plus variant, the Harrier is also available with some cosmetic variants which get style and some functional features. The XZ Plus Dark Edition, Kaziranga and Jet Edition variants cost Rs. 21,000, Rs. 36,000 and Rs. 50,000 more than the standard XZ Plus variant, respectively.

The XZ Plus Kaziranga gets the following features over the XZ Plus:

• Beige exterior colour with black roof
• Beige leather upholstery
• Wooden dashboard accents
• 17-inch black alloy wheels

The XZ Plus Dark gets the following features over the XZ Plus:

• Black exterior colour
• Larger 18-inch alloy wheels
• Black interiors
• Black upholstery

The XZ Plus Jet Edition adds the following features over the XZ Plus:

• Bronze exterior colour with silver roof
• 17-inch black alloy wheels
• Steel and bronze dashboard accents
• White leather upholstery
• Electronic parking brake
• Wireless phone charger
• Rear disc brakes
• Driver fatigue alert
• +4x USB chargers

The special edition variants add style features, which you can decide if you want or not and make the purchase decision accordingly. Only the Jet variant adds some functional and safety features, which allow it to offer better value than the Dark and Kaziranga variants.

It’s worth noting that spending a little more cash can get you the Safari Jet Edition 6-seat, which offers 3-row seating, larger body, better road presence, captain seats in second row, ventilation and larger 18-inch alloys. It more than justifies the Rs. 55,000 price gap over the Harrier Jet Edition and is a better option than the Harrier Jet.

Watch the following video to know more about the exclusive features of the Harrier and Safari Jet Edition variants and our buying recommendations for the same:

Which Variant Of The Tata Harrier Diesel Should You Buy?

The XE base and XM variants miss out on so many must-have features that you’ll end up compromising greatly on the ownership experience. On top of that, the XM variant even offers the worst value for money among all Harrier variants.

Because of the panoramic sunroof, the XMS variant justifies the incremental cost over the lower 2 variants. So, if you’re on a tight budget, then you should consider at least buying the XMS variant.

From there, the XT is suitable for buyers who don’t want the sunroof but prefer a more functional cabin and are willing to compromise a little bit of the value front. However, the XT Plus variant offers the best balance of value, style and other functional features and it earns our top recommendation.

Similar to the XT, the XZ is the variant to buy if you don’t want the sunroof. Meanwhile, the XZS and XZ Plus variants offer better value for money. But between these 2, we’ll suggest getting the XZ Plus variant for some of its exclusive upmarket features like ventilated front seats and machined alloy wheels.

The XZ Plus Dark and Kaziranga variants are mainly cosmetic upgrades. So, you should decide for yourself, which one is most suitable for you. But if you are considering the Jet Edition variant, then you should also consider spending Rs. 55,000 more and getting the Safari Jet Edition instead. It offers a few extra features along with 3-row seating and better road presence while getting the other Jet-exclusive features. The upgrade to Safari Jet will give you better value for money too as it more than justifies the Rs. 55,000 price jump over the Harrier Jet.

Just like the Harrier manual variants, the XMA is not recommended and the XMAS is a good option for buyers who don’t want to spend any more. But if you can, then the XT Plus is our top recommendation. The XZA is the only variant with the automatic transmission, which offers functional and safety features without the sunroof and it’s worth considering. Although the XZA Plus is a better option for buyers who want high-end features.

Among the special edition variants, the Harrier Jet automatic buyers should consider jumping to the Safari Jet for better value for money, style, road presence and features.

What Are The Engine Specifications Of The Tata Harrier Diesel?

The Harrier is a D-segment SUV with 2-row of seating. It competes with the Mahindra XUV700 5-seat and MG Hector. The Hector also has a 2.0L diesel engine, which makes the same power and torque output with similar mileage figures too, with the manual transmission. So, the Harrier beats it with the option of an automatic transmission.

The Tata Harrier’s other rival is the Mahindra XUV700, which has a 2.2L turbo diesel engine available with 2 performance versions in different variants. In lower variants, the XUV700 diesel makes slightly lower power output than the Harrier but about the same tortuqe. This 155PS version of the XUV700 diesel only gets a manual transmission.

The more powerful version of the XUV700 diesel makes a higher 185PS of power and a considerably higher 420Nm of torque with the manual transmission. With the automatic, this engine makes an ever higher 450Nm of torque. While we don’t know the efficiency numbers of the XUV700 diesel, for a D-segment diesel SUV, it has on par performance with its 155PS engine and considerably better performance with the 185PS version.

*Estimated

What Are The Dimensions Of The Tata Harrier?

The Tata Harrier is the shortest in its class but also the widest. All 3 cars have about the same wheelbase. While the Harrier has a segment-best 205mm ground clearance it has the smallest fuel tank in its class, which can carry 10 litres less fuel than the Hector and XUV700 5-seat.

Just like the mileage figures, Mahindra haven’t revealed the ground clearance and boot space numbers either. They could be less than stellar for this segment but until we get official figures, we can’t comment on them. With the information we have right now, it looks like the Harrier has the credentials to offer imposing road presence.

Find out how you can get the best mileage or fuel efficiency from your car:

10 Tips To Get Better Mileage From Your Perol, Diesel Or CNG Car

What Are The Colour Options Of The Tata Harrier Diesel?

The 2022 Harrier diesel is available in the following exterior colour options:

• White (available in all variants)
• Grey (available in all except XE variant)
• Red (available in all except XE variant)
• White with black roof
• Red with black roof
• Beige with black roof (available in Kaziranga only)
• Black (available with Dark edition only)

Note: Here is a quick look at our length-based segmentation of cars to give you an idea of how we classify cars based on their size.