2020 Tata Harrier Engine & Performance
The 2.0 litre Kryotec diesel engine now makes 170 horsepower in the BS VI avatar and a healthy 350 Nm of torque. What is immediately noticeable are the refinement levels. Tata Motors has worked well on this aspect and NVH levels are overall much improved. A noisy engine was an issue with the earlier Harrier and Im happy to report that this has been well taken care of.
Now to the automatic driving experience, The Harrier uses a 6 speed torque convertor automatic gearbox from Hyundai, and it is wonderfully integrated with the 2.0 diesel engine. The acceleration is very linear and the gearbox feels tuned for daily use in urban city traffic. The shifts from the gearbox are smooth and seamless, and this is apparent when you are cruising on the highway. However, the gearbox is slow to respond when you mash the accelerator for a kick down and there is delay selecting the right gear. There is also a manual mode but no paddle shifters. In manual, the gearbox does hold the gear for most of the rev range and will only shift up automatically once it hits the redline. It shifts down when it goes below the 1500 rpm mark. Also, the gear indicator on the instrument cluster has a lag before it shows the engaged gear, which makes matters a tad confusing. There are multi drive modes like Eco, Rough Road and Wet. Plus there is also Sport mode, which automatically gets activated while driving the autos in manual. It can also be activated via a button the dash. There is a significant difference in throttle response and the motor feels more eager to move. Works well during overtaking as well.
I also got to sample the manual version during the drive. The gearbox feels better than earlier, and slots into its ratios much more easily than before. There is a bit of turbo lag felt in the initial rpms, after which the Harrier pulls well with a strong mid range. The clutch travel is long however, and also feels a bit on the heavier side.
2020 Tata Harrier Handling & Ride
The Harrier simply soaks up the bad roads and potholes, though you do feel bumps at lower speeds due to the firm suspension set up. The hydraulic power steering feels good at high speeds but there is an amount of torque steer. Also, it feels heavy at parking speeds. The brake pedal has quite a bit of travel and feel could have been better. However, when pressed hard, the Harrier stops without a problem.
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