logo
Tata Harrier.ev review, first drive: Loaded to the gills with AWD and tech

Tata Harrier.ev review, first drive: Loaded to the gills with AWD and tech

India Today4 days ago
Tata Motors has created quite a few legends over the years — the Tata Sierra, the Tata Estate, and of course, the iconic Tata Safari. While the Sierra and Estate were discontinued long ago, the Safari managed to soldier on, thanks to its rugged ability and loyal fan base. It was also the enthusiast's favourite, largely because it came with 4x4 technology. However, the newer generation Safari dropped this much-loved feature, leaving purists disappointed. Now though, Tata Motors is ready to break new ground with the launch of the Harrier.ev — not just in 2WD, but also with a fully-loaded AWD variant. And that's exactly what we have with us today.
The Harrier.ev comes with a fully-loaded AWD variant as well, apart from the rear-wheel drive version.
advertisementTata Harrier.ev: Design and dimensionsThe latest crop of Tata Motors vehicles has impressed us with their design — whether it's the compact Tata Punch, the futuristic Tata Curvv, or the updated Tata Nexon. The Harrier was no different, and the new Harrier.ev continues that strong design lineage. It stays true to the original ICE version's bold and butch styling but adds subtle elements that highlight its electric identity.
Sleek LED headlamps and bumper-mounted cornering lamps add to Harroer.ev's modern look.
Up front, it features sleek LED headlamps and cornering lamps positioned on the bumper, while a full-width LED light bar on top serves as the DRL, giving it a modern, high-tech look. The grille has been blanked out — a typical EV trait — with select openings serving aerodynamic functions. From the side, it's hard to tell the EV apart from its ICE sibling, except for the 19-inch aero-styled wheels. Another unique detail is the 'Quad Wheel Drive' badge near the C-pillar, hinting at its AWD capability. At the rear, the Harrier.ev sports a connected LED tail-light panel and a bold EV badge, leaving no doubt about its electric nature. Both the light panels also feature a signature move every time the vehicle is locked or unlocked.
The Harrier.ev measures 4,607mm in length.
When it comes to dimensions, the Harrier.ev is 4,607mm in length, 2,32mm in width and is 1,740mm tall. This also ensures that this SUV is big enough to intimidate other road users, much like we experience with other vehicles like the Toyota Fortuner.Tata Harrier.ev: Interiors, features, space
The Harrier.ev's interior has received significant upgrades over its ICE counterpart.
The interior of the Harrier.ev gets some significant upgrades over its ICE counterpart. While it doesn't go full sci-fi, the cabin feels premium and well thought-out. Dominating the dashboard is a massive 14.53-inch Samsung-sourced QLED display that is nothing short of stunning. It also supports Dolby Atmos, delivering an immersive audio experience when paired with the 10-speaker JBL system.
The Harrier.ev features a 14.53-inch Samsung-sourced QLED display.
The infotainment system is packed with features, one of the highlights being a smart range map that not only displays your remaining distance in kilometres but also visually shows the area you can cover, much like a geofence. Tata has also introduced a new feature called DrivePay, which acts as a digital wallet. It allows you to pay for EV charging and Fastag tolls directly through the system.
The instrument cluster is a fully digital 10.25-inch unit.
The instrument cluster is a fully digital 10.25-inch unit, offering a wide range of information, including live feeds from the blind spot cameras. Another standout tech feature is the IRVM, which streams footage from a rear camera mounted on the shark-fin antenna. First seen in high-end Land Rovers, this system can even record footage, adding another layer of functionality.Also impressive is the 360-degree camera setup, which includes a transparent bonnet view projected on the main screen — extremely useful for off-road trails or tight manoeuvres.
The Harrier.ev also offers a large sunroof.
advertisementThe centre console features phygital buttons, a mix of physical and digital controls. While they're large and easy to use, we would've liked some haptic feedback for better tactility. Just below that is the terrain mode selector, which we'll touch on shortly. Another thoughtful touch is the cooled centre armrest, adding to overall comfort.In terms of space, the Harrier.ev doesn't disappoint. There's ample room in both the front and rear. Rear passengers also benefit from 'Boss Mode,' which allows them to electrically slide the front passenger seat forward for more legroom. However, ingress can be a bit tricky for older passengers — a side step would be a welcome addition.
The Harrier.ev has a boot space of 512-litres.
As a five-seater SUV, the Harrier.ev also offers a cavernous 512-litre boot, which can be expanded further by folding the rear seats.advertisementTata Harrier.ev: Powertrain, battery and range
Thanks to fast-charging capability, a 120kW DC charger can add up to 250km of range in only 15 minutes.
The Harrier.ev comes with multiple battery options and we are driving the one that is loaded with a 75kWh unit under the floor. Tata claim that this unit can offer a range of 622km as per the MIDC cycle and in the real world can travel upto 490km in one charge. That's a substantial number to boast. Additionally, it supports fast charging and hence a 120kW DC charger can juice up to a range of 250km in just 15 minutes.This particular variant comes with dual motors. While the front motor offers 158bhp, the rear unit offers 238bhp. In all, max torque offered is around 504Nm. Quite powerful numbers we must say.Tata Harrier.ev: Terrain Modes and drive modes
The Harrier.ev comes with six terrain modes.
The Harrier.ev comes with six terrain modes that include Normal, Snow/Grass, Mud-Ruts, Sand, Rock Crawl, Custom. The Custom mode though, is the most interesting as it allows the driver to select the exact function needed, and we think it is a proper tool to have. Additionally, there are the usual drive modes that include Eco, City, Sport and Boost.advertisementTata Harrier.ev: How is it to drive?Slide into the driver's seat, and the first thing you'll notice is the excellent all-around visibility. The bonnet is clearly in view, a big plus when navigating tight city streets or rugged jungle trails. Despite its size, the Harrier.ev delivers strong acceleration across all drive modes, making overtaking feel effortless. Engage Boost mode, and things get even more exciting, with a noticeable surge that pins you back into the seat.The electric power-assisted steering makes the Harrier.ev feel significantly lighter to drive than its ICE counterpart. There's also a sport mode for the steering that adds weight and improves feedback, making for a more engaging experience behind the wheel.
What sets the Harrier.ev apart is the impressive claimed range of 622km.
Out on the highway, the Harrier.ev cruises with ease. What really stands out, though, is the ride quality. The suspension soaks up ruts and bumps with remarkable composure, offering a plush experience for all passengers. Even larger potholes are handled without much fuss.That said, there is a fair bit of body roll, but let's face it, this is a big SUV, not a corner-carving sports car.Tata Harrier.ev: Verdict
Harrier.ev's performance is also commendable.
As an off-road enthusiast, I'm particularly thrilled that Tata is finally offering AWD tech in the Harrier.ev. But what really sets it apart is the impressive claimed range and the sheer number of features on offer. Performance, too, is commendable, making the Harrier.ev feel well worth its Rs 30.23 lakh ex-showroom price tag.The only lingering concern is the long-term reliability of all these high-tech features. Hopefully, Tata Motors has stepped up its game in terms of quality control, something that could truly elevate the Harrier.ev into a standout offering in the electric SUV space.Subscribe to Auto Today Magazine- EndsTune InMust Watch
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Moto 360 could return in 2025 with a smarter look and smarter software
Moto 360 could return in 2025 with a smarter look and smarter software

Mint

time3 hours ago

  • Mint

Moto 360 could return in 2025 with a smarter look and smarter software

Motorola seems ready to revive its most iconic wearable. The Moto 360, once seen as the crown jewel of Android Wear devices, is expected to return in 2025 with a new design and modern features. Renders leaked by Android Headlines reveal a smartwatch that holds on to the original round-faced appeal while introducing modern refinements. The stainless steel-like casing, circular bezel and rotatable crown bring back memories of the original design. However, this time, Motorola has opted for a more premium look with metal link bands and a neatly polished finish. The smartwatch also features a second button below the crown, much like some recent watches from Samsung and OnePlus. Software is where the 2025 Moto 360 could get interesting. Unlike its predecessors, the new model may feature two different operating modes. One is expected to be Google's Wear OS, offering support for apps, maps, and voice assistant features. The other is a real-time OS that helps stretch battery life by handling essential tasks like step counting, media control, and Bluetooth calling. This approach aims to combine power and efficiency, which has become a popular solution among smartwatch brands. With this dual-mode operation, users could enjoy both performance and extended usage without needing to recharge frequently. The history of the Moto 360 is one of early innovation followed by quiet absence. Launched in 2014, it was among the first smartwatches to adopt Android Wear. It brought a round display to the table when most competitors were still using square designs. A second version followed, but the line faded before making a return through licensing in 2019. The 2025 model signals a more direct involvement from Motorola. This time, the development is expected to happen in-house, reflecting a renewed interest in the wearables market. As for the operating system, the rumours remain mixed. While the device may include Wear OS, there is still no confirmation from Motorola. Past smartwatches from the brand have used its own lightweight operating systems for speed and battery efficiency. With the smartwatch market now dominated by Apple, Samsung, and Google, Motorola's success may depend on how well it balances style, software and battery life.

A $2,000 foldable iPhone can take the heat off Tim Cook
A $2,000 foldable iPhone can take the heat off Tim Cook

Time of India

time4 hours ago

  • Time of India

A $2,000 foldable iPhone can take the heat off Tim Cook

Picture the life of Samsung hardware engineers: Day after day, they toil at the cutting edge, devising almost inconceivable ways to defy physics. Components are shrunken, twisted, bent against their will. And then their work is unveiled to the world: the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 , an unfathomably thin folding smartphone. The company eagerly awaits the reaction of American smartphone buyers. 'Meh,' they say. Harsh? Maybe. But the sales won't lie. At this point, I don't know what it would take for Samsung Electronics Co. to engineer its way to a bigger slice of the US market, where Apple Inc. has a 56% share compared with Samsung's 25%. The consumer lock-in of iOS and the Apple product range is just too great. People love their iPhones. And yet, ask a Wall Street investor and she'll tell you the iPhone segment is tired. Revenue growth (globally) has softened — 1.9% in the last quarter, down 0.8% in the all-important holiday quarter before that. The predicted upgrade 'supercycle' from artificial-intelligence features has failed to materialize because they are delayed. That's had some close observers half-heartedly questioning Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook 's position. He can quiet at least some of that talk with the coming folding iPhone, which, according to Bloomberg News' Mark Gurman, is expected by the end of next year. That's a long way off but not too long. From a hardware standpoint at least, Samsung's Fold 7 is a blueprint for where the iPhone can and will go next. The Korean giant's foldable efforts began in 2019 with the introduction of the Galaxy Fold. The head-turning engineering achievement was held back by obvious limitations: The screen was fragile and quickly developed a prominent crease at the fold. When closed, it was rather fat — 15.5 mm. The release was delayed after reviewers found severe reliability issues. The devices have improved since, but the foldable market is still less than 2% of the overall smartphone pool, CCS Insight's Ben Wood estimates — 22 million foldable units sold in 2024. But with the Fold 7, announced at an event in Brooklyn earlier this month, there's more than a whiff of a suggestion that Samsung has made a foldable phone that everyday users might finally find appealing. The device has been well received in review circles. The $2,000 price tag is huge, granted, though that can be heavily discounted with trade-ins and other perks. And again, it's remarkably thin: When shut, the device is only six-tenths of a millimeter thicker than the latest iPhone 16 Pro. None of this alters the challenge, however, which is that anyone who might be tempted away from the iPhone has too many practical considerations that overrule the novelty or utility of a folding phone. The years of photos, videos and messages; the effortless syncing with MacBooks and iPads; the commitment to never be the one who turns the group chat green. Above all, iOS' straightforward familiarity, and the fact that Apple has never wavered on the quality of its software, is what makes the huge majority of its customers transition from one iPhone to the next without hesitation. Switching from iOS to Android is like asking someone to learn to write with their other hand. They see no compelling reason to put themselves through the effort. Some think that AI is the force that can break Apple's grip, given the company's well-publicized struggle to grasp the technology's potential. It's one reason, in addition to tariff fears, that Apple investors have been in a tizzy since the start of the year, worried that Cupertino has been asleep at the AI wheel and has put at risk the lasting appeal of the most successful consumer product in history. Shares are down more than 14% this year. These concerns are overblown as both a short- and medium-term threat. No AI company is likely to build a device that competes with the iPhone, given the supply chain mastery required, within at least the next five years or longer. There's little to worry about from existing players, either. While watching Samsung's keynote presentation to launch the Fold 7 and other new devices, it was notable that for all the talk of Apple's intense struggle to introduce AI to the iPhone, Samsung hasn't exactly achieved much to get truly excited about either. The standout AI functions were created by Google, a company that aims to get its AI into as many affluent hands as possible, which means making much of the functionality work on the iPhone as well. In addition to this, the most impressive AI functions on Samsung devices require sending data to the cloud — something Apple has been steadfastly opposed to for privacy and performance reasons. That's not to say Apple's AI problem isn't urgent. Seasoned Apple watchers rightly consider the recent fumbles an embarrassment. However, what investors seem to be overlooking is that Apple is on the cusp of a once-in-a-decade moment. The iPhone is about to receive a genuinely significant upgrade, a giant leap from the incremental changes consumers have grown accustomed to in recent years. The last time Apple did this, with the all-screen iPhone X in 2017, analysts underestimated the consumer appetite to drop $1,000 on a smartphone. They shouldn't make the same mistake again — a foldable iPhone is expected to go for $2,000 or more, from which the company is expected to enjoy strong margins. Volumes may be low at first but, from the offset, 'the allure of a folding iPhone would immediately lift the market by many millions,' Wood said. Investors should also consider what happened when Apple introduced its 'Max' models with larger screens in 2014, which some at the time considered to have niche appeal. 'Apple was late in launching a large form factor compared to Samsung and other manufacturers,' wrote analysts at Consumer Intelligence Research Partners. 'Now, large-format displays account for over one-third of Apple iPhone US unit sales.' There's a small chance the folding device will eat into other product lines, most obviously the iPad, though Apple has already started to reposition that device as a small computer rather than a large smartphone. There were cannibalization fears with the iPhone X, too, but its introduction led to the average selling price increasing by $118 over the subsequent two years, according to CIRP's weighted sales data (Apple has stopped disclosing its own figures). And, with more users carrying larger screens on the go, Apple can expect a bump in subscriptions to its streaming and gaming services. All of this amounts to a real upgrade supercycle, if not with Apple's first foldable next year, certainly with the iterations to come. I'm confident it won't take much to persuade a great number of Apple users to start buying what ultimately amounts to one device for the price of two.

Apple and Google face more UK antitrust scrutiny over mobile ecosystems
Apple and Google face more UK antitrust scrutiny over mobile ecosystems

Time of India

time4 hours ago

  • Time of India

Apple and Google face more UK antitrust scrutiny over mobile ecosystems

LONDON: Britain's competition regulator said it plans to designate Apple and Google with so-called strategic market status for their role in mobile ecosystems , as it steps up scrutiny of what it has described as their duopoly. The plans announced on Wednesday follows findings by an inquiry group at Britain's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) that a number of markets relating to mobile internet browsers were not working well for consumers or businesses. Apple's Safari and Google's Chrome dominate the mobile browser market on iPhones and Android devices, respectively. A strategic market status (SMS) designation allows the CMA to impose interventions on a firm, such as requiring it to adhere to specific behaviour so as not to undermine fair competition. In Apple and Google's cases, they could be forced to offer more features and give users the option actively to choose their preferred mobile browser, if recommendations from the CMA's inquiry group are accepted. Both Apple and Google pushed back against the CMA's proposals, with Google calling the step "disappointing and unwarranted." "It is ... crucial that any new regulation is evidence-based, proportionate and does not become a roadblock to growth in the UK," Google's senior director for competition, Oliver Bethell, said. Apple said separately it was concerned that the new rules being considered would undermine the privacy and security protections expected by its users.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store