Indian car maker Tata Motors have been extensively testing the BSVI compliant engine variant of the Tata Harrier. The test mule of the car without camouflage cover has been spied in the open and this particular car is said to be the automatic gearbox version which has been long overdue.
The test car appears quite similar to the production model but the keen-eyed will be able to spot the sunroof mounted on the car, which is not available on the current variant in its standard form and according to a media report another change on the test car is the ‘BSVI’ sticker which confirms that the car is BSVI compliant and is likely to be equipped with an automatic gearbox.
The Tata Harrier currently on sale, has the FCA sourced 1956cc, 4-cylinder, turbocharged diesel engine that produces 140 PS of power and 350 Nm of torque coupled to a 6-speed manual gearbox. The new BSVI compliant engine is likely to be borrowed from the FCA group’s Jeep Compass which is powered by the 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbocharged diesel engine that produces 173 PS of power and 350 Nm of torque coupled to a 9-speed automatic torque converter gearbox. It is speculated that Tata will use this engine bumping the power from 140 PS to more than 170 PS but the brand will not use the 9-speed automatic, but instead a 6-speed torque converter gearbox from Hyundai.
With the new emission norm compliant engine and automatic gearbox along with creature comforts like a sunroof, the Tata Harrier will be able to compete fiercely with the MG Hector and the Kia Seltos.
In related news, the brand on the occasion of crossing 10,000 customers since its launch in January 2019 launched the new version of the Harrier with updates to the touchscreen infotainment system, the steering wheel setup, the clutch tuned for smoother operation and lowered NVH levels to decrease sound inside the cabin. The brand also launched the dual-tone versions of the SUV.