Tata Harrier.EV: First Teaser Hints At Electric SUV's 500 Nm Of Brute Torque
The next big launch from Tata Motors will be the Harrier.EV. The electric SUV, set to go on sale on June 3rd, will be the manufacturer's first offering in the aspirational, premium electric SUV segment. With days left for the launch, Tata Motors has now released a new teaser of the electric Harrier. It packs a lot of Adrenaline and isn't something that we often see from the manufacturer.
The teaser pumps up excitement around the upcoming SUV. It starts by showing a set of coordinates- 9°39'58.1"N, 76°54'12.2"E. The screen also shows '3937 ft'. Then we see Dr. Mohammed Fahed, a professional off-road driver, briefing us about the action that's to follow. He intends to take the Harrier.EV to the top of a mountain.
The teaser doesn't disclose the exact location or name of the mountain. We were, however, determined to dig it out. A detailed search on the coordinates reveals the actual location to be near Irulan cave, in Vagamon. It could be the Kurisumala mountain. It has a height of around 4,000 ft, close to what is being displayed on the screen.
In the first teaser, the EV is being prepped to climb to the top. We hope to see more of this action in future teasers. The Harrier.EV will mark the return of AWD to the Tata lineup. The electric SUV will come with a dual-motor setup, which spins all four wheels. On top of this, it will have a massive chunk of torque on offer.
It feels great to see Indian manufacturers like Tata Motors use such insane climbs and off-road runs to market their SUVs. We have seen Jaguar Land Rover use this tactic in the past (remember the Range Rover Sport being driven to the 'Heaven's Gate' in China?), and Harrier.EV's newest teaser looks like a nod to the same.
The EV will be based on the manufacturer's new-age Gen 2 Acti.EV platform. This high voltage EV architecture will feature Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) and Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) charging, and come with a multi-link rear suspension.
Likely mated to a 60-75 kWh battery pack, this powertrain will produce 369 bhp and 500 Nm of torque. (Most of its rivals offer much lower torque figures)
The electric Harrier is reported to be able to do the 0-100 kph sprint in under six seconds. It will also have a better power-to-weight ratio, and thus be more fun to drive. Despite its thrilling performance, the Harrier.EV is also claimed to come with a range of over 500 km per charge.
The presence of AWD will make the Harrier.EV stand out in its segment. The technology will also improve the overall handling and agility of the vehicle.
In its design, there will be a lot in common between the regular Harrier and the EV. Most of the design, lines and body panels will remain the same. Even the charging port of the EV will sit where the fuel filler cap used to be on the diesel counterpart. The EV will, however, have unique styling cues like a blacked-out grille, LED DRLs with welcome and goodbye functions, new aero-optimized alloy wheels, and several '.EV' badges.
Inside, the Harrier.EV will have a Grey and White colour scheme. Tata will equip it with features like a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, a panoramic sunroof, JBL audio, dual-zone climate control, OTA support, connected car technology, and terrain modes.
The Harrier.EV is an important launch for the manufacturer. We don't expect it to be a volume seller. However, packaging it well and placing it competitively in the segment, will help Tata Motors compete aggressively against the likes of MG and Mahindra. This could, in turn, help Tata ramp up its overall EV market share.