It does things in style, and silence. Tata’s Harrier EV – despite its bulky proportions – is a true off-roader with the rugged appeal of its ICE predecessor, and is also a mile muncher, as we discovered driving it on highways. But how good is it as a daily-use EV?
First, some facts
Within a few days of launch, the Harrier EV – priced from Rs 21.49 lakh to Rs 30.23 lakh – has attracted more than 10,000 bookings. This is a remarkable leap forward compared to Harrier ICE sales (less than 2,000 units per month). A company executive told us that people have been waiting for a long-range, full-size electric SUV, and they saw the Harrier EV as the right fit.
So, what is it?
Available in two battery pack options – 65-kWh and 75-kWh – the Harrier EV shares body style with the Harrier ICE (available in diesel), but is as similar as chalk and cheese.
Prices of 65-kWh variants are Rs 21.49-24.48 lakh, and of 75-kWh variants are Rs 24.99-30.23 lakh. We drove the latter.
How’s the design?
It looks similar to the Harrier ICE, but there are clever EV-specific design inputs – such as closed front grille, different LED DRLs, new alloy wheels, and a frunk (front trunk, in place of the engine). The cabin, however, is quite different, with a huge Samsung Neo QLED touchscreen infotainment system, e-shifter instead of a traditional gear lever, Boss Mode (rear seat passenger can move the front passenger seat for extra legroom), digital cabin mirror with dashcam, and a high boot floor (making it difficult to store heavy luggage).
It’s far more advanced, though, with a digital key, automatic parking, and Transparent Mode (cameras installed on the underbody show you what’s under the car).
How does it drive?
It has a commanding driving position – you sit high, with a wide view of the road. Like most EVs, it delivers instant torque, and races from 0-100 km/h in just 6.3 seconds (with Boost mode). While the claimed driving range is more than 600 km, my test unit displayed 479 km with AC off, and 431 km with AC off (at 96% charge).
On smooth highways, it retains the excellent ride comfort of its ICE sibling. Handling is stable even at high speeds, but there is some amount of body roll when you take sharp turns. In urban driving conditions, it dives ahead when you brake hard (possibly because of the bulk, and also because it’s got a soft suspension setup for enhanced comfort).
The QWD variant (Quad Wheel Drive, or all-wheel drive) is good for off-road usage.
What makes driving easier is the suite of ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems), which keeps the car in lane, applies automatic emergency braking, and even allows it to self-park.
What we didn’t like
– Although overall fit & finish is good, there are some panel gaps.
– It supports superfast charging, but how many superfast chargers do we have?
– Its design is too similar to the Harrier ICE, and doesn’t have the ‘wow factor’ of Mahindra XEV 9e.
– It has a raised floor (as the battery is under the floor), and that impacts under-thigh support for tall passengers.
Is it India’s best EV?
That’s too tall a claim – as the competition is intense – but it’s quite a capable EV, and the best from the Tata stable. Prices are good – the Harrier ICE is cheaper at Rs 15-25 lakh, but has higher cost of ownership, at about Rs 6-7 per km, as compared to the EV (Rs 1-2 per km). Its closest competitor is the XEV 9e (59 and 79 kWh), which is more sedan-like to drive, and doesn’t have all-wheel drive capability.
