The first of Tata’s much-awaited SUV, the Harrier, rolls out of a new assembly line in Pune that is 90-percent automated and uses manufacturing processes from Jaguar Land Rover.
The Harrier is Tata’s long-awaited SUV that’s slated for an early 2019 launch in India. According to a recent press release by Tata Motors, the first Harrier has just rolled out of Tata’s new assembly line in Pune. The SUV is being built in an assembly line that is 90-percent automated. Set up within six months’ time, the new assembly line borrows manufacturing processes from Jaguar Land Rover, a subsidiary of Tata Motors Limited. Tata’s new assembly line in Pune uses over a hundred robots by KUKA and ABB to achieve this high level of automation.
Talking about the upcoming Harrier SUV, Mayank Pareek, President of Tata’s Passenger Vehicle Business Unit said, “We have been receiving a tremendous response from the customers ever since we opened bookings of the Harrier, a fortnight ago. With the all- new assembly line ready and the roll out of the 1st Harrier, we are now gearing up to start deliveries in early 2019. The Harrier, with its stunning design will definitely appeal to customers, especially those who have eagerly waited for the product since its showcase as the H5X concept at the Auto Expo 2018. We are confident that the Harrier will set new benchmarks in the SUV segment, in 2019.”
The Tata Harrier is a five-seater sport utility vehicle built on a monocoque frame. It uses a proprietary Omega Modular Efficient Global Architecture (OMEGA) borrowed from Land Rover’s tried-and-tested D8 architecture. The Harrier will be powered by Tata’s 2.0L Kryotec diesel engine, which is capable of delivering a max power output of 140 horsepower. Tata claims it has tested the Harrier over 2.2 million kilometres and over “the toughest of terrains.” Reports say that Tata will bring in a seven-seater version of the Harrier with a more powerful 170-horsepower engine later in the future. Tata is expected to offer a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed automatic gearbox on the Harrier.
The Tata Harrier is expected to come with features like multiple driving modes that work with an ESP-driven terrain response system, push-button start, steering-mounted controls, and an infotainment system with a large touchscreen. Taking on competitors like the Hyundai Creta and the Renault Captur, the Tata Harrier SUV is expected to cost somewhere between Rs 16 and 21 lakh at the time of launch next year.
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Vignesh Giridharan
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