Tata Harrier vs. MG Hector!

Tata Harrier Test Drive...

Guess its a bit late in the day as you have probably already watched or read countless reviews on the two latest entrants in the mid-size SUV segment in India - the Tata Harrier and the MG Hector. Nonetheless, as I recently found the time to test drive both, and as a big lover of SUVs, I think I'll share my personal opinion on these two new bad boys on the block, without getting into too many numbers or statistics which are readily available on the net.

But before getting into any sort of comparison, let's just talk about the benchmarks these cars have set in the short time since their launch... The Harrier and the Hector, two of the biggest vehicles in the sub - 20 lakh class, are trend setters in their own right. The Harrier, introduced to the Indian market in January 2019, was the first car here to have DRLs positioned where one would normally expect to see the headlamps, while the headlamp cluster is placed further down along with the foglamps. This polarizing styling cue has since been featured in a number of cars, including the Hector, which followed suit in late June 2019. Top variants of both cars are equipped to the gills with safety & convenience features like traction control, hill hold control, cruise control, auto headlamps, rain sensing wipers, and what not. But without further ado, lets get into what prospective buyers are really interested in... Which one should you buy?

First up, is the Harrier - a shocking product from Tata I might add! When you first see it live, the thing that strikes you beyond a shadow of a doubt is that the Harrier is probably the most aggressive looking car, with the best proportions, not only in its segment but also compared to cars two or even three segments higher. It offers the highest ground clearance and is the widest vehicle in its segment, and the second longest after the Hector, which gives it terrific road presence. With a revolutionary exterior, its time to step into its cabin. With an uncluttered dash, an 8.8'' touchscreen, a partially digital instrument cluster, a multiple drive mode selector placed neatly in front of the gear lever, and an aircraft style hand brake, one really gets a pleasant vibe once on the inside. The rear seat is spacious and can comfortably seat three large people or four average sized persons. The Harrier also has some other parlour tricks like puddle lamps and logo projection, up its sleeves. However, it does miss out on some basic features like electronic seat adjustment and a sunroof amongst others, which are on offer even on cars a segment lower.

Well, enough with the walkaround! Its test drive time... I started up the engine and took this hulk for a spin on NH1. Here, I must confess, that although quite responsive at low speeds in city traffic, the Harrier's performance was underwhelming out on the open highway, even in sport mode where one can access its complete power. Although the Harrier shares its Fiat sourced 2.0L multijet diesel engine with the Jeep Compass, it has been detuned to produce about 30 BHP lesser, for lord knows what reason, as the economy figures aren't too good either. That sudden burst of power which you get even in some lower segment cars, like the Honda City, was difficult to find across its rev range and you really need to press the accelerator down for overtaking manoeuvres. All in all, I think I was expecting a bit more from this ground breaking product.

Well, with the Harrier out of the bag most people were convinced that one couldn't get much more at this price point. Then few months rolled by and out popped the Hector in all its glory with numerous segment firsts and food for thought for all Harrier fanboys, paving the way for the SAIC owned British car brand in India. With floating turn indicators complimenting the already striking exterior looks of the car, the Hector definitely looks and also is the longest car in its segment. Unfortunately, it isn't as wide as the Harrier or even some of the other SUVs in its class, like the evergreen Mahindra XUV500, which makes it look a bit disproportionate, rendering it an MPV stance rather than the typical SUV look. Also, thanks to its narrowness, the space offered by its rear seat is comparatively lesser, and three large individuals will find shoulder space to be limited. But this is pretty much where the negatives end as we discuss its driving experience and list out the bucket load of features offered by this car.

Well, first let me just clear the air, regarding the Hector's diesel engine... Its the same one as the Harrier, but this one is in its original state of tune at 170 BHP, as opposed to the Harrier's 140 BHP, and the difference is really apparent. Gently squeeze the accelerator and this beast lunges forward! Overtaking is a piece of cake and the car handles like a cruiserweight boxer rather than a sumo wrestler, despite its size. Other petrol options as well as an automatic transmission and a hybrid variant are offered by the Hector. The interior dominated by that massive portrait oriented 10.4'' touchscreen with advanced voice command recognition, really takes the prize, with such features hard to find in vehicles even many segments higher! The Hector's panoramic sunroof, 360 deg surround view camera, heated ORVMs, geo fencing and much more also form part of the segment-first package on offer.

Finally, if you ask me for an honest verdict, I would say neither SUV is perfect. I prefer the Harrier for its sheer SUV DNA with its Landrover based platform, but I do wish the Harrier didn't have all those little niggles and lack of certain basic pleasantries, which should be present by default in any car in the 15-20 lakh bracket. I would prefer the Hector for almost everything else, be its powerful engine or its classy and advanced interior. Ideally, it would be great if we had the Hector in the Harrier's clothing, but alas we don't own either Tata or MG... The other thing which puts me off about both vehicles is the absence of all-wheel drive in either of them which is essential for an SUV's basic purpose, i.e. off-roading, something which even the XUV500 and the Compass feature. With the Indian market heating up now more than ever before with yet another brand set to debut in India this year, in the form of Kia, with its SUV the Seltos, competition is at a fever pitch. The brand hierarchy is about to shake up even more with upcoming offerings from existing brands, including Audi's new budget SUV - the Q2, Jeep's inexpensive Renegade, which will probably question Jeep's pedigree as a premium brand, Hyundai's premium SUV - the Palisade, and many others. Also, with BS-VI norms to be put in effect next year, BS-VI ready engines have ascended a customer's wish list. So, if you are exploring the market for hot automobiles but are not completely satisfied with the present situation, be sure to look forward to the near future...

MG Hector Test Drive...

[Video credits: My dearest wifey, Priya :)]