TATA HARRIER & SAFARI

After a long wait, Tata's heavyweights have been endowed with a petrol engine. And we find out how this combination works

- STORY : ANAGH BHASKAR | PHOTOS : HARVINDER SINGH

The Harrier and the Safari have been Tata's flagships and the brand has been busy updating both of them over the years, especially since the facelifts arrived.

But the biggest upgrade has come now, in the form of the petrol powertrain that we have been waiting half a decade for, but as they say, better late than never. But before we dive into the engine and how it drives, let us quickly glance over the visual aspects, because there aren't any changes whatsoever.

Both SUVs continue as before, but Tata has taken the opportunity to introduce a new colourway for the Harrier called Nitro Crimson, quite nice in person. Meanwhile the Red Dark Safari has made a return, and now one can opt for the flagship SUV in Dark, Red Dark and my personal favorite Stealth special editions. The Red Dark recipe is as before, all black exterior, peppered minimally with red accents, the red on the brake callipers is just proper. Both the SUVs continue with their strong, modern aesthetic. The LED signature lights, the bulging proportions, the massive wheel arches, bodywork so intense that calling the plastic cladding chunky would be an overstatement. They look great, and they serve their visual purpose perfectly, size, road presence and still carrying that head turning charisma.