MOST DETAILED REVIEW ON HARRIR BY OM

So Tata Harrier, probably one of the biggest and most hyped launches by TATA in the recent years. The number of people who were waiting their hearts out for this car is truly surprising because I remember knowing TATA motors as a manufacturer who made mediocre quality products and something that lacks character but I feel the tables have turned ever since the launch of NEXON, people are now accepting TATA in a much more welcoming form. Anyway, so I had a chance to drive TATA Harrier XZ for about 700 kms through villages, proper national highways and even a little bit off road and here is what I feel about it. RIDING EXPERIENCE: Truth be told I was not expecting much and with what I was expecting was rattling sounds from body panels, flimsy ride and feel, poor fit and finish and a lot of ergonomically messed up bits but honestly I was surprised by the way the car genuinely feels. In person it's almost a 'wow' factor not only because the ride is extremely good but for the fact that TATA motors pulled off a global standard car. The suspension felt perfectly balanced with an acceptable amount of body roll, the thuds from bad patches of the roads was nicely dampened and honestly, there were no rattling sounds. The dash felt rich with soft-touch plastics which in my opinion is a very good addon, the wooden inlay which almost fools anyone to believing that it's real is actually just straight off plane printed plastic but adds enough flair to the cabin. The steering felt decent to hold but looks extremely boring. The seats deserve a very very special appreciation. They are just the most comfortable seats on offer in this price range (Xuv500 and Jeep Compass). I had a chance to sit in the passenger seat as well as the rear seats and my butt rates it 9 out of 10. XD. The interior is well thought out especially with things like smartphone holders in the door panels and that really fancy looking handbrake lever which looking like the reverse thrust control for a Boeing 737-800, looks really cool in my opinion. Also that rear passengers get rear AC vents in the pillars instead of the rear of the center console. It delivers the cool air much more efficiently but you do not get to control the temperature or the blower speed. But there are a few misses in the interior like the USB port is in a very hard to reach position. The handbrake lever even though looks really cool and different ends up blocking the space for bottle holders when it's pulled or I should say 'ARMED' (Just a jet reference there). Another thing about the handbrake really triggers my OCD is the fact that when the handbrake is no pulled and in the ideal place does not lay flat with the center console. This just makes me sooooo furious but I guess i'll pass for the amazing built quality. But is there amazing built quality? It's almost amazing but TATA being TATA still has a lot of rough patches and poor quality plastics. During our drive I noticed that the ceiling was not put together and you could literally put your hand into it. Also that the cabin lights felt flimsy and moved with just a little push. Oh and the car misses out on sunroof which probably makes everyone wanting so bad because for some reason (I really don't know what). Final words for interior is that it won't let you don't except when you're driving at a high speeds, then alot of wind noise creeps in. LOOKS AND PERFORMANCE: Harrier looks very different and quirky. It is marginally bigger than compass and you'll be surprised to know that it's bigger than the XUV500. It's based on a Land Rover Discovery platform which is a really big deal and contributes alot to the driving experience. The car feels well proportioned and looks like it's built to last. With neat touches like projectors under the ORVM which project a harrier on the ground at night to a very classy use of chrome (Not overly done). The car looks the best in White colour but I'm sure even other colours would suit it well and good. The only sore point in the exterior is the design of the alloy wheels. it just looks too plain and dull for a car with so many design angles. Now talking about the engine, it's a Fait sourced engine same as the Compass but in a lower state of tune. Lesser horsepower but has equal torque figures. This makes the car very punchy even from the lower ends of the rev band. I would not call the engine refined to Hyundai's level but it is quite good. We managed to get 16-18 kmpl on our highway runs which dropped to 10-12 through the small towns. Oh I must mention that the ORVM has the biggest blindspot I have ever seen in a car. The ORVM is very big which is a good thing but it blocks a big field of view and while I was driving through this small town near Jaipur, the ORVM managed to block out an entire group of 8-10 cows. IT WAS QUITE FUNNY. This was my catch, test drive and feel it yourself. Have a great day ahead.