Tata Harrier Vs Safari: Real-world Performance Battle Of Two Indian Siblings!

The Tata Harrier and Safari are two SUV siblings that share a lot more than their looks. Both Indian SUVs are underpinned by the same Land Rover-derived platform and pack the same engine and transmission options. It’s obvious that with the Safari's extra row of seats, it’s going to be the heavier of the two, which will likely make it slower as well. 

In this story, we found out how extreme or close that performance delta will be by comparing their real-world acceleration and deceleration figures. A quick spec check before the race:

Spec check

As mentioned earlier, both the Harrier and Safari are powered using the exact same engine and transmission options. They don’t get a 4x4 or all-wheel drivetrain option, and are driven using the front-wheels only. In fact, both the cars have the exact same tyre profile as well. 

We haven’t mentioned the weight for these SUVs as Tata Motors doesn’t divulge their official kerb weight figures. This test was carried out with the diesel automatic powertrain. Let’s go:

Performance Comparison

The Tata Harrier takes victory in all three acceleration tests, and it doesn’t come as a surprise. The Safari will undoubtedly be the heavier of the two, and that shows in its acceleration times. It is behind the Harrier by more than 1 second in the 0-100 test, but does make some time back in the quarter mile test. 

However, it’s not a complete loss for the Safari, as it does win the braking test, and that too by a considerable margin. But the Harrier’s braking test was carried out in wet weather conditions, and we reckon their stopping times would’ve been a lot closer on another dry day.

Price & Rivals

 Tata retails the Harrier between Rs 15.49 lakh and Rs 26.44 lakh, which puts it in contention with Mahindra XUV700 5-seater, MG Hector, and Jeep Compass, as well as compact SUVs such as the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos.

The Safari starts at the same Rs 15.49 lakh mark, but goes up to Rs 26.89 lakh (all prices ex-showroom). It rivals the MG Hector Plus, Hyundai Alcazar, and Mahindra XUV700.