New Delhi ,OCT15:
Amidst various official teasers, the Tata Harrier has been spied with an automatic transmission for the first time. The automatic transmission is likely to be offered with the Harrier’s recently revealed 2.0-litre Kryotec diesel engine. The Harrier is expected to hit the market in January 2019 but Tata is yet to confirm whether the SUV will also get a petrol engine or not.
While the spy shot confirms the availability of an automatic transmission, it remains to be seen what type of transmission Tata Motors will offer with the Harrier. The Hexa is the only other vehicle in Tata’s lineup right now to offer a conventional automatic transmission – a 6-speed torque converter. Tata Motors sources the Hexa’s 6L50 6-speed AT from Punch Powerglide Strasbourg (PPS) France, a former General Motors company. Expect the Harrier to offer a torque converter, albeit a different unit.
Tata Harrier 2.0-litre Kryotec diesel engine
Tata has not revealed the specifications of the ‘all-new’ 2.0-litre Kryotec diesel engine, which could, in all likelihood, be Fiat’s locally manufactured 2.0-litre MultiJet engine that currently powers the Jeep Compass. The Compass is locally assembled at the Fiat-Tata’s Rajangaon facility where the Harrier will be produced. So, there’s a fair chance that the 2.0-litre Kryotec could be Fiat’s 2.0-litre MultiJet only. Tata is no stranger to borrowing engines from Fiat as the Zest and Bolt were both powered by Italian carmaker’s popular 1.3-litre MultiJet, albeit with the ‘Quadrajet’ badge.
If the Kryotec is in fact a rebadged 2.0-litre MultiJet, expect it to be the 140PS version that will also power the upcoming Jeep Renegade compact SUV (will sit below the Compass). The Renegade powered by this engine is rated at 140PS @ 3750rpm and 350Nm @ 1750rpm and is available with a 6-speed manual or an optional 9-speed AT. This ZF-sourced 9-speed AT made its Indian debuts with the new fifth-gen Honda CR-V diesel and will also be offered with the upcoming Jeep Compass Trailhawk. However, the 9-speed ZF AT could prove to be expensive given that Tata wants to price the Harrier competitively. We expect the upcoming Tata Harrier to be priced around the Rs 15 lakh.
