[Vikram Arya]

I was entrusted with the job of selecting car for my parents a couple of months ago and I had shortlisted Tata Harrier as one of the probables. Back in the day my dad owned a Tata Estate and that was the last time we ever owned a Tata product. Now they have a City, a Wagon R (very old) & a Gypsy in our stable.

I don't see any reason to lug round 115 kgs of extra weight, lose 10 mm in ground clearance and deal with the extra length of the Safari when only 2 people are going to sit in the car.

I find Harrier to have more proportionate dimensions. The motor is 168bhp so every bit of extra weight would make a difference (especially when driving in hills; my parents live in Shimla).

However in light of the latest niggles (someone's gas tank almost fell off a few weeks ago while driving on the highway) that even the 2021 Tata Harrier seems to have been afflicted with; my faith in the brand is shaken somewhat.

Tata would have to do do a lot better, if they expect to get someone's hard earned money. I really want Tata to succeed and hopefully they will overcome these teething troubles sooner rather than later and when they do then a Tata Harrier would definitely find a place in my parents' garage.

[vigneshkumar31]

Originally Posted by Sebring

Tata's SOUL program should be for Harrier only, and not for Safari I feel.even

I agree with your point about product differentiation But branding the Harrier for the young and Safari for the old might not ring well with the customer base Both should be capable SUVs with their own unique traits . Probably urban city dweller Harrier and Highway mile muncher,long distance family tourer, expedition vehicle Safari.

As a side note - SOUL started as Safari Owners United League and gradually morphed into SUV owners United League to accomodate other SUVs from Tata stable. I was one of the earliest members with my first batch Storme.
Now we have come to a stage where we are discussing to push the Safari out of its own club. Thats the dilution caused by not building a Safari ground up. But guess thats done and shall not discuss further.

[Iyencar]

Had to be the easiest poll ever considering how well priced the Safari is and the extra safety on offer.

[Sebring]

I didnt say 'old'. To clarify, I said 'Married', (with kid or two - parents in tow'. TM Soul program is really about friendships and bonding

Originally Posted by vigneshkumar31

But branding the Harrier for the young and Safari for the old might not ring well with the customer base

[Shanksta]

Voted for Harrier !

Why ? - Because it was love at first sight 2+ years ago and that just does not get swayed easily. The Safari is clearly an afterthought by Tata and I don’t mean just the name. The pricing is great but every time I look at the rear window of the Safari I just cannot help but wonder. The adventure persona looks amazing but nothing to beat the Dark Edition Harrier.

Either way if you end up choosing the Harrier or Safari. Make sure to buy at least the XM variant because the base does not get a rear wiper/wash. Tata if you are reading this, you need to improve the standard kit for essential features across the range.

[itsmb]

Booked Safari recently therefore no need to disclose my vote here. Harrier V 2.0 is a great product itself, and with Safari Tata has taken the game to a different level. With an increase of 75 k in price Tata is offering 2 additional seats, roof rails, rear disc brakes, XL Harrier, Safari Nameplate, and Boss Mode. With an increment of just 8%, Tata is offering 40% more seating capacity along with the features mentioned. To put a healthier point of view vis-à-vis, the top manufacturers charge a similar premium in absolute terms just for boot over their Hatchback counterparts. Says a lot about Tata's sincerity regarding this product.

We are a family of 4 Adults + 2 kids, while we can manage ourselves in a Harrier; Safari takes us in a different league altogether with no worries concerning space and comfort. Also, the social sentiment attached with a seven-seater SUV cannot be denied in our decision-making process.
Regards
Mayank

[myavu]

Voted for Harrier.

I don't need a 6/7 seater.

Interior colour schemes of Harrier (Dark Brown/All Black) is my favorite choice. Even Safari Adventure Edition don't have a proper dark/black seats.

Harrier is as safe as Safari even without rear disk brakes and electronic parking brake.

Harrier is cheaper and smaller too.

Hence for me it is Harrier any day.

Cheers!

[libranof1987]

Difficult poll to choose from. I think Tata has missed a trick by not providing the Safari with 4/A WD. Without it, the Safari is just another seven seater and in that segment, you have the mighty Crysta. And the XUV (also comes in AWD).

If I need five seats, the Harrier does the job fine. If I need seven, I'd probable look outside of these two. Either way, if you have the budget, given the price differential, I'm curious why someone wouldn't stretch from the Harrier to the Safari. Confusion strategy tbh.

The Safari should have had a clear USP. Aside the branding.

[PrideRed]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

Just thinking about it, Tata seems to have positioned the Harrier wrongly and looking at this thread, the Harrier is nowhere in contention anymore.

What Tata should have done is position the Harrier as the urban, younger version appealing to lower genx, millenials. The Harrier should have had the larger 18 inch wheels, the electric handbrake and connected car tech which appeals more to the younger buyers. This would attract the Kia/Hyundai younger age buyers.

The easiest they could have done is reserve 170HP for the Safari and sell Harrier with 140HP guise. This would let them keep Harrier prices lower. A person who can afford Harrier XZ+ will for sure go for XT Safari. I strongly feel Tata might end up killing Harrier unless they are able to differentiate.

[antz.bin]

Harrier seems to be picking up in terms of voting here.

Started off around 15%(⅙) but is now on 25%(¼).

Still a long way off the Safari.

I don't remember the opinion towards Hector+ being as polarizing.

It has everything to do with the 90s kids who have been Safari Fans all our lives. The nameplate and the signature tune was enough given the honest pricing vs the Harrier.

For years, I have been trying to fall in love with the Harrier but the Safari has thrown all those efforts out of the window.

Safari is the obvious choice for anyone looking for an occasional 7 seater in the city but traveling with 5+luggage on the Highways in supreme comfort. That's what the Safari always offered and it still does.

The XUV 5OO also offers the exact same package but I don't think it is a match for the 2021 Safari, at least in its current form. And besides, the XUV may be practical, but it never pulled the same heartstrings as the Safari. Maybe next gen, but for now, it's Safari all the way.

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by PrideRed

The easiest they could have done is reserve 170HP for the Safari and sell Harrier with 140HP guise. This would let them keep Harrier prices lower. A person who can afford Harrier XZ+ will for sure go for XT Safari. I strongly feel Tata might end up killing Harrier unless they are able to differentiate.

That would have killed the Harrier completely. The 140BHP was very much just average for that size and weight car.

My point was the Harrier should be the lifestyle vehicle and should be more desirable since it loses the image as well as practicality of the Safari.

[ThatCarGuy]

I cannot vote here, but definitely Harrier all the way (only for the looks, which is very subjective though)

[BlackPearl]

Voted for Harrier for several reasons -

1. In my opinion the Harrier looks better than the Safari
2. Less weight to carry, more ground clearance in favour of Harrier
3. This is the emotional point of view - I can never consider the new Safari to be a Safari. For me the old one is still the actual Safari!

[JoshMachine]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

What Tata should have done is position the Harrier as the urban, younger version appealing to lower genx, millenials.
The Safari should have been the more mature option...

This way demographic of buyers of both would be different and both would have different appeal. Right now Safari and Harrier have same appeal and almost all are picking Saafari over Harrier.

Tata could still be planning for this demographic/hyper-segmentation marketing blitz, for all we know!

They already pulled off the first stunt of sorts with the Gravitas >> Safari moniker change, virtually overnight, hoping for the "magnetic" effect it will have on the intended customer segment.

IMHO, the typical Safari buyer persona: salt n pepper hair, a mature personality, one who understands what life's best moments are all about (the 'reclaim' bit), one who possibly understands being at peace with him/herself, one who possibly has a taste of all good/fine things in life, one who values camaraderie (SOUL league and the strong bond among fellow Safari owners), and yet one who has his/her adventure spirit kindled all the time!

And the typical Harrier buyer persona could be: somebody who is ultra confident (in a right way) about his/her own abilities, doesn't back down from flaunting "it", understands the importance of being pragmatic & safe (diesel efficiency, price check + safety kit), believes in being associated with world-class product (JLR pedigree), one who possibly respects convenience (auto-tranny) and one who is very savvy with the latest on offer!

[varman742]

Voted for Safari.

Going by my personal experience, since I had already decided to spend ~25 Lacs on Harrier, upgrade to Safari was natural for me. Safari offers 2 additional seats, better equipment, comfort & space, bigger size, stronger brand etc. whereas Harrier looks are much sportier.

I think the impact on one of Harrier & Safari is inevitable unless Tata differentiates the two significantly.

And I don't think Tata will be able to make them that different, at-least in the immediate future, as it will impact the reusability and pricing. This way they may end up losing on both. Safari has been priced so closely to Harrier as it is able to reuse quite a lot from Harrier.