KATHMANDU: Tata Motors has started developing the next-generation models of its popular SUVs, Harrier and Safari. According to Autocar India, the launch may still take a few years, but early details have already surfaced online.
Internally codenamed Taurus (Harrier) and Leo (Safari), the new SUVs will no longer use the current Land Rover-based platform. Instead, they will be built on a new flexible platform, similar to Mahindra’s NFA architecture.
This new setup will support both petrol and diesel engines, as well as electric powertrains. All-wheel drive is also expected.
The upcoming Harrier and Safari are said to be slightly bigger than the current versions. Reports suggest an increase in length by about 100 to 200 mm.
Tata will continue to offer the 2.0-liter turbo diesel engine from Stellantis, but in an updated form. There will also be a new 1.5-liter turbo-petrol engine with direct injection.
For electric variants, Tata is reportedly working with Chinese brand Desay SV to develop new electrical systems. Desay SV is a Chinese company that makes smart systems for electric vehicles. It supplies major EV brands in China like Li Auto, GAC Aion and Xpeng. The company builds parts like display systems, domain controllers and self-driving tech.
Desay SV also works with NVIDIA and others to improve autonomous driving in Chinese EVs. It is also involved in developing Level-4 autonomous systems in partnership with leading automakers.
In addition to these models, Tata is also working on a new compact SUV, codenamed Scarlet.
In Nepal, the brand enjoys a solid presence in the country across commercial, passenger and electric vehicle segments, with its EVs leading the brand-wise import charts.
