Tata Motors is currently in the process of developing a new petrol powertrain that will be incorporated into its premium sports utility vehicles, the Harrier and Safari, confirmed a high-ranking company official. Presently, these models come equipped with the 2-litre Inline4, Kyrotech Turbo diesel engine.
In an exclusive interview with PTI, Shailesh Chandra, the Managing Director of Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, disclosed that this new petrol engine is in active development and is slated for integration into the aforementioned models in the near future.
Chandra emphasized that the company initially concentrated on diesel powertrains due to the fact that 80% of the segment’s annual market, totaling approximately 200,000 units, where the Harrier and Safari operate, exhibited a strong preference for diesel engines, primarily because of their superior torque performance.
He further expounded on the rationale behind this strategy, stating, “Our initial focus was on diesel for a simple reason that 80% of the 2 lakh market for this SUV segment is basically diesel which means customers prefer diesel because of its better torque performance.”
Nonetheless, Tata Motors recognizes the evolving market dynamics and consumer preferences. “But we knew that going forward petrol is also going to give aggressive price points (for the models) and also why one should leave 20 percent of the market, so we are working on a 1.5-liter GDI engine,” Chandra added.
He acknowledged that this endeavor is currently a work in progress, involving not only the development of the engine but also the seamless integration of the product. Chandra remarked, “Also we have been working on building the capacities. It is (petrol engine) slightly far away but it’s going to come.”
Recently, Tata Motors introduced updated versions of the Harrier and Safari, with prices commencing at Rs 15.49 lakh and Rs 16.19 lakh, respectively. Notably, these enhanced models have received top safety ratings from the vehicle safety group Global NCAP.
(With inputs from PTI)
